| St. Armands Residents Association |
Our Vision
A partnership of St. Armands homeowners, merchants, and the City of Sarasota to honor John Ringling's legacy, cultivate the St. Armands brand, and improve storm resiliency. |
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A Partnership |
Our vision is a balance of economic growth and community well-being. Our residents have chosen this island for many reasons, and primary among them is the ability to walk to all of the wonderful shops and restaurants on the Circle. We recognize that when these businesses thrive, so does our residential experience. Our vision aligns with the City of Sarasota’s vision, which is to be a world class community and treasured destination with enduring natural beauty, charm, and diversity. |
John Ringling's Legacy |
John Ringling's founding vision for St. Armands was a people-friendly place with a central park, broad boulevards, elegant shops and restaurants, beautiful homes, classical statues, pink sidewalks, and lush landscaping. He wanted an upscale shopping area that would eliminate the need for people to travel to Palm Beach, and for the adjacent residential section to be the finest residential area in all Florida. (source) |
The St. Armands Brand |
John Ringling's vision has withstood the test of time, and become known worldwide. St. Armands provides an unforgettable experience for visitors from all over the world. A truly iconic destination. Past mayors have called St. Armands an economic engine for Sarasota and the county's top tourist destination. The city's website refers to St. Armands as the jewel of Sarasota. We agree.
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Storm Resiliency |
Storm resiliency refers to the ability of a community, its infrastructure, and buildings to withstand the impacts of a major storm and quickly recover afterwards, minimizing damage and disruption to normal life. It involves proactive measures to mitigate the effects of storms, rather than simply reacting to impacts. These include:
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Challenges
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Challenges to a realization of our vision for St. Armands include flooding and drainage, over-development, traffic, and vacation rental abuses.
Our stormwater management system has proven unreliable and unable to deal with the frequency and severity of the storm and rain events that we experience today. While owned by the city, the system is maintained by the county through an interlocal agreement, and this had led to confusion about who is responsible for major upgrades or repairs.
Developers have asked for taller commercial buildings which would require the elimination of the city's Coastal Islands Overlay District and a reduction of on-site parking requirements. But in recent years, many businesses have made significant renovations to their St. Armands properties which is evidence that they believe they can make a good return on investment here, under the current rules. Taller buildings might make the landlords wealthier, but the vitality of their merchant tenants is what matters to our community's well-being.
St. Armands is unfortunately a traffic choke point. This creates public safety concerns with regard to the ability of emergency vehicles to pass, and to the numerous pedestrians crossing the streets. Many city residents come to the keys to live, work, and play, which we love and encourage. Therefore, we must consider the traffic impact of new development, events, and attractions, particularly during busy times of the year.
Finally, vacation rental abuses affect resident quality of life and the character of our neighborhood. There are two primary abuses that are in violation of residential zoning code: (1) rentals for less than "more than one week", and (2) high-occupancy rentals (a.k.a. "Hotel Houses") in which the large number of guests do not meet the city's requirement for "household living", "family occupancy", and "no more than four unrelated persons".
We fully believe we can overcome these challenges and achieve our vision for a vibrant neighborhood and business district that works for residents, merchants, workers, and visitors from near and far.
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Implementation |
Stormwater Management In spite of very good efforts over the past year, drainage remains a major issue for St. Armands' homes and businesses.Our city should own and maintain our stormwater management system. Today, responsibility is split between the city and county which is inefficient and suboptimal. External experts should assess drainage issues and offer actionable recommendations to make water removal faster and more effective. Ideas include more permanent pumps, prepositioned emergency pumps and more, larger gravity fed drainage systems and an improved ability to remove debris from them. Our drainage systems are old and may have material blockages or be collapsed. Cameras should be used to assess and ensure all drains are open and functioning. Remedial and subsequent regular maintenance and monitoring should be mandatory.We support raising our sea walls by three or more feet, including perpendicular returns extending back up to 30 feet along property lines, to reduce storm surge impacts. Underground Utilities The keys are clearly more vulnerable to storms than the mainland. For increased safety and reliability, all power and other utility lines should be buried. Funding alternatives should be studied. Island Access Plan The city should have a plan to rapidly allow people back onto the islands after a storm. Emergency and utility vehicles first. Then homeowners, business owners and managers, and their designated contractors. Then the general public. This may need to be coordinated with other municipalities including the Town of Longboat Key. Parking Plan The city should have a plan for allowing people to move cars into the St. Armands Parking Garage in advance of storms. During hurricanes Helene and Milton in 2024, city residents were turned away due to cars from the Town of Longboat Key having already been moved there. Spaces should be reserved for emergency and utility vehicles and supplies to be staged there. Business Recovery Every business should have the goal of reopening within two to three weeks after a storm. Specifically:
Residential Recovery Homeowners and residents should be educated on resilient construction methods and materials, resilient landscaping, storm debris pickup expectations, recommended contractors, and evacuation best practices. |
St. Armands Residents Association
P.O. Box 2482, Sarasota, FL 34230
e-mail us at: st.armands.residents.assn@gmail.com