Burns Square Parking Lot Could Re-Open

Sarasota City Commissioners will consider a proposal Friday to upgrade a parking lot on Laurel Street and lease it for six months to provide relief to the Burns Square area during construction of two roundabouts.

The lot in question is owned by Michael Saunders Company and has been closed because deterioration. The lot and is for sale,

The proposal in front of the commissioners Friday would:

•  lease the Laurel Street Parking Lot from Saunders Family Limited Partnership LLC for six months

• have the city repair, resurface and re-stripe the lot and maintain it for six months at a cost of no more than $10,000;

• install temporary pay stations to offset the cost of the $18,000 parking lot lease.

The money would come out of the Tax Increment Financing Downtown Redevelopment account, according to Friday's agenda.

The city had leased the lot from Saunders but that agreement ended Oct. 31 when the city was looking to save money. A Saunders spokesman told Patch in December why the public couldn't park there:

The Saunders lot is in disrepair and had to be closed for safety reasons, Saunders spokesman Tom Heatherman told Patch.

“We’re facing liability issues there. If anyone should get hurt, the liability would fall squarely on our shoulders,” he said.

The company was threatened with a lawsuit after someone fell in the lot, which has potholes in it, he said.

The lot is for sale, but Heatherman said he wasn’t sure where the company is in the process.

The commission briefly discussed the matter at its Jan. 3 meeting where Mayor Suzanne Atwell wanted opinions from her colleagues on whether the city should proceed after receiving numerous e-mails about the lot.

Commissioner Shannon Snyder said he has no interest in buying the property.

"I don't see where cost is for the rental for spaces," he said at the time. "I think once the roundabout is done there will be more parking available for Ringling Boulevard."