Islandside vote postponed until afternoon

Longboat Key Planning, Zoning and Building Director Monica Simpson told the Town Commission this morning that she and her staff could not recommend approval of the Longboat Key Club and Resort’s latest renovation-and-expansion project.

Said Simpson: “Because of the significance of the departures requested and the scale, mass and intensity of this project, staff cannot recommend approval of this plan.”

Simpson noted she still has issues with the meeting center being located across Longboat Club Road, the visual of a 55-foot linear parking garage that’s in one section underneath the proposed wellness center and the addition of one floor each on two villa buildings, one located on the north parcel and the other on the south parcel.

Simpson said the plan the commission approved on first reading preserved open space on the north parcel.
“But the addition of five villa buildings on the north parcel greatly diminishes the purpose and intent of preserving open space,” Simpson said.

Key Club attorney John Patterson, however, noted that the revised project has the same amount of departures in the plan Simpson recommended.

Commissioners David Brenner, Hal Lenobel and Robert Siekmann urged the commission to take the time to read through and discuss a revised ordinance that has several changes to it.

Town attorney David Persson recommended a lunch break while commissioners read through the new ordinance.

The Islandside hearing will reconvene at 12:30 p.m.

Contact Kurt Schultheis at [email protected].