Amendment takes on age-old issue

Compromise boiled down to a single word for the Longboat Key Town Commission at its Nov. 17 special meeting: predominantly.

The commission agreed to add the word “predominantly” to a proposed Comprehensive Plan that would limit residential uses in a future Town Center overlay district to “senior living communities including but not limited to age-restricted, independent living senior communities.”

Commissioner Lynn Larson voiced concern about the language of the amendment presented at the beginning of the meeting, because she said if, in the future, an assisted-living facility opened in the district, age restrictions could bar residents who have a child or other loved one with a disability.

But Commissioner Jack Duncan worried that doing away with age restrictions could open such a facility to anyone.

“I keep going back to, what is the objective here that we’re trying to meet, and the objective as I understood it is to allow seniors the ability to have access to the community center that we’re talking about placing there,” Duncan said. “I’m trying to create an opportunity for people to come and live there and take advantage of the community center.”

But Town Attorney David Persson argued that having a few younger residents in a senior-living facility would not change its character.

“By virtue of the fact that alcohol has some water in it doesn’t change the fact that it’s alcohol,” he said. “It doesn’t lose its characteristic of what it is. It’s the predominant characteristic that you’re looking for. And if you look at the demographics of Longboat Key, I don’t think that there’s any fear at all that there’s going to be a younger crowd taking over.”

After approximately 40 minutes of debate, Commissioner Phill Younger suggested putting the word “predominantly” in front of “senior.”

“That takes care of Commissioner Larson’s concerns, it still keeps you a majority senior,” he said. “I don’t think you’re gonna get a 51-49 split on something like this anyway.”

Before the commission voted to approve the amendment for transmittal to state agencies, Persson pointed out that the amendment was just a “guide post.” An outline development plan amendment would be needed before the commission could approve an application for any such facility.

“What you’re trying to do now is you’re trying to give guidance to those people who are making applications to figure out what it is that the town wants,” he said.