Mar Vista's second-story plan moves forward

The Longboat Key Planning and Zoning Board approved a request by Mar Vista Dockside Restaurant & Pub owner Ed Chiles to build a second story on top of the historic Longbeach Village eatery.

The planning board moved forward at its Tuesday, Nov. 16 regular meeting both a site-plan amendment and a special exception request for the second story to the Town Commission for its review.

The plan calls for taking 60 of the 70 outdoor seats located downstairs and moving them upstairs, leaving only 10 seats (barstools) downstairs for the bar.

The second story, which will act as an open-air, tree-house balcony will be the main dining room. The second story, Chiles said, will go well with the wooden deck that was built last year among the trees near Sarasota Bay.

Town planner Ric Hartman recommended approval for the project.

The second story would only overlap the existing first-floor restaurant by 1 or 2 feet on all sides, and the structure would be 65 feet in length and 34 feet in width.

The special exception request would allow Mar Vista to move its seats from the first floor to the second floor. In total, the restaurant would still have 169 seats, and the current parking lot spaces do not need to be increased.

And Hartman said the second story would be supported independently from the first-floor restaurant.

The second story, which will have a waist-high wall and screens above the wall, will also have an elevator and two sets of stairwells. One stairwell would be used for employees, and the other would be used for restaurant patrons.

On the first floor, Hartman said the existing bathrooms would also be renovated and expanded. A storm-water drainage area would also be created.

Contact Kurt Schultheis at [email protected].