Town approves condo plan for land once owned by Mote Foundation

A proposal to build a three-story, eight-unit condominium building passed with unanimous approval from the Longboat Key Town Commission this week. 

The building, which will be located on vacant land at 5630 Gulf of Mexico Drive, will be the tallest building on the north end of the island once it is completed. 

The site plan was first passed by the town’s Planning and Zoning Board in November before it was initially considered by commissioners Dec. 5. 

The development plan includes 38 parking spaces, which include 12 guest spaces, two accessible van spaces and 24 parking spots  underneath the structure. A swimming pool and fitness center are among amenities the plan showed. 

Developers also requested to permit six additional feet in height for two roof-top enclosed elevator shafts. 

Vehicle access will be from Tarawitt Drive and Jungle Queen Way with no access directly to Gulf of Mexico Drive. The proposal includes a plan by the developer to widen Tarawitt Drive to 20 feet. 

Residents of both Tarawitt Drive and Jungle Queen Way raised concerns about construction noise, commercializing the area and additional cars parked on the already cramped streets. 

In each element, the plan meets or exceeds all town code requirements. 

• The maximum building coverage permissible is 30%; the plan  proposes 24%;
• The minimum open space required is 50% of the property; the plan proposes 52%;
• The minimum street yard setback required is 40 feet; the plan shows 42 feet of setback;
• The minimum rear yard setback required is 25 feet; the plan includes 125 feet of rear yard setback;
• The minimum property setback from the waterfront is 20 feet; the setback shown in the plan is 74 feet;
•  16 parking spaces are required for the site size, but the developer included 38.

Court records indicate the property was sold in 2021 to the developer for $3 million following an earlier sale that year from the Mote Foundation for $1.5 million. According to records, Longboat Key’s Michael S. Kimball bought the property in April 2021 and sold it in June.

Voters in 2019 approved Mote’s request for residential density on the land, following a 2017 rejection of the same request alongside Unicorp National Development’s density request for a redeveloped Colony Beach & Tennis Resort. Mote had tried unsuccessfully to sell the land with its commercial zoning, and in 2016 offered to sell it to the town as a means of fleshing out a town guideline for open space acreage.