Pawnshops destined for commercial intensive zones

It took the Sarasota County Planning Commission seven minutes to correct an oversight that occurred six years ago. During a brief public hearing yesterday, commissioners voted unanimously to amend an ordinance to allow pawnshops in commercial intensive zones.

The Planning Commission in 2006 voted to clean up the zoning ordinance, and during conversations decided to add pawnshops to zones intended for heavy commercial use. Local attorney and urban planner Brenda Patten notified the county that there was no formal documentation of the change in the official amendment, according to Sarasota County Assistant Zoning Administrator Donna Thompson.

The amendment will go before the Sarasota County Commission for approval Sept. 11.