SKA Actions on Proposed Siesta Promenade Project
March 25, 2021
AN OVERVIEW re the PROMENADE /STICKNEY POINT ROAD Litigation
Below is a reply brief for your review, especially the first 20 pages, where arguments are set forth in this request for a current FDOT decision reversal or an administrative hearing with FDOT re the new traffic light intersection at Stickney Ave B&C. We do not think FDOT’s approval process adequately considered impacts on Siesta Key. We think the new signal will cause major traffic problems for vehicles accessing Siesta Key.
The next 130 pages are exhibits and attachments that you may want to also skim through including letters from Siesta Key Chamber of Commerce and Siesta Key Association.
Ralf Brookes, Attorney
Reply Brief/FDOT re Red Light
July 1, 2020
It was announced today by the Second District Count of Appeals that they had denied the Appeal of the the 2019 decision to provide the permit(s) for Siesta Promenade. No explanation was provided.
The County must still approve a traffic light and at Avenues B&C which should need FDOT review and endorsement. The FDOT is currently reviewing the Benderson provided Traffic Study of the US41 and Midnight Pass intersection and immediate project area. That Traffic Impact Study does not include any analysis of the project’s impact on Siesta Key.
December 3, 2019
From Sura Kochman:
FDOT has confirmed that there will be a hearing on 12/11. I have learned that 200-ish people emailed Mr. Purvis and requested that the hearing take place. Thank you all so much. Parking is limited at the Siesta Key Chapel, so you may wish to car-pool.
The public hearing will be held from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m., Wednesday, December 11, 2019 at the Siesta Key Chapel, 4615 Gleason Avenue, Sarasota, FL 34242. The formal hearing begins at 6:00 p.m. FDOT will hold this hearing to give interested people the opportunity to review displays and talk one-on-one with staff.This public hearing will only address the transfer of jurisdiction of the roadways. If you wish to speak, please arrive prior to 6 p.m. and register as a speaker at the check-in table.
NOTE: It should be understood that FDOT has NO AUTHORITY, to override the Siesta Promenade application directly. What we can bring out, is the deficiencies in how the traffic is to be handled, per what was stated in the Siesta Promenade hearings, the Kimley Horn engineering reports, and the County transportation reports:
For example:
1) It is typical transportation policy is to close median cuts when in proximity to a traffic light. Benderson is proposing a light at Avenue B/C. Should the median closure take place, in order to head westbound towards Siesta from Ave A, a motorist will have to head east to make a u turn, perhaps at Gateway-Vaccaro Dr and Stickney or 41 and Stickney, or if heading westbound to reach Ave A, a U turn will have to be made at the new light, in the middle of the traffic congestion that is heading towards Siesta.
This Commission approved a Scope of Work, which clearly requested the study the potential closure of Ave A.
The Scope of Work states:
“Potential median closures and the impacts the alterations have on the current retail/residential uses served by the existing openings shall be evaluated on the overall area road network in the following locations:
Ø Avenue A
Ø Avenue B and C
The transportation impact study shall include potential solutions to improve traffic circulation if the
existing median opening(s) are closed or modified.”
Kimley Horn DID NOT address this in their Transportation Analysis, and made this comment:
“… it is not recommended at this time to limit access at the existing median opening of SR 72/Stickney Point Road & Avenue A. However, it is recommended to monitor the median opening of SR 72/Stickney Point Road & Avenue A after six months of the first certificate of occupancy is issued for the Siesta Promenade development to determine if access to the median opening at Avenue A should be modified in the future.”
2) The proposed light on SR72 and B/C was discussed and mitigation suggested that FDOT will retime the light at 41/SR72. FDOT has previously stated that this would affect all of the other lights on 41, and will not be done. The County has not taken that into consideration. Again- this will not only impact 41/SR72, but also backups from the bridge, which FDOT will retain jurisdiction over.
3) In the County report, a possible mitigation of the congested intersection was to install a Continuous Flow Intersection (CFI), as “suggested by FDOT”. In e mail communication with Nathan Kautz, from FDOT, no CFI is being considered. Additionally, continuous flow is not a viable solution because the US Coast Guard opens the bridge on Stickney Point at least twice each hour from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Priority in bridge opening is given to watercraft, which by rule are not required to wait more than 5 to 10 minutes. Even if the new traffic light at Ave BC can be timed to the bridge, the backups to, and through the Stickney/US 41 intersection will continue and increase.
Therefore, the County is in error in suggesting this fix, and jurisdiction should remain with FDOT for SR72, from 41 to the bridge.
4) Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) daily traffic count data for US 41 and Stickney Point for the roadway segments are segmented by area:
From Stickney Point, to Proctor, the daily trips ranged in 2016-17 between 40,500-46,500, for an average of 43,500 daily trips. From Gulf Gate Dr to Stickney, the daily trips ranged in 2015-16 between 44,000-49,500, for an average of 46,750.
The average daily trips of the traffic, combining these two segments, is 45,125. The data provided by SRQ Transportation indicates 12,012 additional daily trips produced by Siesta Promenade. This amount, in terms of percentages, increases the traffic by 27%, not a de minimis amount. FDOT has also provided REAL traffic counts from a study done in 2015 for the segment of US41/Stickney to Ave D, totaling 25,956 daily trips. Even assuming only 1/2 of the daily trips produced by Siesta Promenade would come from, or to the access points on Stickney, this would be an increase in daily trips on Stickney of 24%
No mitigation has been proposed by SRQ County to alleviate this already congested road network. FDOT’s jurisdiction of 41/SR 72 and the bridge clearly needs to add the 1 mile of Stickney into its analysis of what can be done in the congested area. It has been stated that FDOT can weigh in, but that is all. FDOT needs to have final stay over what traffic signals, driveway cuts, median closures or alternate routes make sense.
5) The Florida Department of Transportation has indicated that there are,
“…growing safety and operational concerns related to the intersection of US41 and SR 72. The department has a responsibility to provide a safe and efficient roadway for our residents and the thousands upon thousands of visitors and tourists that come to our great state each year.” This quote is from a letter dated 7/25/16, from Keith Slater, FDOT, Traffic Services Program Engineer.
How can FDOT fulfill its responsibility if they no longer have jurisdiction over the road? The County has relinquished its responsibility to provide a safe and efficient roadway. That duty must stay with FDOT.
6) The Level of Service Improvements by SRQ Transportation lists the Total Traffic/Project improvements. They indicate that triple lefts would mitigate traffic congestion, but directly under the chart on page 5, there is a statement that the triple lefts listed in the chart are not feasible due to right of way limitations and planned bicycle lane improvements (see attached.) Suggested mitigations by Kimley Horn, approved by the County, are unworkable, thus FDOT must retain jurisdiction over SR 72 from 41 to the bridge.
Updated September 30, 2018
SKA is actively working to follow the progress of the Benderson Development proposal to build a mixed-use development at the corner of Stickney Point Road and US-41. Our goal is to ensure that the final development has the least possible impact on Siesta Key and its residents.
Projected timeline UPDATE
Based on the announcement of county staff notices of sufficiency and completeness of the revised application, the following are rough estimates of key dates.
- County Staff sufficiency declaration: July 17, 2018
- End of County Staff formal review: August 31, 2018
- First public hearing (Planning Commission): November 15, 2018
- County Commission public hearing: December 12, 2018
Please be aware that these are estimates based on the timelines provided in the County Fact Sheet. All are subject to change. The county will announce all public hearings, and SKA will keep members informed of announcements as they occur.
Neighborhood Workshop
Todd Mathes, Benderson Development project manager for Siesta Promenade, held a county-mandated Neighborhood Workshop on Thursday, August 23, 2018 at 6pm at the Pine Shores Presbyterian Church, 6135 Beechwood Ave, Sarasota FL 34231. County staff were in attendance. Here is the official notice from the county.
Benderson Development Promotional Activity
Benderson Development has issued a press release and launched a website promoting the development. Links are below.
Documents filed with Sarasota County
Below are links to the documents filed with Sarasota County by the developer along with the latest advisories on the project from the County Planner. Newest documents are at the top.
- CAP and Rezoning Fact Sheet – July 2018
- Siesta Promenade CAP Sufficiency Letter-1 – July 2017
- RZ 16-29 3rd Completeness Letter-1 – July 2017
- Announcement of Revised Application – June 2017
- Direct link to the Revised Application – June 2017
- Direct link to the CAP Scope of Work – February 2017
- Direct link to the 2016 CAP application – August 2016