Sarasota County commissioners on Tuesday reviewed two parking studies for the Englewood Community Redevelopment Area, focusing on future parking needs along Dearborn Street and the recently acquired Mango St./Green St. property near Pioneer Plaza.
County Planning and Development Services Director Matt Osterhaus told commissioners the discussion was intended to provide policy guidance, not to approve construction. “Today’s about receiving the presentation from these consultants and then having the board provide policy guidance on those next steps for staff to be able to move forward with,” Osterhaus said.
The studies were prompted by board direction in late 2024 following concerns about parking availability during peak seasons and special events. The Englewood CRA Advisory Board has previously reviewed the same material and recommended a parking garage.
Chad Davis of Kimley-Horn presented findings from a comprehensive parking inventory and utilization study within the Englewood CRA. Davis said there are 1,173 parking spaces in the study area, with 495 classified as public spaces. Data were collected during a typical weekday, a weekend and two special events, including the Englewood Fine Arts Festival in March and a farmers market in April.
“The highest demand we observed was during the farmers market, when about 60 percent of all spaces in the study area were occupied,” Davis said. He noted that during the Fine Arts Festival, about 74 percent of public parking spaces were occupied between 11 a.m. and noon.
Despite available spaces elsewhere in the district, Davis said parking demand is concentrated near Green Street and Dearborn Street, leading to improper parking. “People are parking in swales because there’s not enough spaces at that given time in the Green Street lot,” he said.
Kimley-Horn’s future build-out analysis focused on vacant parcels within the Main Street Overlay District and projected a need for up to 394 additional public parking spaces to meet peak special event demand as redevelopment occurs. The study divided Dearborn Street into west, central and east zones, using a 400-foot walking distance standard.
Commissioners questioned whether parking shortages reflect true lack of spaces or a preference for convenience. Commissioner Tom Knight said, “There are parking spaces available, but just not where they want to park. So they park improperly?”
A second presentation by AM Engineering examined parking options for the county-owned Mango Street and Green Street parcel. Engineer Bobby Claybrook outlined two surface parking lot concepts with 65 to 70 spaces, and two three-level garage options ranging from 222 to 296 spaces.
Matt Osterhaus provided preliminary cost estimates, describing them as gross order-of-magnitude figures. Surface parking was estimated at $1.5 million to $1.6 million, while a 222-space garage was estimated at about $9 million and a 296-space garage at roughly $12 million.
Commissioner Ron Cutsinger said reliable parking is critical to supporting redevelopment along Dearborn Street. “Whenever I’m heading downtown Sarasota or whatever, I ask myself, where am I going to park?” Cutsinger said. “If that’s going to be a hassle, it keeps people from coming.”
Cutsinger also noted the Englewood CRA is scheduled to sunset in December 2029, with projected remaining funds of between $16 million and $19 million.
Commissioners unanimously approved two motions directing staff to proceed with rezoning the Mango Street parcel for parking use, including demolition of an existing house, and to explore acquisition of additional properties for potential surface parking elsewhere in the district.
Several commissioners also suggested additional strategies, including parking enforcement, mobile apps to direct drivers to available spaces, valet services during peak season and possible public-private partnerships.
No decision was made on whether the county will pursue a parking garage or surface lots. Osterhaus said staff will return with additional analysis and options for board consideration.
