Pelican Press 10.17.13

PelicanPRESS SIESTA KEY

AN OBSERVER NEWSPAPER

FREE • THURSDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2013

NEWS

Van Wezel statue’s fate remains unclear. PAGE 3A

OUR TOWN

DIVERSIONS

SPORTS

Family thinks soccer program is ‘TOPS.’ PAGE 17A

Gary Mazzu brings Poe’s work to life this Halloween. INSIDE

state of disgrace

by David Conway | News Editor

Garage delays frustrate developer Pineapple Square developer John Simon believes delays at the State Street garage are not only a legal issue but could cause long-term damage downtown.

Harriet Sokmensuer

+ Sotheby starts his training Premier Sotheby’s International Realty is sponsoring a Southeastern Guide Dog puppy named Sotheby. Sotheby will undergo training to work with the visually impaired, returning veterans or police and fire departments.

For more than four months, the city of Sarasota has been in the final stages of selecting a design for the State Street garage. Through it all, there have been mentions of an agreement with the developers of Pineapple Square that requires the garage

‘IN YOUR FACE’

to be completed by February 2015. But the city has displayed a relaxed attitude toward moving the process forward. “At some point, a decision has to be made; I didn’t think that had to be today,” City Attorney Robert Fournier said after a Sept.

16 meeting, at which the Sarasota City Commission requested a new series of designs. Pineapple Square developer John Simon takes exception to the city’s stance. He thinks meeting the deadline is crucial, not only from a legal standpoint, but

for maintaining a vibrant shopping district downtown. “They’re arguing about how to rearrange the deck chairs on the Titanic,” Simon said. “They don’t fully understand the import of

SEE GARAGE / PAGE 12A

by Nolan Peterson | News Editor

Courtesy photo

+ Couple celebrates 65th anniversary Lou and Sue Allen are celebrating their 65th wedding anniversary with the Sarasota Orchestra. This Saturday, the couple will spend their anniversary with family at the Sarasota Orchestra’s 65th anniversary concert, titled “Then and Now.” The two met on a blind date in college in 1946. Two years later, they were married. During World War II, Lou Allen served in the Air Corps and Infantry. This year he celebrated his 90th birthday.

+ Send us your announcements! The Observer is seeking submissions for its announcements section, Occasions. Please send all announcements of births, engagements, weddings and anniversaries to Jessica Luck, at jluck@yourobserver.com.

Nolan Peterson

Sarasota police officer David Dubendorf speaks with a homeless man near a series of railway encampments in the city of Sarasota.

Homeless problem hits ‘critical mass’ Opinions are divided on what is to blame for a perceived spike in the size and geographic reach of Sarasota County’s homeless population. Recent changes in the scale and geographic footprint of homelessness in Sarasota County indicate that the area’s homeless population has hit “critical mass.” “There is a steady flow of homeless into the area,” said Dr. Richard Marbut, an expert Sarasota County and the city of Sarasota hired to study the combined area’s homelessness problem

and propose a solution. “What’s changed is that now you’ve hit a critical mass and the problem is more in your face.” A study release last week by the Suncoast Partnership to End Homelessness reported that the county’s homeless population has increased by 40% since 2011. That data, along with a Sheriff’s Office report linking a series of Siesta Key burglaries to a small

band of homeless people recently arrested on the island, and other law-enforcement anecdotes about homeless camps popping up countywide, has raised questions about whether homelessness is spreading and from where the new arrivals are coming. Marbut argued that the area’s homeless population is not expanding in size or reach any faster than normal. He attributed the

anecdotal reports of new homeless camps around the county to the passing of a tipping point where overcrowding at existing encampments forces individuals into urban and residential areas, creating the perception of a spike in the homeless population’s size and geographic scope. “It’s like pouring water into a pitcher,” Marbut said. “Eventually you run out of room and water will spill out. That’s what you’re seeing now. There’s no

SEE HOMELESS / PAGE 2A

INDEX Opinion.................8A Classifieds ........ 14B

Cops Corner....... 12A Crossword.......... 13B

Neighborhood...... 1B Real Estate........ 10B

Sports................ 17A Weather............. 13B

Vol. 44, No. 12 | Three sections YourObserver.com