New development rule opens door to Siesta Key hotels

The Sarasota County Commission voted 3-2 Wednesday to revise its development code to eliminate density caps for hotel projects in some commercial areas, approving an application necessary to facilitate the construction of a hotel in Siesta Key Village.

The vote came after hours of public testimony that largely argued against the proposed code amendment and the planned eight-story, 170-room hotel on Calle Miramar and Beach Road. The county also approved a special exception allowing for a hotel in Siesta Key Village and increasing the maximum buildable height on the .96-acre property to 80 feet.

Under existing regulations, the county limits hotel density at 26 units per acre in commercial general zone districts. Representatives for developer Robert Anderson filed a proposal to eliminate density considerations for all hotel projects on commercial general properties, arguing the dwelling unit per acre calculations should apply only to residential projects. Development representatives noted any hotel proposals would still need to comply with other building regulations, and the county would have to approve a special exception for a project to move forward.

County staff spoke in favor of the change, stating officials had internally considered such a revision before the developer’s application.

“​​Staff is in support of the proposed amendment as it will allow for greater development of transient accommodations within the county,” a staff report said.

The hotel plans — and proposals for three other hotels on the island — have drawn outspoken opposition from Siesta Key residents. The Siesta Key Coalition, a resident organization established last year, formed to lobby against the development of “large-scale hotels” in excess of the restrictions currently established in the code.

Some speakers at Wednesday’s meeting focused their objections on the scope of the Calle Miramar hotel proposal. Residents and business owners near the project site expressed concern about the traffic associated with the project, though developer representatives said a hotel would be less intense than other uses already permitted on the site. Project opponents also criticized the height and massing of the building, arguing it was inappropriate for Siesta Key Village.

“We do not feel this hotel is in character with Siesta Key at all,” said Steve Cavanaugh, chair of the Siesta Key Chamber of Commerce.

Other speakers raised procedural objections to the proposals before the commission. Prior to Wednesday's meeting, land use attorney Patricia Petruff submitted a 10-page letter to the County Commission on behalf of the Siesta Key Coalition. The document outlined the group's objections to the hotel application, which focus in part on a segment of the county’s comprehensive plan that limits the intensity and density of barrier island developments to standards established in 1989.

Initially, the Calle Miramar hotel application included a proposed comprehensive plan amendment that would have eliminated the 1989 standard for any hotels built on barrier island properties zoned commercial general. In May, however, attorney Bill Merrill sent a letter to the county withdrawing the amendment application, and county staff affirmed the hotels could be approved without changing the comprehensive plan.

Despite staff’s determination, some Siesta residents maintained the proposed development was in conflict with the prohibition on projects that were denser or more intense than the 1989 standards. Mark Spiegel, chairman of the Siesta Key Coalition, said the group was not opposed to hotel development on the island, but he said any project should be responsive to the desires of island residents and the dynamics of the built environment. Although developer representatives pointed to nearby condominium towers as evidence the hotel was compatible with its surroundings, Spiegel said the proposal failed to meet the standards he outlined.

“This, today, is not about whether you want a hotel on Siesta Key,” Spiegel said. “This is about how the county should have approached putting a boutique hotel on Siesta Key.”

The sentiment on Siesta Key was not unanimously opposed to the hotel. Several speakers Wednesday endorsed the idea of bringing more lodging to the barrier island, stating the area is a tourist destination without a large hotel. Clayton Thompson, owner of Clayton’s Siesta Grille, said hotel projects would provide benefits for local businesses and could lead to improvements throughout the Key.

“I think Siesta Key is underserved and needs several additional hotels,” Thompson said.

The commission was split on the merits of the proposal, with commissioners Nancy Detert and Christian Ziegler voting against the applications. Both Detert and Ziegler said they believed Siesta Key could benefit from a hotel, but they expressed concern the proposed development would detract from the characteristics that make the island an economic engine for the county.

Detert sided with residents who suggested the county should pause its review of the hotel proposal to consider its regulatory options. Detert said she felt uncomfortable moving forward with a code revision that a developer submitted, arguing county staff should take up the initiative independently if the proposed elimination of density requirements had merit.

“I would suggest we don’t have a hotel emergency going on, so we could take the time to get this right,” Detert said.

A majority of the commission was supportive of the proposal. Commissioners Ron Cutsinger and Mike Moran said they understood the fears Siesta Key residents shared, but they did not believe the hotel would have a detrimental effect on traffic or other conditions in the area. Moran cited projects such as the John Ringling Causeway and Nathan Benderson Park as evidence that contentious proposals can lead to products that are ultimately popular within the community.

“Legacy, iconic projects were met by some with incredibly fierce, aggressive opposition,” Moran said.

Following the meeting, Spiegel gave no indication his opposition to proposed hotel developments might soften over time. He criticized the majority of the commission as short-sighted and said Siesta Key residents felt their officials were not responsive to the needs and interests of people living on the island.

“I think what you just watched is why there’s an incorporation movement on Siesta Key,” Spiegel said, referring to an ongoing effort to make the island its own town.

During the meeting, Detert mentioned potential legal action as a reason why the commission should be cautious in its evaluation of the hotel applications. After the meeting, Spiegel pledged the Siesta Key Association would pursue options for continuing to contest the project and others the group felt failed to comply with county standards.

“This isn’t over,” Spiegel said.