On August 24, 2021, members of the DSCA Greenspace Committee and interested residents held discussions with  FDOT and City experts; which included Mark Miller, Sr. Arborist & Dan Ohrenstein, Assistant City Engineer; City of Sarasota; Darryl Richard, District 1 Landscape Architect, FL Dept of Transportation (FDOT).

The committee and guests discussed the following agenda items:

• Miller reviewed status of Tree Protection ZTA with Tree Advisory Committee Recommendations.  The Tree Protection ZTA is scheduled to come before the City Commission on Sep 8 for further direction from the commissioners.  Staff is preparing the recommended changes arranged according to original 8 issues sent to the Tree Advisory Committee.  The tree mitigation process with the proposed ordinance changes was discussed.  The committee members are urged to contact commissioners to support approval of the proposed Tree Protection ZTA.
  

Here are links to referenced information:

• • Sep. 8, 2021 City Commission meeting agenda: https://granicus_production_attachments.s3.amazonaws.com/sarasota/7fdc5677a0d9a5f74946da4413ad3d890.pdf

• • Backup Material for Tree Advisory Committee Recommendations:

https://legistarweb-production.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/attachment/pdf/1036506/Back-up_for_TAC_Recommendations-Final2.pdf

• • Fast Facts on Ad hoc Tree Advisory Committee Recommendations:

tree committee fast fact rob Patten.pdf

• Miller also discussed the Urban Forest project and Street Tree Inventory   Plans. The CC approved $25,000 from Tree Fund towards the Tree Inventory project, along with other state grant. The City has issued their RFP for the inventory project with a focus on downtown core and hurricane evacuation routes.  We discussed the suggestion for staff to consider using Tree Equity scores to determine where more trees need to be planted. https://www.americanforests.org/our-work/tree-equity-score/
  
• Richard discussed the Landscape Plan for the Gulfstream Roundabout.  Gannon and others raised concerns as to why Royal Palms were being designed to be planted adjacent to the sidewalks along Tamiami Trail and Gulfstream Ave.  Richard explained that while FDOT had contracted with Kimley-Horn for the landscape design, they were open to feedback from the public and would consider planting appropriate shade trees along the sidewalks.  Suggested changes to the landscape plan will be sent from from DSCA members.

FDOT-Gulfstream-LandscapePlan.pdf

• Ohrenstein discussed status of the newly drafted Landscape Chapter in     the EDCM.  The Table 5-3  Downtown Street Tree Plans showing primary, secondary and tertiary tree species by street block for the downtown area will be considered provisional during the CC review of the EDCM changes, when that is brought forward to the CC later this year.

EDCM Landscaping Chapter – Draft 2020-11-03.pdf

Download Meeting Notes: DSCA Greenspace Committee Notes 2021-08-24.pdf

Anyone wishing to work with the DSCA Greenspace Committee on these and other related issues on street trees and Urban Forest, please contact DSCA: downtown.sarasota.condo.assoc@gmail.com

September 18th, 2021

In February 2021 the effort to install canopy trees on Florida Ave. in the Rosemary District, between Blvd of the Arts and 5^th , was completed. In all ten canopy trees were planted, including seven Pink Tabebuia’s which are known for their spectacular display of pink blossoms in the Spring. The work included several city departments to ensure the project is a long-term success. The project included the installation of root barrier systems to protect water lines and the installation of a new, reclaimed irrigation line and timer.

Particular thanks go’s to City Manager Brown and the Parks & Recreation Department with a special shout outs to Candie Pedersen and Mark Miller. Also, acknowledgement is extended to the Rosemary District Associations Open Space Committee who worked with city staff on this project for over a two-year period.

The Before and After images show what a dramatic transformation of a pretty nondescript street into something quite special. The Rosemary District Association and DSCA Greenspace Committee will be seeking out other opportunities to work with the City on streetscape projects that will add canopy trees to an increasing number of our downtown streets. Additionally, and exciting, planning is currently underway for Blvd of the Arts and 10^th Street Streetscape efforts from Orange to Route 41. Money is in this year’s budget for initial design work and it is hoped money will be available next year to begin to implement construction. DSCA strongly supports these efforts.

March 31st, 2021

April 2020, Sarasota, Florida.

National Arbor Day was celebrated on April 24, 2020 this year to promote cleaner air and water, protect wildlife in their natural habitats, and improve human health — all through planting and nurturing trees.

In recognition of National Arbor Day, and the 50^th Anniversary of Earth Day, DSCA celebrates the work of so many City of Sarasota residents who worked tirelessly to create the City of Sarasota Downtown Green Space Policies (2011).  This grassroots effort in 2007 was led by Carol Reynolds, Jude Levy, Barbara Campo, Kate Lowman and John Moran (DSCA President at the time).  Their effort identified the problem of commercial development in the greater Downtown Sarasota that was removing trees and greenspace and replacing with impervious pavers and palm trees.

The coalition of Downtown Sarasota Condominium Association (DSCA) and Save Our Sarasota (SOS), along with many of their supporters, came in front of the City Commission on October 15, 2007 and requested the City to adopt a policy statement for green infrastructure to achieve three important goals:

• safeguard the quality of Sarasota’s coastal waters,
• promote an urban ecosystem to provide the highest social, environmental and economic benefits and
• adopt an urban growth model to recognize the meaningful role of trees and landscape as a bio-utility

The City Commission approved the motion to direct City Manager to develop a strategic greenspace plan reflecting that downtown is for the entire City through a process that includes significant public input , and that plan would place priority on greenspace and include a vision for the City’s Downtown parks and streetscapes. [Motion was updated Jan. 7, 2008]

https://sarasota.granicus.com/MinutesViewer.php?view_id=84&clip_id=1026&doc_id=61e9caee-1800-4130-8a4e-8fadbb313977

These local resident greenspace advocates planned and with City support, held a Sarasota Green Space Workshop on Jan. 15, 2008, with over 120 members of the public in attendance.  The first draft of the Downtown Green Space Policy was presented at City Commission on May 19, 2008.  On June 2, 2008 the City Commission approved the motion to direct Staff to move forward with the Downtown Greenspace Draft Policies with changes as discussed by the Commission, direct Staff to amend the language of the Downtown Master Plan 2020 to reflect greenspace is preferred over hardscape, and create a Greenspace Advisory Committee to discuss the design of the Palm Avenue and Main Street bulbouts and proceed to the Downtown Greenspace Draft Policy if approved by the Commission.  The DSCA & SOS residents continued to work together and engaged with City staff as they developed and brought the final Downtown Green Space Policies forward for approval by the City Planning Board (Dec. 8, 2010), unanimously by the Community Redevelopment Agency Advisory Board (CRAAB) (Dec. 9, 2010) and unanimously by the City Commission (Feb. 7, 2011).

Along the way, this resident-led grassroots effort succeeded in not only having the City adopt this important sustainability policy and amend the Downtown Master Plan (2020), this grassroots effort also resulted in:

• Added critical elements into the City’s Strategic Plan (2012) (Strategic Plan Economic Development initiative #17 completed) for downtown streetscape projects,
• Adoption of Administrative Regulation No._ 033.A005.0211 – Downtown Green Space Policies.

III. Implementation.  The Downtown Green Space Policies is an Administrative Regulation to the Downtown Master Plan 2020, the City of Sarasota Public Landscape Installation and Maintenance Guidelines, the City’s Land Development Regulations including the Comprehensive Plan, the Zoning Code, and the Engineering Design Criteria Manual.

• Revisions to the Public Landscape Installation & Maintenance Guidelines (2011-08-14).

… maintaining public health, safety, and welfare are important tenets in the development of these Guidelines.  A properly designed, installed and well maintained landscape can provide many benefits to the community including increased property values, improved air quality, reduced soil and wind erosion and reduced storm water runoff. Landscapes provide habitat for a variety of wildlife thus promoting a healthy ecology. Landscape plants clean the air by capturing dust particles and other pollutants while absorbing carbon dioxide and producing oxygen. Energy conservation is realized by reducing the urban heat island effect and cooling the community in hot summer months.  [bolding is from original text]

So, this month when we celebrate National Arbor Day, and the 50^th Anniversary of Earth Day, let’s recognize that protecting our environment is hard work!  Let’s also SALUTE those resident pioneers in the City of Sarasota who worked so hard over a decade ago and those who continue the effort on behalf of our rapidly growing downtown population.  Here is a sentiment from one of these downtown green space pioneers reflecting on their effort: “What we could never understand was why we had to work so hard to get the City to adopt something that citizens all over the country want – more greenspace and less hardscape!”

There is still more to be done.  The Downtown Green Space Policies requires City staff to Manage the Urban Forest using the best management principles:

• Develop a Street Tree Planting Plan for all streets in the Downtown Bayfront (DTB), Downtown Core (DTC), and Downtown Edge (DTE) zone districts.
• Canopy trees are preferred in the public right-of-way.

Nine years later these issues still need to be addressed, and it appears that it is going to take continuing public effort to implement these Downtown Green Space Policies.  Please join the effort through the DSCA Greenspace Committee.  Contact the DSCA President to let us know how you can help.  Send your email to: Downtown.Sarasota.Condo.Assoc@gmail.com

May 12th, 2020

Tabletop composting:  When Tracie Troxler returned to Manatee County after living in California for 20 years, she brought with her the dream of creating a community garden. During the process, Tracie discovered here was “a huge food waste challenge and a soil challenge,” that led her to establish the Sunshine Community Compost, a nonprofit organization that educates the community to stop automatically scraping all their leftover food into trash bins and garbage disposals. Rather, it is very simple to transform leftovers into compost that enriches the soil so it can grow more food, Tracie says, “which is a closed loop of sustainability that literally makes the world a better place.”

Recently, Tracie visited the DSCA, showcasing her “Tabletop Composting initiative,” in an effort to show condominium residents how they too can participate.

Since their first pilot program in late 2016, the non-profit organization has diverted over 28,000 pounds of material from the landfill (over 10 tons) while building local fertility and reducing the impacts of pollution. During the 2019 Compost-A-Thon, 1300 pounds of food scraps were diverted from the landfill in just 1 week! Community composting and local resource recovery are growing movements that help support local self-reliance, urban agriculture, local abundance and reciprocity with the Earth. To learn more about how you can participate, go to: www.sunshinecommunitycompost.org

July 20th, 2019

The city’s greenspace policy calls for canopy trees in public rights-of way, but the Lemon Avenue is proposing palms.

The royal palm is a stately, elegant, regal tree. It can soar to 90 feet in height and bears more than a dozen giant fronds, each twice as tall as a basketball player and weighing as much as an adolescent child.

The statuesque trees have long been featured as a symbol of Florida’s beaches, breezes and laid-back lifestyle. They’ve also been the traditional landscaping choice for upscale residences, like the waterfront mansions on Bird Key and St. Armands Circle or businesses that signify class and privilege, like the Ritz Carlton.

But are they the right choice for a “pedestrian mall” in Sarasota’s downtown core? And do they fit in with a greenspace policy that expressly states “canopy trees are preferred in the public right-of way”?

That’s a question residents have begun asking since learning at a December workshop that the city’s plan for the South Lemon Avenue Streetscape Project — located on Lemon Avenue between Main Street and Pineapple Avenue’s Paul Thorpe Jr. Park in the heart of downtown Sarasota — includes installing a number of royal palms. And that a northern extension of the project from Main to First Street recommends the removal of 27 “underperforming” live oak trees, which would be replaced by yet another variety of palm.

Is this, as the city’s policy dictates, “the right tree in the right place?”

“To me, that is the ultimate question,” says Patrick Gannon, president of the Downtown Sarasota Condo Association, which has launched a “Save Our Shade” campaign to pressure the city to rethink the project. “If the mantra is ‘the right tree in the right place,’ royal palms on a pedestrian thoroughfare is not the right place or the right tree.”

Not only do royal palms provide very little shade, Gannon says, their magnificent fronds — which are “self-shedding” and can weigh as much as 80 pounds — present a potential hazard to pedestrians. And the date palms city staff is recommending for the northern end of Lemon produce little shade and a plethora of sticky, messy fruit.

“The Comprehensive Plan talks about the benefits of canopy trees for shade, wastewater, walkability,” Gannon says. “If those are our goals, shouldn’t we be complying with them? I don’t think the city has conducted a proper analysis of the alternatives, and that’s what we would like them to do.”

READ MORE

January 7th, 2019

The community is invited to learn about the Lemon Avenue Streetscape project during an open house with City of Sarasota staff Monday, Dec.17 from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at the SRQ Media Studio in the City Hall Annex, 1565 First Street.

NewsRelease_Lemon Ave. Streetscape Open House Set for Dec. 17..

DSCA Board authorized a letter which was sent to City Commissioners and City Staff Management on Nov. 27, 2018.

Honorable Mayor Liz Alpert & Commissioners

1565 1st Street, Room 101
Sarasota, FL 34236

Ref: Lemon Avenue Streetscape Project

Dear Mayor Alpert, & Commissioners,

The Downtown Sarasota Condominium Association (DSCA) at its November 7, 2018 Board Meeting unanimously adopted the following motion concerning the proposed improvements on Lemon Avenue.

“RESOLVED: Before the City Commission’s final approval of the Lemon Avenue Streetscape Project, the DSCA Board urges additional research by City staff to find alternative solution to removing canopy trees on Lemon Avenue; in accordance with City’s Downtown Greenspace Policy, Tree Protection Ordinance and Comprehensive Plan.”

The Board of DSCA has reviewed preliminary information (only verbal reports and a conceptual drawing appear to be publicly available) about the proposed Lemon Avenue Streetscape Project.  We are very concerned about reports that City staff are planning to remove all of the existing canopy trees (Live Oaks) along Lemon Avenue from 1^st Street to State Street, and replace them with Royal Palms.

This apparent radical change in the Lemon Avenue streetscape does not appear to be in concert with several City Commission adopted ordinances, Downtown Master Plan, Downtown Green Space Policy, and Comprehensive Plan.  The Downtown Green Space Policy(attached – adopted Feb. 7, 2011) specifically identified the priority of canopy trees over palm trees.

DSCA-CityCommission Letter LemonAveStreetscape-20181127-signed

The following are some of the facts and concerns which are not widely known and should receive further public review and discussion:

• City staff plan to remove 27 existing Live Oak trees along Lemon Avenue because “the trees are doing poorly”.
• Contrary to the City’s Comprehensive Plan, Zoning Code and Downtown Green Space Policy, City staff plan to replace Live Oak canopy trees with Royal Palms.
• Royal Palms reach heights up to 80 ft, which will not provide shade for sidewalk pedestrians.
• Royal Palm large fronds (up to 15 ft, 80 lbs) falling 80 feet are a hazard to pedestrians & cars.
• Downtown Sarasota Condo Association has requested City staff to find alternative solution to replacing canopy trees with palms on Lemon Avenue.
• The soil around existing trees needs to be loosened & amended to enable healthier tree roots.

Save Our Shade-20181215

 

Please attend the Lemon Ave Streetscape Open House and/or send your comments requesting the city to Save Our Shade to:

LemonAveStreetscape@SarasotaFL.Gov

Patrick Gannon

President, DSCA

Downtown.Sarasota.Condo.Assoc@gmail.com

We Are Downtown Sarasota – Residential Neighborhood

December 15th, 2018

Everyone enjoys the cool shade tree of big trees on hot Florida days, but did you know trees significantly benefit our watershed by reducing stormwater runoff and flooding?

Stormwater runoff is rain that does not soak into the ground or get absorbed by trees and plants. Instead, the rain falls on hard surfaces like buildings, parking lots and paved streets or flows off lawns into streets.  As it flows over these surfaces, it picks up pollutants, including lawn fertilizer, pet waste and oil residue from cars, before it empties untreated into our neighborhood creeks, canals and coastal waters.  The result is poor water quality and increased flooding and erosion. Polluted stormwater eventually reaches the bay where it negatively affects the health of fish and wildlife and encourages algae blooms.

Trees are on the front lines of preventing the negative effects of stormwater runoff.  A tree’s branches and leaves form a canopy which catches rain. Some of the rain evaporates off, some soaks into the tree and some flows down the trunk and into the ground.

Research at New College of Florida shows that oaks, pines and even palms, capture a considerable volume of rainfall. Trees can catch all of the rain from a light storm, most of the rain in a moderate storm, and some of the rain in a heavy storm.  Rain captured in tree canopies reduces stormwater runoff and thus water pollution.

Tree canopies are especially important in urban areas. In natural forests, the dense canopy of trees captures at least 75% of all rainfall, but in most urban settings with widely scattered trees, less than 40% of rainfall is captured by trees.  By protecting existing trees and planting more, we can enjoy the shade and protect water quality in our waterways and bays.

To learn more about watershed connections and the natural environment of Sarasota, visit the Watershed Audio Tour to listen to short messages on a variety of topics. Visit: www.watershedtour.org

 

This content is licensed under Creative Commons for non-commercial use and is provided at no charge for distribution through newsletters, blogs and websites.  You are hereby granted permission to adapt, share and redistribute the material in any medium or format, provided you credit the Science and Environment Council of Southwest Florida and indicate if changes were made from the original.

December 13th, 2018

On Wednesday, September 5, 2018, the DSCA Board approved the Resolution in support of The Bay Sarasota final concept plan.

The Downtown Sarasota Condominium Association (DSCA) has been a Stakeholder and supporter of the Bayfront 20:20 planning initiative since its early planning in 2014.  DSCA helped financially to fund the Stakeholder initiative and has provided feedback to the Sarasota Bayfront Planning Organization (SBPO) and The Bayplanning team through the Stakeholder organization.  It is the position of the DSCA Board that The Bay project should continue to move forward after delivery of The Bay Conceptual Master Plan on September 6, 2018.

The DSCA Board supports continuing the efforts to plan, fund, and implement The Bay project following the six Guiding Principle approved by the City Commission and recommends the following actions:

1. Transitioning the Sarasota Bayfront Planning Organization, Inc. (SBPO), a 501(c)(3) from its planning organization purpose to a conservancy 501 (c)(3) purpose that will be assigned the responsibility of protecting the public interest (including lease development and lease management) of the City owned 53 acre park parcel, zoned Government Use, known as The Bay;
2. Endorsing the non-binding conceptual The Bay Master Plan, dated September 6, 2018, which will be further refined to incorporate the vision of City’s Parks and Recreation Master Plan, as amended and made part of the City’s Comprehensive Plan;
3. Approving The Bay Phase 1 Master Plan, dated September 6, 2018; and
4. Granting the Sarasota Bayfront Planning Organization, and its successor conservancy organization, the direction and authority to proceed with fundraising, planning, and implementation activities for The Bay Project Phase 1.

Therefore, the DSCA Board urges the Sarasota City Commission to favorably consider the foregoing recommended actions and approve moving The Bay project forward at the September 6, 2018, special City Commission meeting at City Hall.

 

DSCA_Letter_TheBayProject-signed-20180906

September 6th, 2018

The city is investing nearly $150,000 to restore the mermaid fountain at Pineapple Park — and that’s just the beginning of its plans to improve the downtown space.

Officials held a dedication ceremony to celebrate the improvements to the public park at Lemon and Pineapple avenues, dubbed “Good Heart Plaza.”

That was 2005. Twelve years later, the fountain is in worse condition than ever. In addition to the wear to the artwork, the infrastructure of the fountain is failing, too.

The water is no longer running. Calcium has built up on the decorative tiles. The marcite that lines the pools on either side needs to be replaced.

“It’s been sadly neglected,” Matthews said.

Thanks to a push from residents, the city is once again embarking on an effort to restore the fountain. Pineapple Park has been a controversial topic during the past two years. The city’s decision to sell a piece of property adjacent to the park drew negative feedback from people who sought to preserve the land for public use.

With that matter finally settled — a developer plans to build a two-story commercial building on the former city property — the focus has shifted to improving Pineapple Park. That starts with the fountain.

City staff is working with Matthews and artist Danielle Glaysher-Cobian to restore the artwork. Beyond refreshing the paint and repairing the cracks in the concrete, Matthews said the overhaul will make it a more complete piece than it’s ever been.

“The water’s going to be working the way it once was,” Matthews said. “The lights in both domes — which have never been on — are going to be on.”

Cliff Smith, a senior planner with the city, said the project can be divided into two components. The artwork restoration and the infrastructure improvements are separate endeavors, but they’re being undertaken at the same time so one portion doesn’t interfere with the other.

Smith and Matthews said the improvements are a daunting process. Smith used the example of removing calcium from the tiles to show how involved the restorations can be.

“Calcium is a base, so you’d need a 5% acidic solution to dissolve the calcium,” Smith said. “Then, you’d take baking soda to neutralize the acid as part of the cleaning process. You’d use little wooden spoons to remove any flaking of the calcite off of there. It’s a very intricate process — and that’s just on one tile.”

Still, the city and the artists are eager to see the fountain restored to its original state. The city is investing $147,391 into the improvements: $101,700 for the artwork and $45,691 for the infrastructure repairs. The city got $260,000 for the 5,049-square-foot property adjacent to the park.

A private donation in 2005 set aside another $27,500 specifically for improvements to the fountain — although the city lost track of that money until 2015, which residents pointed to as a sign of the neglect Pineapple Park has seen during the past 12 years.

The city is determined to do more than just refurbish the fountain. On Thursday, staff is holding a public workshop to get feedback regarding the future of Pineapple Park. Downtown residents such as Barbara Campo have advocated for significant improvements to the park, arguing that the core of the city is lacking engaging public spaces as the population increases.

The impending construction of the 11-story, 157-unit The Mark condominium project on State Street will likely add to the demand for a more vibrant Pineapple Park, Matthews said.

“That park is going to be more and more important,” Campo said. “People need a place where they can gather their thoughts, where they can rest, and where they can enjoy a beautiful, beautiful fountain.” Public Works General Manager Todd Kucharski will lead the conversation regarding possible Pineapple Park improvements. He said the history of the park helps explain the condition it’s in today. When it was established in 1992, the park was one larger, contiguous space. In the 2000s, however, the city rerouted Lemon Avenue, bisecting the park in the process.

Kucharski said the location of the fountain was chosen with the original footprint of the park in mind. Working with a consultant, the city intends to develop a new master plan for improvements.

“I think what we need to do is focus on that park alone,” Kucharski said. “What can we do to enhance this public space, create positive activities and energy in the park and create that connection for people in downtown?”

The city also intends to develop a plan for enhancing the streetscape along the portion of Lemon Avenue south of Main Street. Kucharski said the city is considering extending the brick-paved Lemon Avenue mall south to Pineapple Avenue.

Ideally, Kucharski said, the city would finalize a master plan for the park before the budget process this summer, so staff can begin the process of securing funding for any improvements. He’s not putting a hard timeline on it, though. Input from residents will drive the conversation surrounding Pineapple Park.

Smith said the repairs should be finished by early May. Although the project involves a series of complex variables, the artists and the city are determined to complete the second major restoration of Good Heart Place — and hopefully have a more lasting impact than the previous effort.

“This is a very high-priority project,” Smith said. “It’s very important to the city. Everything should be vibrant. It should be an amazing piece again. It should be a focal point for that park.”

by: David Conway with The Observer

The Downtown Sarasota Condominium Association (DSCA) submitted this proposal to the City of Sarasota for a series of Reserved Community Spaces (i.e. Pocket Parks) to be identified and included in the City’s Strategic Plan for future implementation within the Rosemary District (between Fruitville Road & 10^th Street, and US41 & Orange Avenue).  This proposal was prepared by the DSCA Greenspace Committee and refined through a series of meetings with representatives of the Rosemary District Association and City of Sarasota staff.  The need for Reserved Community Spaces in Rosemary District was identified in the City’s Downtown Master Plan.