Funding sources for Siesta process yet to be identified
Sarasota County Administrator Jonathan Lewis appears to have won the full support of the County Commission for his suggestion that their 2026 Strategic Plan calling for an array of improvements on Siesta Key could follow the process pursued in the city of Sarasota to transform the 53 acres of that municipality’s waterfront into a regional facility called The Bay Park.
On Feb. 11, the county commissioners agreed to the creation of a new community plan for the barrier island as an initial step in their efforts to enhance infrastructure on the Key and improve its appearance in the wake of extensive hurricane damage in 2024 hurricane. That decision followed an approximately two-and-a-half-hour workshop with leaders of a number of Siesta Key nonprofit organizations.
During his report to the commissioners as part of their regular meeting on March 3, Lewis noted of the years-long initiative to create The Bay, “That was a very successful process. I think that even most people that disagreed with [the proposal] on the front end,” he added, “at least felt heard in the process …”
“I do think doing something similar to [the establishment of The Bay Park] would be very effective [for Siesta],” he pointed out.
Nonetheless, Lewis said, he did not want to “start going down this path if there wasn’t at least a strong suggestion of support from the board on that.”
A Feb. 27 memo to the commissioners, written by Assistant County Administrator Brad Johnson, explained, “[W]hen the planning effort began for The Bay in downtown Sarasota a consultant was hired to facilitate community engagement and stakeholder input sessions, a needs assessment and the identification of viable strategies. These inputs were then compiled into a master plan. This was a highly successful model and resulted in a high level of community input.”
Johnson had attached to the memo “[a]n overview of the process and timeline …”
County staff, he continued, “would recommend modeling this approach and timeline [for the Siesta Key initiative], which would include the hiring of a consultant to facilitate the process.”
The development of the new Siesta Key Community Master Plan and the resulting work on the barrier island, Lewis continued on March 3, “is going to cost some money.” Staff will have to figure out the source of those funds, he said.
“But [Siesta is] one of the biggest parts of our economy in Sarasota County,” Lewis added, “and I personally think going through this type of effort with the investment is worth it.”
As made clear in years of data collected by the Sarasota Tax Collector’s Office and Visit Sarasota County, the county’s tourism marketing entity, Siesta has accounted for a significant portion of the annual Tourist Development Tax, or, “bed tax” — revenue, and it has been one of the top draws for visitors, given the national and international accolades that Siesta Public Beach has received. Last year, for example, TripAdvisor named Siesta Beach No. 1 on its list of the best U.S. beaches.
Lewis told the commissioners on March 3 that he wanted to go ahead and get started on the Siesta process, with plans to bring back to them more information, including “how the competitive selection process would work,” referring to the hiring of a consultant to facilitate the creation of the new community plan.
Commissioner Tom Knight thanked Lewis, adding, “I think, philosophically, we made our desires clear [at the end of the Feb. 11 workshop].”
Knight added that he feels it is appropriate for the commissioners to take the lead on how the improvements will be handled on Siesta, since the county will be paying for them.
The fact that they were discussing the task force that day, he continued, should serve as “a strong message to the community” on Siesta that the board members are committed to the initiative, that “Siesta is important to us.”
“This isn’t going to happen in 18 months,” Knight further noted of the process to address the various issues on the barrier island. “This is going to be long-term. … But the commitment from the county government is there.”
Commissioner Mark Smith, a long-time Siesta resident, told Lewis, “I appreciate you bringing it forward, Jonathan.”
“It is a process,” Smith agreed, noting, “I can’t remember how long the Community Plan took.” He was referring to the original master plan for the barrier island.
As the Siesta Key Association (SKA) explains on its website, “In 1999, the ‘Siesta Key Community Plan’ was developed by County leaders with considerable input from residents and stakeholders. This interactive process led to our existing land use regulations.”
“It could take nine months or so — if not a year — to do it right,” Smith pointed out of the new planning effort.
“Move ahead,” he told Lewis.
Commissioner Teresa Mast pointed out that, as she had worked on “many master plans” during the time she spent as a county employee, “This is absolutely exactly what I had suggested. … I think [this proposal] really shows the effort we want to put into [the new Siesta plan].”
Moreover, she added, “I think it’s really critical that we get the right consultant in place …”
Praise for Bay Park planning effort
During the discussion, Chair Ron Cutsinger said, “I think we can all agree if there’s a model, I can’t think of a better one” than a model based on the establishment of The Bay Park. “What an exceptional project that’s been. … Just excellence in every way.”
Cutsinger added, “If we can achieve those type of results [on Siesta] by following that [Bay Park planning process], that’s going to be a great plan. … I’m excited about the potential here.”
Siesta, he noted “is the crown jewel of Sarasota County and represents the county in a great way, so I am wholly supportive of moving [the initiative] forward [by emulating the development of The Bay Park].”
Commissioner Joe Neunder told Cutsinger, “You couldn’t have said it better.”
Neunder noted that the board members’ decision during their December 2025 retreat to make improvements on Siesta Key one of their top priorities for this year “proves this board’s commitment to the residents out there.” The goal, he continued is to develop a plan that “ensures the safety and the profitability and the environmental components, all of which are very important to this board but also to the people on Siesta Key …”
Commissioner Smith ended up making the motion to direct County Administrator Lewis and his staff to move forward with the master planning process, and Commissioner Knight seconded it. The motion passed 5-0.