Developer plots residential project on Kennel Club site

Before the end of the year, a developer under contract to purchase the Sarasota Kennel Club property in north Sarasota intends to submit plans to the city for a primarily residential project on the 25.6-acre site.

To facilitate that development, the prospective owners will also request a change to the city’s comprehensive plan, changing the future land use designation for most of the Kennel Club property from commercial to medium-density multifamily residential. On Wednesday, a representative for JBCC Development appeared before the city’s Development Review Committee to have a preliminary discussion about the plans for the site.

Planning consultant Joel Freedman said at Wednesday’s meeting that JBCC has not yet finalized plans for the dog track property, located at 5400 Old Bradenton Road. In a letter to the city, Freedman said the developer is asking to change the land use designation for approximately 23 acres of the property. The proposed zoning designation would allow for the construction of up to 25 units per acre.

At Wednesday's meeting, Freedman said JBCC intends to leave a portion of the property under existing zoning for commercial development, including some land along University Parkway.

“There will be some change,” Freedman said. “We just don’t know how much and to what level.”

The developer must submit a formal application for a comprehensive plan amendment by Oct. 2 to meet the city’s annual deadline for processing such a change. The developer also must hold a community workshop before submitting an application to change the comprehensive plan, which would need to take place by Sept. 30. The city said it is currently planning to hold community workshops remotely via Zoom while social distancing protocols remain in place because of COVID-19.

Freedman said JBCC planned to have the city consider the comprehensive plan amendment and site plan for the property concurrently. He said the comprehensive plan application would be submitted by Oct. 2, with the site plan following in the next few weeks.

City staff offered limited feedback on the proposal at Wednesday’s meeting. Senior Planner Jim Koenig encouraged the development team to keep in close contact with the nearby Bayou Oaks neighborhood as plans for the property come together.

JBCC is already in the process of advancing a development proposal for another portion of the Kennel Club site. On Aug. 27, the city’s Planning Board is scheduled to review plans for a Circle K gas station on 2.16 acres at the northwest corner of the property.

JBCC is the second contract purchaser to file preliminary plans with the city for the Kennel Club property after voters passed a statewide ban on greyhound racing. Last year, Wakefield Development Partners LLC also sought to change the future land use and zoning designation to allow for a residential project. The developer sought to build an apartment with up to 340 units and an assisted living facility with up to 275 beds. That project fell through, Freedman said, allowing JBCC to pursue its plans for the site.