SHS Security Fencing enhancements
Upcoming summer 2022? : SHS (Sarasota High School) new high-security perimeter re-fencing.
Back in 2019, during the City Commission hearings to permanently close School Ave to the public, one commitment made by the School District was to replace the old perimeter 6' chain link fencing with something more secure, decorative aluminum (or steel?) black "picket" fencing, similar to that already installed on School Ave. They did portray this as an urgent matter of safety and security for the students.
In the presentation, they estimated completion of this project by August 2020. This project has been delayed now for almost 3 years.
As of APRIL 2022, the project manager for the Schools District updated us that construction schedule is being finalized. (Pandemic, supply chain chaos, hiring problems, etc...)
Back in 2019, during the City Commission hearings to permanently close School Ave to the public, one commitment made by the School District was to replace the old perimeter 6' chain link fencing with something more secure, decorative aluminum (or steel?) black "picket" fencing, similar to that already installed on School Ave. They did portray this as an urgent matter of safety and security for the students.
In the presentation, they estimated completion of this project by August 2020. This project has been delayed now for almost 3 years.
As of APRIL 2022, the project manager for the Schools District updated us that construction schedule is being finalized. (Pandemic, supply chain chaos, hiring problems, etc...)
ALERT for Bay Street neighbors 2100-2199 South Side of Bay Street (backyards directly abut SHS campus):
The School Dept has plans for a DIFFERENT type of fence to replace the old chainlink fence section between School Ave and East Ave, the only section of their school property that directly abuts residential backyards: a 6ft, grey, "stone-look" precast concrete fence ("the wall"). Mr. DuBose & Tandem Construction staff met with some of the abuttors to share information, back in March. They delivered 3-page flyers to all abutting homes showing comprehensive landscape plan details of the project plus a picture of what the wall will look like. (Thanks to Mr. DuBose!) See WALL engineering drawings .
As of mid-April 2022, they are still waiting for FPL to come trim trees away from the electric wires (& then Comcast & THEIR wires?). Next, most of the fence-line trees will be removed, along with the old fencing. Then, new fence-wall will be installed.
It seems to me a shame to remove so many perfectly good cabbage palms -- our State Tree (and oaks, although no grand oaks, plus miscellaneous "weedy" trees that have grown up through the old chainlink fence over the years), and one neighbor was trying to arrange for the palms to be utilized elsewhere in the City rather than simply destroyed. Unfortunately, the logistics, apparently, could not be worked out. The plan for tree removal is so that the grounds crew can mow cleanly the entire campus, to the wall. (Security folks have said, in earlier discussions, that vegetation provides hiding places for The Bad Man.)
Projected Timeline is not clear just now, but it looks like sometime during Summer 2022. They said they will keep us informed.
Ernest DuBose is project manager for Sarasota County Schools: 941. 376. 1663. Call him if you need more details particular to your backyard property line.
The School Dept has plans for a DIFFERENT type of fence to replace the old chainlink fence section between School Ave and East Ave, the only section of their school property that directly abuts residential backyards: a 6ft, grey, "stone-look" precast concrete fence ("the wall"). Mr. DuBose & Tandem Construction staff met with some of the abuttors to share information, back in March. They delivered 3-page flyers to all abutting homes showing comprehensive landscape plan details of the project plus a picture of what the wall will look like. (Thanks to Mr. DuBose!) See WALL engineering drawings .
As of mid-April 2022, they are still waiting for FPL to come trim trees away from the electric wires (& then Comcast & THEIR wires?). Next, most of the fence-line trees will be removed, along with the old fencing. Then, new fence-wall will be installed.
It seems to me a shame to remove so many perfectly good cabbage palms -- our State Tree (and oaks, although no grand oaks, plus miscellaneous "weedy" trees that have grown up through the old chainlink fence over the years), and one neighbor was trying to arrange for the palms to be utilized elsewhere in the City rather than simply destroyed. Unfortunately, the logistics, apparently, could not be worked out. The plan for tree removal is so that the grounds crew can mow cleanly the entire campus, to the wall. (Security folks have said, in earlier discussions, that vegetation provides hiding places for The Bad Man.)
Projected Timeline is not clear just now, but it looks like sometime during Summer 2022. They said they will keep us informed.
Ernest DuBose is project manager for Sarasota County Schools: 941. 376. 1663. Call him if you need more details particular to your backyard property line.
