DSCA helped to promote two meetings that were held by the Save Our Sarasota Trees (SOS-Trees) organization. The first public meeting was held on June 17 at the Art Center Sarasota. This meeting was initiated in response to reports of trees being removed from Links Park and other downtown locations. This was an informative meeting open to all the public to educate us regarding our City’s Greenspace Policy, our City’s tree protection ordinances and our sustainability efforts, especially those relating to our parks and streetscapes. A second meeting was held on July 22 at Selby Library. This was a discussion between residents and City of Sarasota staff to continue addressing the Greenspace Policy and sustainability related to tree removal and landscaping in the City of Sarasota. City of Sarasota staff presented and answered questions:
- Todd Kucharski, General Manager, Department of Public Works
- Tim Litchet, Director, Neighborhood & Development Services
- Karin Murphy, Director, Urban Design Studio
On Aug. 5th, the DSCA Board, after lengthy discussion, passed the following resolution:
DSCA recommends that the Sarasota City Commission restore benches at Five Points Park and pursue security and support arrangements to encourage active use of the park by the community.
DSCA will work with other downtown associations and with City staff on a coordinated approach toward implementation.
August 17th, 2015
