Venice council approves public-private partnership for Laurel Road construction

VENICE – The Venice City Council, on an 6-1 vote Tuesday, directed staff to work with developer Pat Neal and his associates on a public-private partnership to design the widening of Laurel Road between Knights Trail Road and Jacaranda Boulevard.

The vote, which came after a presentation by Neal, president of Neal Communities, authorizes staff to negotiate a public-private partnership to widen the road, which is actually owned by Sarasota County.

Most importantly though, it allows Neal to include the Laurel Road project into his discussions  to seek state funding for the proposed, “missing link” roadway that would extend Lorraine Road south from Clark Road to connect with Knights Trail Road.

Neal said he planned to start that effort as soon as Wednesday.

Under Neal’s proposal, engineers affiliated with his associates would handle the engineering, while construction contracts would still be put out for public bidding. 

In a brief presentation, Neal highlighted three options to four-lane Laurel Road from a point 700-feet east of the intersection with Knights Trail Road to a point 600-feet east of the intersection with Jacaranda Boulevard.

One version, which included no median, Neal estimated would cost $8.5 million -- not including lighting, landscaping and construction of a multi-use recreational trail.

That estimate Neal said, has escalated about $1 million in the past year because of the passage of time and an extension of the time frame needed to build it.

It does not include purchase of any right-of-way not already owned by Neal and his associates.

Another option, with a 22-foot median, would add another $1 million to the cost of the project, as well as more time, since right-of-way would need to be purchased that would impact six parcels and relocation of Florida Power & Light poles.

Neal also mentioned a third option that would start a divided highway just east of the property he does not yet control, just east of Willow Chase.

That could cost about $9 million.

Landscaping, enhanced lighting and the multi-use recreational trail could add as much as $2 million to the project.

The widening of Laurel Road would likely be paid for out of mobility and impact fees, as well as state and federal grants.

Neal noted that having the design set for the road widening increases the possibility of receiving state or federal funding.

“We believe we should have a shovel-ready road for any stimulus that comes by,” said Neal, who added that the public-private partnership would reduce the time frame for the road widening and reduce cost by as much as 40%.

Vice Mayor Chuck Newsom, the only board member to vote against the motion, noted that he did so because he questioned the availability of funds because of the COVID-19 pandemic-related economic slowdown.