The City of Venice Planning Commission voted to recommend City Council approval of Comprehensive Plan Amendment Petition 25‑58‑AM, the city’s annual update to the Capital Improvement Schedule, during its Oct. 21 meeting.

Amy Nelson, planning manager for the City of Venice, presented the annual update required by state law and described the CIS as a prioritized, non‑funding list of projects that documents planned capital improvements and the city’s ability to maintain adopted level‑of‑service (LOS) standards. Nelson said departments submit projects and rankings annually, and the CIS incorporates transportation projects managed or funded by Sarasota County, the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) and the Florida Department of Transportation where applicable.

Much of the commission’s discussion focused on transportation items in the CIS. City staff highlighted recent work on signal timing at the hospital entrance (Health Care Way and Pine Brook), and the need for turn‑lane modifications at Border Road and Jacaranda. Staff and commissioners discussed larger corridor priorities — including widening Lower Road and improvements on Laurel Road around the I‑75 interchange — and the challenge of coordinating city priorities with county and FDOT projects. Several commissioners urged clearer visual links among related transportation projects so the public can see how individual items interact.

Commissioners and staff also discussed parks and open space. Nelson said the city will issue a request for qualifications for a parks master plan consultant; that master plan is intended to clarify park priorities, maintenance responsibilities that shift under a recent interlocal agreement with the county, and how to account for private‑development amenities when applying the city’s level‑of‑service standard (currently 7 acres per 1,000 functional population). Nelson noted the city’s current inventory is about 556 acres of parks versus a required 256 acres, as summarized in staff materials.

Stormwater topics drew attention as well. Roger (staff member) and John Kramer, city engineer, described ongoing work on Flamingo Ditch and other drainage priorities. Kramer said Curry Creek work does not include the privately maintained Sawgrass portion; the city is discussing a possible maintenance exchange with the county (Curry Creek for another conveyance) and pursuing emergency response options if private or county‑maintained sections threaten city property.

Commissioners also raised Venice Crossings, an 83‑acre county‑jurisdiction development area near Laurel Road, and asked staff to remain engaged with county and school‑district partners as parcel‑by‑parcel development proposals arrive. Amy Nelson said site plans and plats for parcels within Venice Crossings are under review and that developers will bring parcel‑level proposals for county and city review.

After discussion and public notice confirmations, Commissioner Wood moved to recommend approval of the comprehensive plan amendment; the motion passed with a voice vote recommending the amendment to City Council.