Referendum date sought for proposal to build 10 new Longboat Key homes

Developers are asking the Longboat Key Town Commission to ask island voters to decide whether a 10-home residential project should be allowed on a commercial property.

President Bruce Franklin of Land Resource Strategies of Sarasota made the request on behalf of Brista Homes Inc. of Sarasota. The first reading of the ordinance will be conducted at the 7 p.m. Tuesday commission meeting.

The referendum would determine whether to allow developers to build 10 new homes in the north end of the island on a parcel bracketed by Jungle Queen Way to the north and Tarawitt Drive to the south.

Brista Homes is contracting for purchase 1.8 acres at 5630 Gulf of Mexico Drive from Mote Scientific Foundation Inc. for $1.35 million. The parcel is now zoned limited commercial on the future land-use map of the comprehensive plan.

Originally listed for sale in 2003, it has been unmarketable for commercial use, Franklin said.

“It has remained vacant as an underperforming asset in the community,” Franklin wrote.

If the referendum passes, the developers would request an application to amend the comprehensive land-use classification to high density mixed residential and a rezoning petition to high density mixed residential district with a site plan depicting a maximum of 10 residential units.

“Clearly, this proposed use would be compatible with the residential neighborhood to the north and east and would yield substantially less traffic than commercial uses permitted in the existing C-1 zoning district,” Franklin wrote in requesting the referendum.

Brista Homes made its initial proposal the same day the North End Hotel and Beach Club density increase request was rejected 2,428 to 676 by Longboat Key voters. Many voters cited traffic concerns as the reason they rejected the hotel proposal.