Neighbors do not show 'goodwill' toward project

A group called Citizens for Reasonable North Trail Development has the Sarasota City Commission’s attention.

Near the end of its regular meeting Monday, commissioners agreed to hear an appeal of a Goodwill Superstore that its Planning Board approved Nov. 9 for two vacant parcels that sit at the corner of U.S. 41 and Myrtle Street.

The planning board approved the 29,699-square-foot retail store by a 3-2 vote, despite concerns from some neighborhood residents who think the store doesn’t fit the character of the neighborhood’s future revitalization.

If the project moves forward, the Goodwill store would replace an existing, aging Goodwill further south at 3333 N. Tamiami Trail.

The new store would have approximately 80 employees, compared to 60 employees at the current location.

The store would sit approximately 12 blocks away from the site of a new Walmart grocery store that has already received a building permit.

But some Sapphire Shores Association members, including Robert Casella, don’t believe the future store is a good fit for the area.

“It is far more onerous and industrial in nature than we had understood,” said Casella, who also believes a store of that size should not have been approved under city codes and shouldn’t be built at an intersection that is not in line to receive a traffic signal.

The appeal of the application also states the group has concerns with the application’s tree protection, landscaping, noise from the nearby neighborhood and security.

Not everyone is against the project, though.

Gretchen Seery, a 35-year resident of the neighborhood, praised the application and encouraged the developer to keep more of the existing neighborhood and design the building to complement existing structures in the neighborhood.

The commission agreed to fast-track the appeal after Goodwill officials explained they need to know by the end of the year if the project could be sidetracked due to lease concerns with the store the new Goodwill would replace.

LuAnne Kirschner, director of public relations and communications for Goodwill, confirmed the company has petitions in all of its area stores to denounce the appeal being held next week and to support the future store.

Commissioners will review the appeal at 3:30 p.m. Dec. 12, in Room 112 at City Hall, 1565 First St. The commission can reaffirm the planning board’s decision, modify the board’s approval or reject the application altogether.