City to hold attainable housing open houses in August, September

A series of open house events are scheduled to provide information and receive community input for a zoning text amendment to create four new mixed-use zone districts that incentivize attainable housing development along commercial corridors and in commercial centers.

The sessions are scheduled for:

• North Sarasota: 5:30-7 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 24, Selby Public Library, Jack J. Geldbart Auditorium, 1331 First St. 
• East Sarasota: 5:30-7 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 20, Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 3233, 124 S. Tuttle Ave.
• South Sarasota: 5:30-7 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 27, Arlington Park Gymnasium, 2650 Waldemere St.

In  2022, the Sarasota City Commission approved an amendment to the city’s  comprehensive plan to increase the opportunities for attainable housing in commercial corridors and commercial centers by providing a density bonus when attainable housing is included in a development. The purpose of the public outreach process is to obtain comments from citizens while staff drafts the zone districts. 

The zoning text amendments must be approved by the City Commission, which on Aug. 7 approved on first reading such amendments applicable to the downtown zoning districts. 

Topics to be discussed at the open house events include:

• Future land use and zoning
• Attainable housing
• Mixed-use zone districts
• Design standards
• Transportation

Rezonings of specific areas are not being proposed at this time and will be discussed at a later date.