Longboat Key's Two Community Buildings Face the Same Ballot With Different Odds
Longboat Key straddles two counties. Most weeks that only shows up on a tax bill. Next week it matters for something residents have spent years waiting for: a place to gather. The Town Commission takes its final vote on the Town Center Green library on Monday, Nov. 2. Statewide Amendment 3 is on the ballot on Tuesday, Nov. 3. Sarasota County has said it would put the library on hold if the amendment passes. On the north end, Manatee County leaders have said they intend to fund the community center at Longboat Island Chapel whatever the result.
So the same vote reaches each end of the island differently. Here is where each project stands as November begins.
The library planned for Town Center Green on Bay Isles Road will be operated and staffed by Sarasota County. The building would cost $13.5 million. Sarasota County is putting in $11 million of that, with $1 million for design and $10 million for construction, according to Your Observer's Sept. 20 report.
Residents paid for the part that makes it more than a library. The town and the Longboat Key Foundation ran a fundraising campaign to add event space, with a goal of $3 million. The campaign raised $3.8 million, including a $1 million pledge from U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan. The county has already received $1.6 million of that total.
The money pays for features that would change how the green gets used. The 11,324-square-foot building would include:
The town has also worked out parking for bigger events. For day-to-day library use, the 78 existing spaces east of the green are twice the 39 the town code requires. A survey found 603 more off-site spaces at Mediterranean Plaza, the post office, nearby churches, banks and the tennis center that could be used with each lot owner's permission. That brings the total to 681. Your Observer's Oct. 14 story reported that organizers of larger events would need a parking and transportation plan before the event is permitted. Assistant Town Manager Isaac Brownman pointed to "late afternoon or early evening events, and especially for weekend events" as times when nearby lots may have room to spare.
The planning work has kept moving all fall. The Planning and Zoning Board unanimously approved the county's requested plan amendments in September, on the condition that a revised site plan be submitted. Sarasota County Facilities, Parks and Recreation Manager Brad Gaubatz said the county expected to apply for building permits in October. The Town Commission gave first approval to the site and development plans on Oct. 5. Howard Tipton, town manager at the time, said a groundbreaking was scheduled for March.
Two back-to-back days next week decide the rest:
The county's position was stated plainly at the Sept. 14 commission meeting. "The county has made it very clear because of the magnitude of the impacts of Amendment 3 they will not be constructing a library on Longboat Key at this time if Amendment 3 passes," Brownman said, according to Your Observer. He also said the county was moving forward "full steam, full blast with design, with permitting and with the land use amendment." Tipton said that if the amendment passed, "we'll have to figure out how to refund the money that's been raised."
Ballotpedia's summary says Amendment 3 does three things:
Like any change to the Florida Constitution, it needs at least 60% of the vote to pass.
How to vote on it is each voter's decision, and this post takes no position. For island residents, the practical point is narrower. The building on the green depends on Sarasota County's budget. The center on the north end depends on Manatee County's, and the two counties have planned differently.
The north end of Longboat Key has never had a dedicated community center. "I think we've seen like 10 different versions of this over the years," Manatee County Commissioner George Kruse said at a joint meeting covered by Your Observer on Sept. 28.
The current plan is already running. The Paradise Center is an independent nonprofit that runs programs on community connection, well-being, education, health and wellness, referrals and volunteering. It operates inside Longboat Island Chapel at 6200 Gulf of Mexico Drive and offers classes including Tai Chi, yoga, Pilates, Qi Gong, cardio dance, meditation and sound baths. A town staff memo prepared for the Sept. 24 meeting said the town and the Paradise Center had signed a services agreement, and the Paradise Center and the Chapel had signed a lease for programs there.
The open question is the money to expand. The town has asked Manatee County for $825,000 over three years, part of which would repair the Chapel's storm-damaged elevator. Under the draft agreement, which the county attorney's office is reviewing, the second and third payments would not be legally required if Amendment 3 passes. A Citizen Portal summary of the Sept. 24 joint meeting likewise described years two and three as contingent on the amendment. It also said county staff had not yet identified where the funds would come from.
Even so, Manatee County leaders said they still intend to fund the center regardless of the election result. Deputy Director of Property Management Charles Meador said he expected the agreement to go to the county board within a month or two. "We're almost there," said Commissioner Siddique. "For real this time."
| Town Center Green Library | North-End Center at Longboat Island Chapel | |
|---|---|---|
| County partner | Sarasota County | Manatee County |
| Money involved | $13.5 million building; $11 million county share | $825,000 requested over three years |
| Resident contribution | $3.8 million raised for event space | Paradise Center programs already running |
| Where it stands | First town approval Oct. 5; final vote Nov. 2 | Agreement under county attorney review |
| If Amendment 3 passes | County would put the project on hold | Years two and three not legally required; county leaders say they intend to fund anyway |
Put side by side, the north end's smaller plan has the firmer footing. The center is already operating under a signed lease, the amount at stake is a fraction of the library's budget, and the county has said it means to follow through. The library has a finished design, plans for event parking and $3.8 million from residents behind it, and it depends on the result of a single statewide vote.
Light Up Longboat is set for Saturday, Nov. 21, from 5 to 7 p.m. at Town Center Green on Bay Isles Road, with food vendors, music, a tree lighting and prizes, according to the Longboat Key Chamber of Commerce calendar. Earlier that week, on Tuesday, Nov. 17, the Interfaith Ministerium holds its 46th annual Community Gathering for Gratitude & Thanksgiving from 5 to 7 p.m. at Temple Beth Israel, 567 Bay Isles Road, just down the road from the green. Event times can change, so it's worth checking the Chamber calendar before heading out.
This post is general information about a ballot measure and two public projects, not legal, tax or financial advice. If you want to know how Amendment 3 would affect your own property taxes, please ask a qualified professional. Many of my clients choose Longboat Key for evenings like Light Up Longboat, and I'm always glad to talk about how the island's community spaces are coming together. If that conversation would be useful to you, Juli Pearce would be glad to hear from you. Let's Connect.
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