To the south of Emma E. Booker Elementary School and north of Lime Lake lies a 3-acre plot the Sarasota County Public Schools District owns and Sarasota County wishes to utilize for Lime Lake Park.
The parcel is classified as surplus property for the Sarasota County Schools, meaning it is an asset not in use. Before turning over the property to the county, school board members and Emma Booker’s principal have concerns they say they’d like to see resolved.
Safety is the top priority. Scott Lempe, chief operating officer for the district, told the school board members during a Nov. 17 workshop that Emma Booker’s principal, Dawn Clayton, is worried about students being distracted by activities going on in the park during school hours.
"It’s so close to the school, and I’m concerned, in terms of the potential for interruptions to a learning environment," Clayton said. Referring to the county, she added, "Their mission is good and their intent is to clean it up."
The county's conceptual plan for Lime Lake Park.
If security needs are met, she said, she thinks the park can be a bright spot in the neighborhood.
"It’s an exciting opportunity for the community, for that area to be transformed," Clayton said. "In the end I think it will be good for the community and good for our school."
In 2004 the North Sarasota Neighborhood Plan identified a possible park around Lime Lake, which is at the corner of North Lime Avenue and 20th Street. In 2006, local resident Euline Myrick adopted the project though the Grassroots Leadership Initiative.
The Sarasota County Commission endorsed the project on Oct. 14. Housing and Community Development is requesting a grant to construct amenities such as re-sloping the lakefront and providing for a sidewalk surrounding the lake, a fishing pier/overlook, gazebo, fencing and associated landscaping. Funding would be available in early 2010; the amenities would need to be constructed by June 30, 2010, according to county plans.
The North County Community Organization has pledged to clean up and monitor Lime Lake through the county’s "Adopt a Park" program.
Emma E. Booker students use the field adjacent to the park for kickball and various other games; therefore, the school board wants to make sure there are no disruptions with those programs.
The board is considering two options for turning over the land to the county.
• Leasing the property to the county with restrictions regarding the park’s operating hours, alcohol use and availability for restrooms and parking.
• Deeding the property to the county with the stipulation that the county construct a visual buffer along the shared property line.
School Board Chair Shirley Brown, said during the workshop, "Maybe with a deed, we’ll say, ‘Yes, but use your vast resources to put up a more private fence for more security and maybe security cameras.’"
Attracting more people to the park is also a cause for the school board’s concern, as those people would be so close to the back of the school.
Today, a 6-foot, chain-link fence separates the proposed park and the field the school uses.
"I don’t have a problem deeding, but I would want some assurance of a wall or fencing as part of the agreement," said board member Caroline Zucker.
School board Vice Chair Frank Kovach said if the security needs are met he will agree with the county’s plan for the park.
"The 3 acres of what we’re talking about are already south of the fence, so it’s already more apart of the community than the school," Kovach said.
Residents in the area feel the park will be an asset to the neighborhood, school officials said.
"We’re trying to find a balance of clear community wishes, being a good neighbor and working together," said Superintendent Lori White.
Still, board members said striking that balance may prove to be difficult because the park could be expected to be the site of unfavorable activities such as consumption of alcohol. However, on the other hand, making the property a community facility could lessen the chance dangerous activities would occur there because residents would be more involved in the activities.
As for parking and restrooms on the property: Board members said they felt that since the park is to be a neighborhood place, restrooms will not be needed; most of the patrons would be expected to live in close enough proximity to it to be able to go home if they needed to use the restroom.
The board members also agreed to look into whether the county has any surplus land the school district can use in return if it deeds over the park to the county.
In other school business on Nov. 17:
• Enrollment numbers are expected to continue to decrease for the 2010-11 school year.
• A pre-construction team has begun work on a design for the rebuild of Booker High School. The board has involved in this project an advisory group made up of leaders in the Newtown community. Part of the district’s goal also is make sure the construction jobs are held by local residents.
A community meeting will be held at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 2, at Booker High to discuss the rebuild. A timeline for the project will be presented, and representatives from Jobs Etc. will be available to help make sure residents know how to apply for jobs related to the project.