Dear Dick:
We are slowly getting to your other comments in your email of May 23rd. We offer this conversation on 'consensus' to hopefully improve process for Burns Square (BSQ) and City Hall.
We in BSQ have been struggling with your (appears Kelly's, LouAnn's and Bob's too) 'consensus' approach for BSQ projects that lead to the city commission denial of the Orange/Pineapple roundabout. We feel the 'consensus' system is drastically flawed.
The city manager and the majority of the commission relied on the multiple choice design sheet in which a select group of people placed personal preferences and a 'consensus' was drawn as you state, "The roundabout discussion clearly was not agreed to by most of those affected."
While we feel the Laurel Park (LP) board successfully organized and rallied people to vote for 'no change', and the people on Palm, majority of whom supported the roundabout, filled out sheets requesting 'no change' for friends from LP, we wonder why Hudson Bayou and Main Street were not notified to give input? They are our neighbors to the South and North. Since the overwhelming number of people actually travel in (north) and out (south) of downtown instead of sideways (east/west) through BSQ, wouldn't their input be as important?
In addition you state, "The vitality of a city is a function of everyone - residents, businesses, functionality, personal preference, etc." (questionable since our 60+ year sprawl mentality). If this is the case, then why was every other city neighborhood denied notification? And why wasn't the DTC interests invited, such as the DTP, DTCA and DSMA? Also, shouldn't the city include the city core businesses, residents, property owners and civic community that relies on BSQ's success?
The BSQ Property Owners and BSQ Merchants associations publicly worked together through 2007 on a concept that started in 2005 to offer the city an engineering and new urbanist design that supports our city master plan and the needs of BSQ. Hundreds of BSQ supporters wanted the professionally engineered and planned roundabout but this voice was ignored in this process for the multiple choice design sheet. Admittedly, there was a select group in BSQ (11 out of hundreds) who filled out forms for friends supporting 'no change' (even though 9 of those supported the roundabout and still do).
So here we are. This monumental project for one of the city's most important intersection has been reduced to a few people from BSQ, LP and Palm sitting around a table in the engineering conference room trying to get 'consensus' on a dumbed down 'do nothing' design. BSQ is threatened with no improvements unless we can find 'consensus' with the two LP spokespersons who did not share BSQ values the first time around. But we are told the commission will agree with this 'consensus' design created by 4, 5 6 or 7 of us instead of the professional thoughtful planning BSQ did with hundreds involved?
Therefore I ask, is this how our city government is going to continue to make decisions? Is 'consensus' Kate Lowman and Denise Kowal agreeing? Or is it two people from LP, Burns and Palm? Or is it ten people from LP, BSQ and Palm? Or is the presidents of the associations and which associations? Is it each individual condo on Palm or the Downtown Condo Association? Or a few from every neighborhood in the city? Who and how many of our 50,000 residents exactly makes up 'consensus'? And if we meet with you on Monday at the city commission meeting with a 'consensus' design, did the city commission really accomplish something great for this city of ours or is it as I stated: BSQ "needs are continually ignored for political reasons and a few residents who are content on controlling things that are counterproductive for business and the city's vitality"?
Respectfully, Denise Kowal, President
Burns Square Property Owners Association
PS... That LP & Palm neighborhoods were not included or timely included is demonstrably untrue. It is demonstrably true that they do not include us. There was adequate time for everyone for the construction of the roundabout but so much time was wasted and still is.
PSS...Also, the BSQ intersection is not LP or Palm ( Hudson or Main) and those neighborhoods do not start until outside BSQ DTC zoning, except Main. This is no arbitrary turf line drawn by neighborhood associations but a well defined zoning difference with totally different uses. In addition, our intersection within BSQ boundaries is not encompassed in LP as you state. BSQ and LP are not one, in fact LP only borders 4 of our 13 or so blocks in BSQ.
cc: Burns Square Association (Merchants), Burns Square Residents Alliance, The City Alliance, Downtown Sarasota Merchant Alliance
Richard Clapp wrote May 23, 2008 11:23:37 PM EDT:
The vitality of a city is a function of everyone - residents, businesses, functionality, personal preference, etc. I do not think it is a fair statement that business "needs are continually ignored for political reasons and a few residents who are content on controlling things that are counterproductive for business and the city's vitality". There have been several attempts to look at a vision for the area encompassing Laurel Park and Burns Square. For a number of reasons (history, personalities, etc.) no agreement has ever been found. Recently the Palm Ave condo people have raised issues with the Plaza Hotel concept. I think an honest, open, inclusive visioning process could help. I believe that the residents want to have a lively and functioning Burns Square area but they feel they have been excluded from many of the discussions. The physical connection of these two areas plays a strong role in both areas quality of life and business success expectations. Both need to be involved in the discussions and planning.
The roundabout discussion clearly was not agreed to by most of those affected. Additionally there was little time between when it was proposed and when a decision needed to be made - not enough time to find a solution that most could agree to.
I do not believe the city is saying "consensus is more important than safety". Safety is a factored in the proposed minimal street design changes (as directed by the city commission).
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