Choking Siesta Key, Squeezing Sarasota: There’s a Limit

Stickney Point & US 41 is the gateway to Siesta’s Key’s South Bridge, one of two access points to America’s #1 beach. Crippling the already choked intersection would damage residents and businesses on Siesta Key and surrounding areas. Four more surrounding intersections will be operating at an “F” level within 5 years if Benderson’s Siesta Promenade is approved. If you drive US 41 from Beneva to Sarasota Memorial, the approval of Benderson’s current Siesta Promenade proposal will negatively impact you. Read on to find out more, and what you can do to stop it..

On December 12th,The Sarasota County Commission will be holding a final hearing on Benderson Development’s application to rezone 23 acres the NW corner at Stickney Point and US 41. The requested change would more than double the allowed development. According to the County’s Rezone Trip Generation Analysis (see table, below), current zoning allows 125 dwellings and 6,400 sq ft of office/professional use and Benderson is asking to build to 425 residential units, 130 hotel rooms, 133,000 square feet of retail and 7,000 square feet of office space.*

The “Siesta Promenade” plan has triggered community alarm over compatibility issues since it’s inception four years ago. Benderson originally wanted 250,000 square feet of retail, 500 residential units and 150 hotel rooms. It may be that the outlandish original proposal was offered to make the the current one look reasonable by comparison. But is it? In the four years of wrangling with the community over the project, is Benderson’s resulting proposal compatible with the area, or will it choke major intersections and access to Siesta Key’s South Bridge? Will getting to Sarasota’s world class beaches on Siesta – and just getting around Sarasota – become more difficult than it is now? The County’s traffic analysis indicates big problems if approved.

Already Choked

Stickney Point Rd. & US 41 is already jammed during season, when a “Don’t Block the Intersection” electronic sign appears, threatening a $166 fine for those who “block the box”. Siesta Key’s South Bridge at the west end of Stickney Point Rd is a natural bottleneck which creates the traffic backup. There are only two bridges which provides access to Siesta Key. That reality is unlikely to ever change.

In July 2106 FDOT wrote to Sarasota County, alerting County officials to the “constant Increase in crashes” at Stickney Point & US 41. Crashes increased an average “30 percent per year with an astonishing 175 percent increase between 2010 and 2014”. FDOT wrote that the County coordinating its planning with FDOT’s is “vital”. It may surprise Sarasota residents that the County Commission is not required to get approval from FDOT for major development decisions like Siesta Promenade.

Why is Stickney Point and 41 different?

Traffic flows best when a road network is laid out and functioning as a a grid – an interconnected system of routes giving us many alternatives to drive from one place to another. Numerous roads laid out east to west (Fruitville Rd, Bahia Vista, Bee Ridge, Clark) and north to south (Honore, McIntosh, Tuttle) take pressure off of main thoroughfares like US 41. These north to south routes even help reduce local driving trips on I75.

Congestion is also reduced when grid road networks exist in residential neighborhoods. Narrow neighborhood streets naturally force cars to slow down, and wide neighborhood streets create the perfect conditions for speeding. Offering residents a grid of narrow streets to enter and exit their neighborhoods provides safe traffic flow. A larger community grid road network does the same for a city or county.

But there are places where a grid is impossible. There are places where all traffic must be funneled onto one road. If you want to get home to Siesta Key, or visit Siesta Key’s beaches via a route south of Bee Ridge Rd., you must drive through US 41 and Stickney Point Road., then travel west on Stickney to cross the South Bridge. There is no other option.

The natural traffic bottleneck caused by Siesta Key’s South Bridge makes the US 41 and Stickney Point intersection uniquely vulnerable to congestion. Typical traffic fixes won’t work there.

How much traffic congestion would the project add?

According to the County’s analysis of traffic at the site (see table below), the existing zoning when built (right now the lots are vacant) would add, on average, 866 daily car trips to the traffic load in the area.** If the Siesta Promenade proposal is approved, the number of additional daily car trips would be 12.102.*** Yes, that’s over 10,000 additional gross daily car trips. With an existing daily trip rate of 45,000 cars at the intersection, Siesta Promenade would bring that number up to 57,000. That’s a 27% increase.

*the County’s analysis is inconsistent, indicating in other sections that  current zoning permits 299 dwellings   instead of 125,  and the proposal requests 414 residential units, instead of 425.
**add up gross daily trips for current zoning                          672 + 124 + 70 = 866
***add up gross daily trips for proposed use      2,699 + 1,062 + 8,174 + 77 = 12,012

What will be the impact on surrounding intersections?

The County’s traffic analysis concludes that the project would impact three other intersections – 41 & Constitution, 41 & Beneva, and Stickney Point & Swift Road – bringing all these intersections to a “F” rating by 2024.

As the South Bridge becomes more congested, many will opt for the North Bridge to get on and off Siesta Key. Those living and working near this second bottleneck will experience more pressure from traffic congestion.

Can the problem be fixed?

At the November Planning Commission meeting, a number of potential “fixes” came up during the discussion. But FDOT has already rejected them. They are either ineffective or even impossible due to space limitations.

A consultant suggested that a Continuous Traffic Flow Intersection (CFI) could improve traffic at US 41 and Stickney Point. The County quoted this consultant’s suggestion in it’s traffic analysis and suggests FDOT is on board. But in an email from the FDOT representative, he says a CFI isn’t being considered. A layman can look as see there isn’t enough space for one. Like a diverging diamond, a CFI would require many additional traffic lanes.

A consultant also suggested adding triple left turn lanes at every approach to Stickney Point & 41. Here, the County analysis notes that this isn’t a feasible fix because there isn’t enough right of way to build these lanes. FDOT told the consultant that acquiring the right of way would result in considerable business takings. In other words, fixing the intersection to accommodate Benderson’s business project would require taking from other businesses. Not a feasible fix.

Signal timing changes at Stickney Point & 41 and Beneva & 41 aren’t viable because these intersections are part of a coordinated system along US 41.

Even if the County could implement fixes at Stickney Point & 41, the roads and infrastructure on Siesta Key would have to be able to absorb the increased traffic flow. Midnight Pass is a two lane road. Pedestrians will be crossing the smaller roads on Siesta. Siesta Key’s road infrastructure is another limitation that doesn’t have an easy fix.

What Will the County Commission Decide?

At the recent Planning Commission hearing, Commissioner Robert Morris understood the unique problem at that corner. “It’s too much for there,” Morris said. “It might make sense to me somewhere else. But because you have that intersection, but because you have that bridge, it’s a unique situation.” Mr. Morris recommended denying the proposal. Will the County Commission listen to Mr. Morris’ and the public’s common sense?

What Can You Do?

1. Write the Commission.
Email the County Commission and let them know how this project will personally impact you. Urge them to significantly reduce the density of the project. E-mail the Commission at
commissioners@scgov.net

2. Attend the Hearing.
Wednesday, December 12 9 am Commission Chambers 1660 Ringling Blvd Downtown Sarasota Wear blue to indicate your opposition to the current proposal. The hearing will last a number of hours. The public must show up in force to lobby for a project with a safe density that will not pose public safety risks and be compatible with the area.

3. Give Public Input Against the Proposal.
Sign up to speak at the December 12th hearing. When you arrive, fill out a speak card and hand it in to the clerk at the front of the room. You will have three minutes to share your input with the Commission. Plan your remarks. Be polite and offer specific reasons why the project is incompatible with the surrounding area.

The issue isn’t whether or not Benderson should be permitted to build. The issue is what kind of building should be allowed, and how much. The Sarasota County Commission’s answers to these questions will impact beach access, commuting time, safety and Sarasota’s quality of life for decades. Help our government do the right thing. Show up and encourage others to do the same. Share this information. Speak up for our community. This is a big one. There are no do-overs.