I sit here today very frustrated by a process that purported to build consensus but in actuality produced only a "least-common-denominator" solution to a complex urban design problem. We in BSQ hold as truth that we in Sarasota shoot for something higher than the "least common denominator."
It has been well over a year since BSQ first presented the roundabout project to the city commission but somehow we continue to hear there was not enough time to achieve a real solution.
Here is where our "least common denominator" thinkng has left us:
We have eliminated the synergy with the County to save the City hundreds of thousands of dollars and the BSQ businesses the inconvenience of multiple construction projects, eliminated needed crosswalks, removed access for thousands of customers a day, eliminated additional parking opportunities, did not reduced traffic speeds, lost the opportunity to make the pedestrian a priority over the vehicle, maintained all the dangerous car crash conflict areas, eliminated reduction of our carbon footprint, have not reduced unneeded traffic lanes and took away opportunities for additional greenspace.
Yes, you preserved the left hand turn out of Oak Street so the handful of residents who travel that way do not have to go around a block, but this choice was at the expense of the thousands of downtown customers a day who now have no access.
This design preserves an intersection that whether it is or is not the most beautiful it can be is subjective; let alone, how the city has quantified that is questionable at best.
The design before you is a design that the Burns Square Property Owners Association has been requesting since our 2005 charrette, which was prior to 2007 study which resulted in the roundabout recommendation and all of the benefits that came with it.
Therefore, if this is all we can get out of this thing the commission tagged "process", our original 2005 design, then we hope you vote for these improvements before you today as well as immediately fund the Alderman roundabout for construction during the County Storm Water project.
Denise Kowal, President
Burns Square Property Owners
2 comments:
Can anyone explain why while all of this construction is taking place at Burns Square it is SO difficult to use the main streets to get to the shops and offices in the area??
I drove around and around this week trying to easily get to Burns Square and it was ridiculous. From Osprey Avenue I went down Oak only to find myself tangled in Laurel Park. When I returned the signs directed me back into a residential area on Laurel Street NOT where I wanted to go at all. I was trying to go south on Orange to get to an office just beyond the Citrus cafe. Is there a conspiracy afoot to keep traffic away from Burns Square??
Dear skhmet,
We feel your pain!
Jack Vinales and Cheryl Burke are the two liaisons working with the county and city on these issues.
Complicating things further, the Laurel Park neighborhood board of directors who continue to expect LP to be treated as a gated community by somehow getting traffic restricted on the city street that run through that neighborhood.
The northbound lane of Orange Avenue should open back up by the end of this month.
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