Moore's seeks to redevelop, revert to commercial zoning

Moore’s Stone Crab Restaurant co-owner Alan Moore submitted applications to redevelop the 47-year-old Longbeach Village restaurant in partnership with investors the Caragiulo Group and Tom Leonard.

The Caragiulo Group owns Caragiulos Italian Restaurant, Nancy’s BBQ and Owen’s Fish Camp, all in Sarasota. Leonard owns The Shore Diner on St. Armands Circle.

The materials, submitted this morning to the Longboat Key Planning Zoning and Building Department, include a request to revert the zoning of the property at 800 Broadway to its original commercial zoning.

The property has been zoned residential since 2010, when the Longboat Key Town Commission agreed on a request from Alan Moore to rezone the property from commercial to residential to allow the restaurant to continue operating while allowing owners a sound financial exit strategy in case the business became unviable.

Moore told the commission at the time that without the increase, he could not renegotiate double-digit-interest-rate loans that were due.

But, according to a rezoning application, rezoning the property again will protect the investment of the Caragiulo Group and Leonard.

“In order to protect the investment in the event of a disaster such as a fire, the investors need to be assured that they can rebuild,” the application states.

Moore met with Village residents Nov. 17, according to the rezoning application.

According to the minutes of that meeting, included in the application, Moore’s does not seek to raise the building height unless the increase is required to meet minimum flood elevation.

Moore’s, which currently has 185 seats, does not seek to increase seating.

Moore could not immediately be reached for comment.

According to Alaina Ray, director of Planning, Zoning and Building, town staff has not yet reviewed the applications and cannot yet comment on them.

Moore’s was founded in 1967 with 10 tables by brothers Pete and Hughy Moore. Today, Pete Moore’s sons, Alan and Paul Moore, and Robert Hicks own and operate the restaurant.

For more information, pick up a Dec. 4 copy of the Longboat Observer.

Contact Robin Hartill at [email protected].