Zoning changes clear The Bay for Canal District planning

As it continues planning for the Canal District of The Bay, the Bay Park Conservancy is seeking to streamline the city approval process as it considers design and uses on the nearly 9 acres of the site known as Centennial Park. 

That brought more than a dozen largely commercial users of the boat ramps and parking area to City Hall Monday as the Bay Park Conservancy floated proposed changes to the Future Land Use Chapter of Sarasota’s Comprehensive Plan, which will make that site consistent with the zoning in the rest of the city-owned 53-acre park.

The boaters were concerned about limitations that Phase 2 of The Bay — the Canal District north of the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall parking lot — may impose on access to the ramps and parking for the only mainland deep water boat ramp between Bradenton and Venice.

The amendments proposed by the BPC included changing the Future Land Use Map classification of Centennial Park at 10th Street and North Tamiami Trail to Metropolitan-Regional No. 5. That will allow for implementation of the Bay Park Master Plan, which includes administrative review process in certain circumstances. 

Further, the BPC sought to add administrative review and approval of any proposed building of less than 10,000 square feet, and in an unrelated matter to include up to 10 live-work apartments for artists-in-residence accommodations.

Administrative approval for commercial buildings — which are necessary to generate revenue to sustain the park, the BPC maintains — will save considerable time, which can result in millions of dollars in development cost savings.

The live-work units, though, are not included in the Canal District, which will be oriented toward water recreational activities and entertainment. Those would be in the future Culture District, located farther south in the 53-acre city-owned site.

That didn’t stop the objections of boaters and city commissioners to that use included by right, nor of conceptual drawings that show buildings along the north side of the canal and a reconfigured launch area with ramps moved from the canal to the bay. Boaters further argued that parking of trailers at Centennial Park is already at a premium with many boaters receiving citations for parking in a grass area owned by Florida Power and Light.

Not sitting right with commissioners and some speakers was the administrative approval of buildings under 10,000 square feet, which the BPC envisions as small shops, food service operations and other marine-oriented uses to serve day dock users who would tie up on the south side of the canal.

A one-hour lunch break provided Bay Park Conservancy COO Bill Waddill, attorney Bill Merrill and Philip DiMaria of planning and design consultant Kimley-Horn an opportunity to discuss concessions to the amendment requests and to future planning on the north side of the canal.

“The break was timely and it gave our team a chance to talk,” Waddill said. “We think that it is probably appropriate for us to revise the recommendation to go from 10,000 square feet to 5,000 square feet to go for administrative review. On the residential, whatever the commission's direction is, we're fine either way, whatever you would like on the artist-in-residence units.”

Waddill also stipulated the current boat ramps on the north side of the canal will likely remain at or near their current location, and that further workshops with the boating community will be held. 

Photo by Andrew Warfield

Commissioner Erik Arroyo’s three motions to approve the Future Land Use Map amendments included the commercial building square footage reduction for administrative approval and elimination of the by-right residential component, leaving that option open for cultural organizations to request. 

Two of the three motions were opposed by Commissioner Jen Ahearn-Koch, who maintained her consistent opposition to any expansion of administrative approval citywide.

Waddill reminded commissioners that no commercial buildings either north or south of the canal are currently included in the master plan and that any changes to that plan must first come before the commission for approval. 

As for Centennial Park and the boaters’ parking and access concerns, which falls under the second and third phases of the Canal District, “That’s several years out, so we're going to start that process this summer,” Waddill said. He added a possible solution is land owned by FPL surrounding a substation adjacent to the north end of the park. 

“It’s obviously an issue. We're committed to listen and to evolve and to represent to this body, the community and what the community wants," he said. "And of course any changes to the master plan would have to come back to the City Commission.”