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Commercial Height Increase + Allow Hotel Use
The following list documents the effort to increase the allowed height of buildings in the St. Armands Commercial District, to add hotels (on upper levels) to the list of allowed uses, to increase the density of that use from what would otherwise be allowed, and to provide parking concessions. This is sometimes referred to as the "Zoning Text Amendments" issue. These zoning changes will also require a comprehensive plan change. Note: The City has a Coastal Islands Overlay District (click link) that controls commercial building height, density, etc... due to the environmentally sensitive nature of the City's keys and the limited access to them for emergency vehicles, hurricane evacuation, etc... This Zoning Text Amendments proposal would need the same zoning code and comprehensive plan changes as will the separate effort to develop a hotel complex at the Fillmore Parking Lot site. In order for hotel use to be viable in the St. Armands Commercial District, there will also likely need to be a density increase (to allow more hotel rooms) and parking concessions (fewer required parking spaces). It is our understanding that those seeking these changes will be asking for fewer required on-site parking spaces and/or a one-time payment to the City "in lieu of" providing those on-site parking spaces. |
October 22, 2020 |
April 3, 2021 | Meeting of the CCNA (Coalition of City Neighborhood Associations) where City Commissioner (then Mayor) Hagen Brody indicates his interest in "classing up" St. Armands.
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March 31, 2021 | The St. Armands Business Improvement District (a.k.a. the "BID") holds a 3.5 hour workshop at the end of which they agreed to ask the City for zoning changes to encourage commercial development on the Circle.
They will be specifically asking for a height increase for buildings in the St. Armands Commercial District and a use change that would allow hotel rooms and residences on the upper levels and would provide an increase in density for that use from what would otherwise be allowed. The BID (representing the commercial property owners) would like to see St. Armands Circle become more like 5th Avenue in Naples: higher-end shopping and dining, taller buildings with residences or boutique hotels above the retail spaces (e.g. "The Inn at Fifth" in Naples), and a uniform streetscape (sidewalks, curbing, lighting, landscaping) in front of all commercial properties to tie the area together and establish a strong "sense of place". Examples of what this looks like in Naples, FL: (note that all of the following examples are three-story buildings, but four and perhaps five-story buildings are being proposed for St. Armands) |
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August 5, 2021 | Public Workshop (via Zoom) to present the Zoning Text Amendments proposal to the public and to collect citizen input. Many residents voiced concern about this proposal.
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September-October, 2021 | 2021 Member Survey Results75% oppose increasing the allowed height of commercial buildings from 35' to 45' and allowing the use of residences and boutique hotels on the upper levels (n=125) |
November 19, 2021 | Click here to see an update on the Zoning Text Amendments that the BID is voting on to request from the City Commission at an upcoming meeting. |
December 8, 2021 | Regular meeting of the St. Armands Business Improvement District (BID).
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December 8, 2021 | Observer Article: St. Armands zoning proposals stir controversy |
December 10, 2021 | Letter from our Association to the BID asking for clarification of the proposed height increase: click here. We requested a response in advance of the next public workshop which we understand is being planned for some time in January. |
December 29, 2021 | We received this letter from Dan Lear, the architect hired by the BID, in response to our questions: click here |
January 11, 2022 | Second Public Workshop (via Zoom) to present the Zoning Text Amendments proposal to the public and to collect citizen input. Feedback and questions were provided by several residents of St. Armands and Lido Keys, the presidents of the St. Armands and Lido Key residents associations, and even the Mayor of Longboat Key. Every single speaker voiced concern about, if not opposition to, the proposed height increase, especially since the existing height limit ALREADY allows for three-story commercial buildings as seen in Naples.
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January 12, 2022 | Sarasota Magazine article: Proposal to Increase Building Heights, Density on St. Armands Circle Encounters Opposition |
January 12, 2022 | Observer Article: Proposed St. Armands developments prompt density concerns |
February 9, 2022 | Regular meeting of the St. Armands Business Improvement District.
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February 9, 2022 | Letter from our Association to the BID: click here |
February 28, 2022 |
Memo from City Attorney recommending that the Comprehensive Plan and Zoning Text Amendments being pursued by the BID be suspended: click here
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March 2, 2022 | BID Chairperson Geoffrey Michel submits his resignation: click here |
April 13, 2022 | Regular meeting of the St. Armands Business Improvement District. There were two notable votes: (1) Tom Leonard, owner of Shore, is the new BID Chairperson, and (2) the BID voted to ask City Staff to ask the City Commission to re-start the previous effort to make Comprehensive Plan and Zoning Text Amendments to the St. Armands commercial district.
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July 25, 2022 | Email from Residents Association to BID Chair and City General Manager, Planning |
August 17, 2022 | Regular meeting of the St. Armands Business Improvement District. Even though the BID already voted on April 13th to ask City Staff to ask the City Commission to re-start the previous effort to make Comprehensive Plan and Zoning Text Amendments to the St. Armands commercial district, they voted again today to ask City Staff to do the exact same thing.
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August 17, 2022 | Email from Residents Association to City General Manager, Planning |
October 12, 2022 | Regular meeting of the St. Armands Business Improvement District. BID votes to drop the pursuit of a commercial height increase which would require a 4-1 City Commission vote to make a Comprehensive Plan change. The BID will continue to pursue various Zoning Text Amendments which will only require a 3-2 City Commission vote.
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October-November 2022 | 2022 Member Survey Results90% oppose a commercial height increase that would allow three story commercial buildings--around the Circle, at the Wells Fargo Bank site, and potentially at the Fillmore Parking Lot site. (n=147)
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November 21, 2022 | At a Regular City Commission Meeting, the City Commission voted 5-0 to REJECT Tom Leonard's latest request to allow hotel usage all over St. Armands, among other zoning text amendments.
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December 1, 2022 | Observer Article: City rejects St. Armands zoning study request |
December 14, 2022 | Regular meeting of the St. Armands Business Improvement District. BID agrees to revisit their pursuit of zoning text amendments some time next year.
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June 15, 2023 | Separately, in the unincorporated portion of Siesta Key that falls under Sarasota County administration, the County Commission had voted to increase density to allow hotels with more rooms. An Administrative Law Judge has ruled that this was done improperly with a modification to the County's Unified Development Code (only requires a 3-2 County Commission vote) instead of with a Comprehensive Plan change (would have required a 4-1 supermajority vote). The County Commission has voted to appeal this decision at the risk of losing State funding should their appeal fail. Sarasota News Leader article: County commission votes 4-1 to direct county attorney ‘to take as far as we legally need to take’ appeal of Florida Division of Administrative Hearings ruling in favor of Siesta resident fighting high-rise hotel project County Commissioner Mark Smith, whose district includes St. Armands, was the lone vote against the decision to appeal. He cites a legal opinion from the previous County Attorney that the county only has a 10% chance of prevailing. If the County loses the appeal, potential sanctions include: directing state agencies not to provide funds to the county to increase the capacity of roads, bridges or water and sewer systems; specifying that the county is not eligible for grants administered under the Florida Small Cities Community Development Block Grant Program and the Florida Recreation Development Assistance Program; and denying the county revenue sharing funds, to the extend the funds have not been pledged to pay back bonds. |
St. Armands Residents Association
P.O. Box 2482, Sarasota, FL 34230
e-mail us at: st.armands.residents.assn@gmail.com