Our Neighborhood: Keep It Residential
Developer proposal will allow up to 18 stories
within a portion of Laurel Park
A Little History First…
Did you know that the current boundaries of Laurel Park Neighborhood in Downtown Sarasota are smaller than they were 30 years ago?
Our neighborhood used to stretch from Mound Street (U.S. 41) to Ringling Boulevard and from Orange Avenue to U.S. 301. This is a full 213% bigger than the tiny three-blocks by six-blocks we occupy now.
In the mid-90s, the neighborhood’s boundaries were defined as Rawls Avenue to Julia Place and Morrill Street to Alderman Street. The change to a smaller footprint happened because the City of Sarasota engaged New Urbanist architect Andres Duany’s firm to help create a cohesive plan for the future of land use in the city. Part of the plan speaks to the patchwork of land use classifications around downtown neighborhoods such as Laurel Park.
Although the neighborhood began to thrive in the 1990s with the purchase and renovation of homes, developers continued to propose non-residential uses. Finally in 2005, when the land use for downtown was codified under the new City Plan, the city commission took extra steps to protect Laurel Park and dissuade mixed-use projects.
Part of these protections was a separate land use category, specifically tailored to Laurel Park, which even included the boundaries of the neighborhood. The purpose was to send a message to future developers that the parcels within Laurel Park should remain purely residential.
On August 8, 2005 the City Commission made a motion to indicate its intention for the neighborhood to maintain its land-use classification “for the life of future land use plan.”
A New Request
One large piece of Laurel Park property (more than two acres) on the corner of Rawls Avenue and Morrill Street was recently sold. The purchaser has filed with the City of Sarasota to change the land use classification from residential to mixed-use. In addition to height increases that would accompany the zoning changes, this would make that parcel subject to Florida’s new Live Local Act (which would force the city to approve up to 18 stories if the project contained an element of attainable housing).
What it Means for Everyone
If a landowner can purchase land anywhere in Laurel Park and petition the city to change the underlying land use to a classification that contains higher density and commercial components, there is nothing to stop others from making the same request.
How You Can Get Involved
- Familiarize yourself with the fundamental issues
- Sign the petition
- Attend the Community Workshop (tentatively on July 27, 2023 – details tba)