Restaurant Depot plans on hold

Plans for a new Restaurant Depot location have been put on hold as developer and county attorneys determine to what extent ownership must be disclosed.

Sarasota County is under contract with JMDH Real Estate of Florida for the sale and purchase of 6.9-acre parcel at the northwest quadrant of Palmer Boulevard and Apex Road.

The county’s charter requires that the individuals purchasing the property must be disclosed, and while the applicant’s attorney, Charles Bailey, believes the application complies, the county attorney’s office is less sure. JMDH has a variety of ownership interests, including the government of Abu Dhabi and other entities for which it is not possible to identify specific individuals.

For that reason, the county commission decided to table the matter until April 26, giving the attorneys on both sides the chance to resolve the matter before holding a full public hearing on the project.

“I’m not comfortable,” Commissioner  Paul Caragiulo said. “I don’t want to debate the quality of disclosure. My problem is there is a document in our packet that says this might be a problem, not comfortable with this.”

Commissioners said being proactive to resolve the issue could prevent a potential legal challenge.