Golden Gate Point
Association, Inc.
136 Golden Gate Point #702
Sarasota, Florida 34236
ggp@goldengatepoint.net

Golden Gate Point:

StreetScape Project:

Park Discussion:

History of GGP:

 

The graphic show the design of our design,  initially presented at the annual July breakfast of July 16, 2004. This was the final concept plan prior to turning the project over to the city.

The streetscape project started in earnest in about 1999. It had been talked about before, but without real organized effort. In 1999 and 2000 the association started talking with FPL and the other utilities about what it would take to place the overhead utilities underground, and what the expenses would be. 

That evolved into a more comprehensive streetscape design, including brick pavers and lighting.

In 2002 the association raised some $40,000 to hire professional designers (landscape architects and civil engineers) to create the initial designs. Surveyors were hired, aerial photos taken and real design took place. The designers had 4 workshops with the neighborhood where design concepts were presented and feedback given. We went thru three design iterations, based upon feedback from the neighborhood.

In 2004, this concept was finalized and GGP attempted to hand the implementation of the project off to the city via a neighborhood petition. After careful reading of the state laws, the neighborhood and city found that the petition wasn't the proper vehicle. 

The neighborhood had always discussed taxing ourselves based on the value of each property. That required, by state law a public vote of the Neighborhood.

On December 13, 2006 the election to approve the 5.8mill, 25 year bond was approved by a overwhelming 85% of the voter, with very heavy turnout (for our little tiny district). 

Two days later, at the next city commission meeting, Brent Parker officially "reported up" the results to the city commission, officially turning over the project to the City of Sarasota and their engineering staff.

The initial responses for engineering services in the Spring of 2006 was met with minimal response, so the city re-advertised for services. That did slow down our progress by about six months. The subsequent request for proposals was much better responded to. The city's selection committee review all the firms submitting and ranked Wilson Miller civil engineers, teamed with David Johnston Associates landscape architects (the original designer of the concept plan that we hired in 2002) the number one ranked team.

The engineering is expected to taking 10 months, and the project will likely be bid to the construction firms early spring 2008. The physical work will commence likely in the spring of 2008, and take about 8 months.

There was a special neighborhood workshop held in March 2007 to review the final plan as it transitioned from the neighborhoods concept to the city's final design plan. That was reviewed and approved at that meeting. Since that time the design team has been finalizing detailed construction documents, including all of the underground utility work.

We expect based upon current property values that during the initial years the tax repayment will be about $700-1,000, per $1m of value. In later years as other projects are developed, increasing the total property value on GGP, the payments per year will likely decrease.