6/17/05
VENICE GONDOLIER-SUN
Nokomis Revitalization
Picking Up Speed
The promise of the revitalization of Nokomis's
commercial corridor on U.S. 41 should be more apparent after the summer
quarterly meeting of the Nokomis Area Civic Association. Representatives of its
39 homeowner and neighborhood organizations will examine ways to interest area
developers and property owners in participating in the long-awaited project.
Upgrading the northern end of the commercial corridor
has received some impetus from the Florida Department of Transportation and
Sarasota county, which have expressed interest in an access management plan for
State Road 681. Discussions have been held by the two agencies and Nokomis
leaders about installing traffic signals on 681, which is about a quarter-mile
north of the commercial area.
John Ask, president of NACA, has put together the June
19 program, to be held at the Nokomis Community Center. He hopes that it will
spark action by the Nokomis Revitalization Committee to involve area developers
and property owners. The committee has scheduled its own meeting the following
Sunday at the same location.
Some sewer pipe has been laid along U.S. 41 but so far
without connections. It and additional upgrades of the infrastructure will
precede widening of U.S. 41.
"The best part of the road-widening project,"
said Ask, "will be finally to bring water to many Nokomis residents."
Model Approach
He and other community leaders hope that when
road-widening gets under way, possibly as early as next fall, that it will
trigger the interest of developers in the properties along the highway.
One of the first steps in the revitalization will be to
beautify U.S. 41. Lighting and landscaping are planned to enhance the appearance
of the commercial corridor.
A model approach to revitalization in Nokomis will kick
off the June 19 program. It is based on a study Sarasota County Openly Plans for
Excellence conducted last year. This approach applies particularly to the many
vacant properties along the highway in the Nokomis commercial corridor.
Henry Rodriguez, a Nokomis resident and a member of
NACA, will then examine the topic from the developer's point of view. He is
expected to cite his own experience in developing the Bay Street Shopping
Village and Town Center in Osprey.
A $150 million complex of 532 condominiums and
townhouses and an urbanist shopping village, all within walking distance of
shoppers and residents, it will form Osprey's core. The new Osprey Public
Library, on land donated to the county by Rodriguez, will center the
development.
Rodriguez purchased the 59-acre tract over a period of
3-1/2 years from 21 owners who held the land in 37 parcels. A Wal-Mart
SuperCenter will occupy a little more than one-third of the acreage on land that
Rodriguez first bought, then sold to the merchandising giant. This type of
development, termed "infill," is thought to be the approach that will
be taken in Nokomis.
Water Issues
Ask will lead a brainstorming session in the third
portion of the program. It will attempt to collect the ideas of participants of
what the community wants to see emerge from the vacant properties along U.S. 41,
and what it opposes.
"Our hope," he said, "is to create a
vision that we can share with landowners and developers as they plan to build in
the commercial corridor."
A year-long series of neighborhood workshops on the
priorities for revitalization ranked the installation of water and sewer lines
No. 1. Poor well-water quality and outdated septic tanks prompted the ranking,
as well as the county's schedule for such work.
Edmondson Road, Colonia Lane and Albee Road, all along
41, will be the first locations for installations.
By Gerald A. Rogovin
Correspondent
Note: The article is in error regarding the
meeting date of the Quarterly NACA general meeting; it's July 19th (not June
19th)
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