Siesta owner seeks three-home subdivision

Justyna Clipper hopes to build a three-home subdivision on a 2-acre Siesta Key property she’s owned since 1988. She could build two now, but her architect and consultant hope to convince neighbors that they’ll benefit from the increased density.

Ron Sivitz, lead design professional for the project, listed those benefits at a Jan. 26 neighborhood workshop: If rezoning for the subdivision is approved, developers would be required to implement a management plan for wetlands that occupy approximately one-third of the property, a stormwater management plan and additional landscape buffers. Those conditions would not be required for two single-family homes.

Still, many at the workshop were apprehensive about the potential increased traffic, removal of vegetation and compatibility with the surrounding community.

Shelly Malis, a nearby resident, said she generally opposes “anything that takes away from the wild, jungle-y feel of this end of the island.”

Still, she said she isn’t sure if there’s a major difference between two homes versus three homes on the property, depending on how the homes are used.

Joan Nixon, a neighbor, expressed concerns that the rezoning would set a precedent for increased density on the island.

“I feel like we’ve reached a tipping point for development on this barrier island,” she said. “This just isn’t compatible with the surrounding area.”

Adjacent properties to the north and across Midnight Pass, including Clippers’, are zoned for one home per acre. Clipper seeks to rezone the property to 2.5 homes per acre, as is allowed for parcels to the south along Port Lane, though she would only build 1.5 per acre.

If the rezone isn’t approved to allow the subdivision, Clipper said she will build two homes.

Sivitz said the concept plan has been submitted to Sarasota County planning staff for review before it goes before the Sarasota County Planning Commission.