Englewood HOA reveals flaws in county development approval process
Planning Commission responds recommending rezone denial (7 to 1).
CONA member, Olde Englewood Village HOA, won an interim victory when the Sarasota Planning Commission by a 7 to 1 vote recommended against rezoning of a supposedly well vetted proposed condo development in Englewood. Englewood resident Don Schilke believes that Planning Commission action shows how complex and skewed Sarasota County’s development approval process is against average citizens and neighborhoods.
The Northern Anchor development approval process apparently began in July of 2001 and involved a proposal to place nine massive 75-foot condo buildings in an existing neighborhood with homes having 11-foot rooflines. Despite the developers claim that they had conducted over 176 meetings between 2001 and 2007 in which they briefed many groups such as the Southwest County Alliance, county planning staff, Englewood area chambers of commerce, and the Englewood Community Redevelopment Agency, the intensity and out of scale with Englewood dimensions of the project were only revealed in December 2007.
There apparently were neighborhood workshops on the project, but Schilke reports that these were “visioning” things, and talk centered on how Dearborn would be effected, and signage, and connectivity, and stoplights, etc., but that none of the “vision and design” planner-speak and 178 other meetings on the project ever got around to identifying that the 75-foot high Northern Anchor project was inappropriate for an out of scale with Olde Englewood Village.
Schilke believes the process is too abstract, too obscure, too complex, and too layered. We agree. Neighborhoods and citizens need a more balanced process that helps level the playing field now so tilted in favor of developers and their platoons of lawyers and high priced consultants. Let’s hope County Commissioners take the Planning Commission’s recommendation and deny the Northern Anchor project and that they begin efforts to make the development approval process fair for citizens and neighborhoods.###
Venice Mayor tells staff to stop making developers’ case
(Excerpts from Venice Gondolier 1/25/2008 story by Greg Giles)
City staff got the word last week to cease presenting formal recommendations on development petitions.
…City Manager Marty Black sent a memo to department directors that makes way for a new management style — less advocacy — that puts the weight of decision-making more on council
“Several attorneys have commented staff takes on such a vigorous role, as though they were working with the applicant to secure the petition, as opposed to advising.” (said Mayor Ed Martin).
According to Black’s memo, “City staff is to cease providing a formal recommendation or position on development petitions in staff reports, presentations, comments and testimony at public meeting, or to applicants, the media or interested members of the public.”
It didn’t take long for the three new city council members to make their mark. Since November, council has effectively placed a moratorium on building heights of more than 45 feet, pulled back a draft comprehensive plan for more work and proposed an alternative airport master plan be developed. ###
