Sarasota 2050 tweaks come into focus

Almost one year after Sarasota County commissioners voted to open up Sarasota 2050 for possible changes, they will get a chance to vote on the first phase of those tweaks Sept. 24.

Sarasota 2050 was enacted nearly a decade ago to encourage compact, walkable communities east of I-75 with specific development guidelines for villages, hamlets and neighborhoods. County staff have recommended relaxing the rules requiring a wide mix of housing types and specific locations of commercial space within villages and hamlets in the first phase of Sarasota 2050 analysis, among other changes.

Sarasota 2050 requires one "village center," which includes a mix of commercial uses, to be located in the center of the village, but county staff have recommended allowing these to be located at the fringe of villages to be accessible to residents outside the development. Staff have also recommended allowance of multiple village centers if a developer can show the demand for them.

Current Sarasota 2050 rules require a developer to include six types of housing in a village and five within a neighborhood to encourage interaction among individuals with diverse backgrounds and incomes. Staff have recommended dropping requirements so a builder can choose five different housing types for a village and three for a neighborhood.

Click here for a full list of changes recommended for the first phase of the Sarasota 2050 evaluation, and to let the county know what you think about them.