September 11 Hearing: Siesta Key Condo Rebuilds

 

Siesta Key News & Updates September 6, 2024 September 11 Public Hearing Siesta Key Condo rebuilds Protect Siesta Key opposes any changes to the Comprehensive Plan that would endanger the decades-old regulations protecting all barrier islands. We also oppose any changes to the zoning code that conflict with our Comprehensive Plan. The Sarasota County Commission will conduct a public hearing on September 11, 2024, to review proposed changes to our Comprehensive Plan. These changes will increase the size of multifamily buildings (condos, timeshares, apartments) in the Residential Multi-family Districts on Siesta Key. The proposal suggests allowing decades-old multifamily structures, which already exceed the maximum permitted densities and heights in the current zoning regulations, to become even larger. The Siesta Key Condominium Council is leading the opposition to this change. The Sarasota Planning Commission board previously rejected the proposed change to the Comprehensive Plan with an 8-0 vote a few weeks ago. Many multifamily structures were platted or constructed prior to the implementation of current zoning regulations. Since 1975, the maximum height for structures in the residential multifamily districts (RMF) has been 35 feet for RMF Districts 1 and 2, and 45 feet for RMF District 3. Presently, approximately 137 structures on Siesta Key exceed these height limits as they were built before the adoption of these regulations. While the zoning regulations allow these structures to be rebuilt in the event of destruction by a disaster, if they are to be demolished voluntarily, they must adhere to the current zoning regulations regarding size including height. The proposed change to our Comprehensive Plan would allow these tall structures to be rebuilt with parking underneath the residences, potentially increasing their height. For example, an 8-story building could become 10 stories or more. Additionally, this change would reduce the side yard and rear yard setbacks, resulting in wider, more massive buildings. There are concerns that the proposed new regulations may mark just the beginning, becoming a Trojan horse for developers to add floors or density to our already crowded island. Please take the time to read the attached PSK memo and the letter from Attorney Richard Grosso. Protect Siesta Key Memo to the County Commission (link) PSK's Memo Exhibits (link) Attorney Richard Grosso Letter on proposed changes (link) If you wish to voice your concerns, please send an email to the County Commission before Tuesday, September 10, to have your input included in the official record. Email our County Commission (cut and paste into your email): Mhsmith@scgov.net, Jneunder@scgov.net, rcutsinger@scgov.net, nrainford@scgov.net, mmoran@scgov.net Copy the staff: Planner@scgov.net, Efarrell@scgov.net Let them know you agree with Protect Siesta Key, Inc. that the County should not amend the laws of our Comprehensive Plan! Public Hearing information Wednesday, Sept 11 Meeting time: starts at 9 am Location: County Commission Chambers Address: 1660 Ringling Blvd, Sarasota Thank you for your support of our efforts to protect our Siesta Key! Sincerely, Lourdes What about Mega-hotels Public Hearings? Sarasota County has not yet announced the date for public hearings regarding proposed changes to the laws in our Comprehensive Plan that would permit developers to construct multiple mega-sized hotels on Siesta Key. We are monitoring the Sarasota County website for public notices. However, there are a few County Commission meetings scheduled in both September and October. It's possible that the County may schedule a Planning Commission hearing in September, which is a preliminary meeting by an advisory group that will vote to either recommend or deny the acceptance of a proposed Comprehensive Plan or development plan change. This meeting is not as critical as the Sarasota County Commission public hearings, where the final decision will be made. Consider marking your calendar for October 8, 9, 22, or 23, as potential dates for a Sarasota County Commission public hearing on mega-hotels. Until we receive further information, we do not know which date will be the actual hearing date. We will inform you promptly when we receive notice of a scheduled public hearing.

Another Potential Violation of our Comp Plan - Lourdes Ramirez

 

Monthly News & Updates July 2024

Another Potential Violation of our Comprehensive Plan Public Hearing before County Commissioners scheduled for July 9

Here we go again…Another possible violation of our Comprehensive Plan! Siesta Key is currently dealing with three proposals that aim to increase the population and development on our island. The most recent proposal that will be heard by the Sarasota County Commission on July 9th may also impact Manasota and Casey Keys. The following is a brief overview of all three proposals. A link to a copy of the letter Protect Siesta Key (PSK) plans to send to the County Commission for the July 9th public hearing on nonconforming lots of record will be listed below. Please be aware that Protect Siesta Key opposes any changes to the Comprehensive Plan that would endanger the decades-old regulations protecting all barrier islands. We also oppose any changes to the zoning code that conflict with our Comprehensive Plan. Summary of the three proposals to increase density on barrier islands: 1. Mega-hotels for Siesta Key: Benderson Development is proposing to alter long-standing protective growth laws in our Comprehensive Plan to construct large hotels on our fragile island. The Comp Plan amendment is expected to be reviewed by the Planning Commission and Board of County Commissioners in late August or early September. Visit our website, Protect Siesta Key.org for additional information on this proposal. 2. Condo rebuilds on Barrier Islands: Sarasota County is considering changes to our Comprehensive Plan to increase the size of condo buildings in the Residential Multi-family Districts on the barrier islands. There is a proposal to allow condominium structures built decades ago with densities and height that exceed the maximum permitted in the current zoning regulations to become even larger. The Siesta Key Condominium Council is leading the effort to oppose this change. The Planning Commission recently denied the proposed change to the Comp Plan 8-0. The next step is to go before the County Commission, which might occur in the fall. To read more about the concerns, use this link to the SKCC letter to the Planning Commission.

And the recent proposal that will be heard by County Commissioners on July 9th… 3. Nonconforming Lots of Record on Barrier Islands: Before the adoption of the 1975 zoning regulations, several areas on the barrier islands were platted with small residential lots, some with a width of only 25 feet! These lots are called ‘nonconforming lots of record,’ as they do not conform to the minimum lot sizes required by our zoning codes since 1975. In 1989, Sarasota County adopted laws acknowledging that some homes on existing nonconforming lots of records can continue to exist. To protect property rights, a property owner can rebuild on those tiny lots as platted but can’t change the lot lines. The goal of our zoning regulations since 1975 is to have these small lots to cease to exist. According to our Comp Plan, all lots created since 1975 must meet minimum lot size requirements for their district. The Protect Siesta Key letter to the County Commission (Link) includes a hypothetical example of a Residential Single Family 1.2-acre parcel that legally can have 3 homes but contains 10 nonconforming lots of record that were platted in 1912. Due to regulations such as minimum setback requirements, most property owners choose to combine nonconforming lots of records into legally conforming lots, which would comply with our Comprehensive Plan. The proposed change to the Unified Development Code will allow developers to count the tiny lots as ‘density’ which is not allowed in our codes and combine that number into multiple homes on a parcel. The developer lawyers claim they can ‘reduce density’ if they promise not to use all of the old nonconforming lots of record on a parcel. The proposal to allow this is in violation of our Comprehensive Plan that requires the County to follow the 1989 Zoning regulations for barrier islands. In 1989, the zoning regulations did not allow for the developers to change the nonconforming lots of record lines or count it as density.  The proposed change in Ordinance 2024-034 will violate the Comprehensive Plan as we described in our letter to the County Commission.  Link to PSK letter opposing UDC amendment 2024-034 Link to PSK Attorney Richard Grosso letter to BCC The Board of County Commissioners is scheduled to hear this proposal on Tuesday, July 9th. Location: Board of County Commission Chambers R.L. Anderson Administration Center, 4000 S. Tamiami Trail, Venice, Florida To write your objections to the County over this proposal or to just state to the County that they MUST NOT pass zoning laws that violate our Comprehensive Plan, send an email to Commissioners@scgov.net Or to each commissioner with a copy to the planner: jneunder@scgov.net, nrainford@scgov.net, mhsmith@scgov.net, mmoran@scgov.net, rcutsinger@scgov.net, planner@scgov.net Thank you. Lourdes