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