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Planning Board approves Central Gardens affordable housing site plan
Summary
The Sarasota Planning Board voted 4-0 to approve a 39-unit, four-story affordable housing site plan called Central Gardens on 20 Second Street, finding the plan meets zoning and tree protection requirements despite neighbors' concerns about rear-yard headlights and tree removal.
The Sarasota Planning Board voted 4-0 on Oct. 1 to approve site plan 24SP09, called Central Gardens, a four-story, 39‑unit affordable housing building proposed on roughly 1.18 acres on the south side of 20 Second Street, east of Central Avenue.
The plan advances a project led by the Sarasota Housing Authority and the Sarasota Housing Funding Corporation to build 39 affordable rental units — 15 one‑bedroom and 24 two‑bedroom — in a single four‑story building. The planning staff found the application complies with the RMF‑2 zoning and the Housing Authority Overlay District and recommended approval with conditions.
City planner Rebecca Webster summarized staff findings that the site plan meets development standards for the RMF‑2 district and the housing overlay, noted the site is vacant, and that the transportation analysis concluded traffic impacts would be de minimis. Webster also said a tree survey listed 40 trees on site and that the applicant proposes to remove 39, including invasive species, with tree mitigation that exceeds code requirements; no grand trees will be removed.
Joel Friedman of…
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