Whitney Beach Plaza owner asks for another Longboat Key referendum

It did not take long for the owner of Whitney Beach Plaza to decide what to do after a referendum on his last proposal was rejected Tuesday by Longboat Key voters.

Ryan Snyder requested another referendum Wednesday.

Snyder, 37, of Bradenton, wanted to raze a portion of Whitney Beach Plaza in the 6800 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive to make way for up to 18 homes.

Voters disagreed by a 60%-to-40% margin.

Of Longboat’s 6,267 registered voters, 5,063 participated in the Whitney Plaza referendum with 3,055 against the project and 2,008 for it.

In a letter addressed to Longboat Key Mayor Jack Duncan the day after Tuesday’s vote, Snyder said his business, Whitney Plaza LLC, wants to redevelop Whitney Beach Plaza into an all-residential subdivision.

Duncan said he did not expect the request.

“I’m very surprised he has asked for another one as quickly as he has,” Duncan said. “He wants, as I understand it, to be on the ballot by himself.”

Longboat Key voters have now rejected three developer proposals in a row.

“Residents of Longboat Key are incredibly concerned about traffic,” Duncan said.

Snyder requested a new referendum be set at the earliest date possible to allow the town to consider a conversion to residential use with a maximum density not to exceed six units per acre.

Why the quick turnaround? Snyder said he has no choice.

“I’m going to go ahead and do it again,” he said. “Something has to change. I’ll keep doing it until something changes. The other option is to let the center go into disrepair.”

Snyder said he decided to take his property all residential after receiving post-election feedback from residents who said they don’t like it being mixed use.

“We’ve already got commercial. Got too much of it,” he said. “It’s not working and, until somebody comes with an alternative idea, we’ll keep trying.”

He said the maximum number of homes he would build is somewhere between 18 and 21. The zoning density needed to do so would match the surrounding areas, he said.

Snyder said, as another possible option, he would like to retain a working amount of commercial property up to a maximum of 15,000 square feet. Of his dozen businesses now open in the 45,000-square-foot plaza, some of have leases ranging up to 10 years, he said.

 “Ultimately, if we can get something approved there, it’s my intent to leave it with some commercial if we can,” Snyder said. “I don’t know how the (Longboat Key) Commission will respond to it.”

The town charter requires voter approval before adding density uses in excess of limitations specified in the comprehensive plan.

Snyder indicated he would be responsible for all costs of another referendum involving Whitney Beach Plaza and requested the vote date be set by the town commission rather than the option of obtaining 10% percent of voter signatures on a petition.

Town Clerk Trish Granger said Snyder would require the signatures of 627 voters out of 6,264 registered between Manatee and Sarasota counties if town commission does not set a referendum date. The signatures would need to be verified by the supervisor of elections offices.

Also, Town Attorney Maggie Mooney-Portale would need to approve any proposed referendum language.

The town of Longboat Key has a General Election scheduled for March 14 and the city of Sarasota may have a run-off election May 9 between commission candidates, Granger said,

The Sarasota County Supervisor of Elections reports the earliest date for a stand-alone referendum or all-mail ballot would be sometime next June.

“I think he’s in for a significant challenge,” Duncan said. “I wish him well.”