Dry Dock owner to move forward with plan

Dry Dock Waterfront Grill owner Eric Hammersand will move forward with a plan that he hopes will allow him to extend the existing second story at his restaurant, located at 412 Gulf of Mexico Drive by reducing the required waterfront yard and setback from 50 to 20 feet.

Hammersand had originally examined the possibility of an overlay district that would apply to Key restaurants with waterfront dining. Instead however, he will take the course suggested by town staff of seeking a change to the M-1 zoning district through a zoning text amendment. Just three town properties — the Boathouse/Dry Dock property, Cannons Marina and Lands End — have M-1 zoning.

Hammersand attended a Longboat Key Town Commission workshop to gauge their reception to ideas and was pleased that they encouraged him to move forward. He told the Longboat Observer that he hopes to file an application next week with the Planning Zoning & Building Department and possibly go before the P&Z Board in May.

“I think outdoor dining is of value to the community and this would be a wonderful enhancement,” he said.

For more information, pick up an April 19 copy of the Longboat Observer.

Contact Robin Hartill at [email protected].