NORTH PORT – The North Port City Commission will close Al Goll Hall and the building once occupied by the YMCA in Dallas White Park but on Tuesday stopped short of voting to demolish the two structures, in hopes that a future redeveloper for the site will pay for that.
The commission did approve the demolition of the pump house and bath house that date back to when the park served as the site for the city’s public pool.
Though she voted along with the other four board members, City Commissioner Debbie McDowell thought it would have made sense to demolish the two structures at the same time as the pool pump and bath houses. She worried that if the city merely boarded up the two buildings, it could create an opportunity for blight.
NORTH PORT – North Port city commissioners decided Tuesday night that they didn’t want to sell the Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park to Sarasota County after all.
Last month, the board directed Interim City Manager Jason Yarborough to ask Sarasota County if it was interested in acquiring the 163-plus acre park, which is one of three planned end points for the Legacy Trail.
Yarborough and County Administrator Jonathan Lewis had discussed a possible sale last summer, while the city of North Port was contemplating its 2020-21 budget.
With the city’s parks maintenance agreement with Sarasota County ending June 30, city commissioners were intrigued by the possibility of a sale, a move that would have eliminated the need to maintain that park – though currently Sarasota County spends between $14,000 and $15,000 a year, mostly for mowing and restroom maintenance.
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SOUTH SARASOTA COUNTY – COVID-19 pandemic-related social distancing concerns have prompted the cities of North Port and Venice both to juggle their planned public meetings.
In North Port, Interim City Manager Jason Yarborough canceled the North Port City Commission’s Tuesday meeting, as well as Thursday’s Code Enforcement Board hearing.
Meanwhile, the Venice City Council hosted its regularly scheduled hybrid meeting but did so without a quorum in chambers at Venice City Hall – which meant board members treated the day as a cross between a workshop and a meeting.
North Port spokesman Josh Taylor confirmed that the cancelations were COVID-19 related.