CONA set to discuss form-based code

Form-based code will top the agenda at Monday’s monthly meeting of the Sarasota County Council of Neighborhood Associations (CONA).

Andrew Georgiadis and Karin Murphy of the Urban Design Studio will lead the discussion.

Conventional zoning sets rules and separates areas based on the intended use of buildings and structures. Form-based code, however, sets rules based on how buildings look.

The intent of form-based code is to create a predictable built environment by matching the physical appearance of structures to the desired vision of the community or area. Form-based codes address the size and shape of adjacent buildings as well as the scale and types of streets and blocks.

The city of Sarasota intends to implement form-based code downtown at the end of a three-year process to set the new code's parameters, which will be guided by the Urban Design Studio.

CONA, created in 1961, represents more than 70 area neighborhoods, homeowner associations, condominium associations and civic organizations, and comprises more than 70,000 area residents.

According to CONA, neighborhood participation is essential to the new zoning plan’s success.

CONA’s meeting is scheduled for 6:30 p.m., Oct. 14, at the Sarasota Garden Club, 1131 Boulevard of the Arts, Sarasota.

Contact Nolan Peterson at [email protected]