Development reviewers require resubmittal for Midtown Plaza hotel, apartments plan

City of Sarasota development-review staff required a resubmittal for the second submittal of the Midtown Plaza redevelopment (25 SP 10), a proposal that would replace an existing grocery-and-ancillary retail center with a hotel, apartments and some retail.

The requirement came after staff from development services, public works, utilities, engineering, fire, traffic/concurrency and the city arborist flagged unresolved or new comments on zoning consistency, site data, utilities and rights-of-way improvements. The project team — led on the record by Joel Friedman of Friedman Consulting with design representation from Bobby Claybrook of AM Engineering and Javier Flores of Flores Architects and ownership representative Gavin Michian — presented the revised plans and heard detailed reviewer notes.

Planning staff asked the applicant to add and harmonize the site data table across plan sheets and to state the applicable height limits and bonus-height rules. Rebecca Webster, certified planner with Development Services, said the site data must show that the maximum allowed height is 45 feet and the maximum permitted bonus height is 65 feet, and must include the policy language about when the bonus applies. Webster also reminded the team that the CGD zone’s commercial-density rules require a maximum residential…