No New Parks or Functional Space. Why?

Strategy OS 1.1.2

The City of Venice’s Comprehensive Plan guides future development.

The Comprehensive Plan emphasizes support for mixed-use neighborhoods, walkability, and preserving natural spaces, but its current policies discourage new parkland preservation despite rapid local development.

Strategy OS 1.1.2 limits park preservation.

This strategy sets a standard of 7 acres of functional open space per 1,000 population.

However, no new land preservation is necessary because the standard has been achieved due to the number of existing parks which are located mostly on the island.

Can the plan be changed? Yes.

The plan is required by law to be updated every 7 years to correspond with new state laws. However, it can be changed with a simple majority vote of the council.

The Problem: Too Much Development

Land across Venice and Sarasota County is being cleared fast. Forests, wetlands, and old farms vanish under new homes and buildings. This loss hurts wildlife, weakens flood protection, and cuts off green space for people.

Paying for Parks: Impact Fees

Builders pay a fee every time they develop property. Venice collects approximately $300 K–$500 K yearly. That money is meant to create or improve parks near where new construction is being built.

New Parks in Venice

In 2021, the city bought 5 acres for a Northeast (NE) Park—the first new park in Venice. The plan also included a trail (called a Linear Park) to link NE Park with Myakka Park. Officials set aside $700 K for the trail, but extra county rules have stalled the project.  As a result, the staff asked for the Linear Park to be defunded.

City staff say the trail must meet county standards and sit on county land. That adds layers of approval, raises the cost, and now the trail’s funding is at risk.

The Vision of the Linear Park

The linear park was never intended as a mere strip of land; it is a multi-use recreation trail (MURT) designed to connect neighbors with nature, promote healthy living, and create accessible, welcoming green spaces for all. The proposed amenities—benches, shade trees, shelters—transform the trail from a simple path into a vibrant corridor where families gather, friends meet, and individuals find solace in the outdoors.

• Provides safe, scenic walking and biking routes for residents of NE Venice
• Connects two key parks—NE Park and Myakka Park—making green space accessible to thousands
• Supports active lifestyles and community events

Why the Linear Park Is Needed

The City’s Comprehensive Plan acknowledges the importance of open space.

However, setting a functional Level of Service (LOS) standard of only 7 acres per 1,000 population means that new parks/open spaces will not be built.

• Venice boasts more than 30 parks, concentrated mostly on the island, which easily meet the imposed requirement of Strategy OS 1.1.2.
• New neighborhoods like those in the northeast remain underserved.
• The acquisition of NE Park in 2021 was a step forward, but without the linear park, the vision of interconnected green corridors—and the promise made to residents funding these improvements through impact fees—will be left unfulfilled.

The Consequences of Defunding

Defunding the linear park would have far-reaching consequences:

• Lost Investment: Park impact fees, collected from new developments, were earmarked specifically for amenities like the trail. Removing these funds undermines the very purpose of those contributions.
• Missed Opportunities for Wellness: Linear parks promote walking, cycling, and outdoor recreation—critical for public health and quality of life.
• Fragmented Community: Without the trail, the two parks remain isolated from each other, eliminating the connector and green spaces.  Increased Cost in the Future: Delaying or abandoning the project now will only make future improvements more expensive and difficult.

Addressing Administrative and Cost Challenges

Yes, the project has faced hurdles: county standards, sitting on county land, and bureaucratic delays have increased costs, resulting in threatened funding.

But these challenges are not reasons to abandon the vision; they call for more creative problem-solving and collaboration. Some ideas to consider are:

• Explore partnerships with Sarasota County, leveraging their sustainability expertise and preservation programs.
• Explore partnerships with the developer to increase the size of land available for the linear park.
• Phase construction, focusing on immediate connections and amenities while planning for longer-term expansion.
• Work with Charles Hines for possible funding to include the Linear Park with the Suncoast Trails Network.
• Engage residents in stewardship, volunteer programs, and public input to ensure the park reflects community needs.

Sarasota County’s Comprehensive Plan

The County has a different type of Comprehensive Plan. Sarasota County is dedicated to supporting sustainability and carefully weighing present and future needs in all decision-making.

Through programs like the Environmentally Sensitive Lands Protection Program (ESLPP) and the Neighborhood Parkland Acquisition Program (NPP), the county has preserved roughly one-third of its land as green open space.

These voter-approved, tax-funded programs have protected 91 properties (over 40,000 acres) through ESLPP and 24 properties (109 acres) with NPP, often in partnership with organizations like The Nature Conservancy.

Preserved lands offer many benefits, including protecting biodiversity and habitats for native species, supporting water quality and flood control, boosting local economies through eco-tourism, and providing health, educational, and recreational opportunities.

Land considered for acquisition must have a willing seller who agrees to sell at market rate.

Recent applications from three Venice citizens for Parkland Preservation include vacant property on Pinebrook across from Wellfield Park, a second vacant parcel on Laurel Road adjacent to the new NE park and a third vacant parcel at Knights Trail Road and Gene Green Road.

All three proposals require the support of the City of Venice to move forward.

Conclusion:  Items for City Staff to Consider

• Council can modify or eliminate Strategy OS 1.1.2 to support the establishment of more parks and green spaces which will better reflect the needs of the citizens.
• Council can ask staff to identify areas of possible preservation where land can be preserved either as parks or open spaces.
• Council can contact Charles Hines to include the Linear Park with the Florida

Gulf Coast Trails. On June 14, 2022, Council directed staff to work with Charles Hines to complete the missing links connecting the Florida Gulf Coast Trails.

Council can ask staff for a report on their progress.

• Council can consider working with Sarasota County on acquiring land through its ESLPP and NPP programs.
• Council can ask staff to be proactive with reporting on a regular basis to the council and the residents on their progress.
• Council can redirect Park Impact Fees to the areas where they were acquired, new development, as required by state law and not be used to repurpose/enhance existing parks.