Sarasota Neighborhoods

City opposes Plaza Hotel plans

This article in the Sarasota Herald Tribune is one of the things I find confusing with our political / regulatory system. If the rules say you can build a "box" so big and it can be a hotel -- then a "person" (aka "evil, greedy developer") says ok I am going to build the box that size why do we need to worry about things like this... using the box for a 173 room hotel seems like it was "allowable" -- maybe not liked by some of the neighbors but "legal" -- so now why does it matter how those rooms would be used / owned? This seems like a "political" decision.

I can't see any way that timeshare "owners" with 2 week slots is "worse" than hotel stays. In some ways I see it as better, in that people are repeat visitors to our area. Seems the anti - density folks have another one..

Joe Moraca

By Roger Drouin
Published Saturday, June 28, 2008 at 4:30 a.m.

SARASOTA — The city ruled Friday that a time-share hotel-apartment building proposed in the Burns Square area is not a hotel after all, so developer Al Hochstadt will likely have to come up with something else to build there.
.....
If it were a hotel, the developer could have built 173 rooms in a five-story building.
But all that would change if the project is composed of time-share units, or spaces reserved for multiple owners for two-week periods.
Under one scenario, the city code would allow only 28 units on the land.
....

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The Relocalization Network was created in 2003 as one of the first initiatives of Post Carbon Institute. It developed as a response to individuals’ questions about how they could take action to address the implications of peak oil. We found that the most effective strategies are initiated at the community level. For this reason, Post Carbon Institute decided that establishing a network of Local Post Carbon Groups was the best way to provide concerned individuals with the support and resources necessary to coordinate effective action.

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Getting sued for strongly advocating your opinion seems like a strong arm tactic. I am not familiar with the details of who said / did what so I don't have an educated opinion.

Read the article in the Sarasota Herald Tribune. Note there are lots of comments .... Go Denise !!

If it's a five story building it seems it would fit in -- I am also pretty sure the local businesses can use the hotel traffic. We need to encourage business and people for the downtown neighborhoods. Those art / antique / clothing / movie / food businesses depend on people spending money....

This is sad news for the students living here and really for the whole community.

The Sarasota Herald Tribune says:

Tradition goes to highest bidder

SARASOTA — Despite its lack of central air conditioning and the unfortunate ratio of seven bedrooms to two bathrooms, a two-story house on a shaded corner of 47th Street has maintained a certain allure, even as the city around it modernized.

"The 47th Street House," as it is known, was built in north Sarasota by a New College student for New College students with a minimalist joie de vivre.

It is an unusual twist on the wave of foreclosures that is uprooting people across the country, particularly in Florida. And a handful of the tenants at the 47th Street House say its sale at the county courthouse this morning marks the end of an institution.

They learned Monday that they must move out 10 days after the sale.

From some photos of the house click here

Sarasota Herald Tribune / SNN 6 coverage of the historic home fire in Laurel Park