DRC requests resubmittal for Adagio project at 1360 Ringling Boulevard after six departments raise issues

The City of Sarasota Development Review Committee (DRC) on Aug. 3 told the development team for “Adagio,” a project at 1360 Ringling Boulevard, that a formal resubmittal will be required after reviewers from six departments identified unresolved comments.

The direction came after staff from planning, utilities, arborist, building, fire and traffic reviewed the project’s submitted materials and asked the applicant to correct plan-set readability, clarify unit counts and attainable-housing calculations, resolve water and wastewater conflicts and address multiple life-safety and circulation items.

Why it matters: The DRC said the outstanding items affect the project’s ability to meet Zoning and Engineering codes and to receive final administrative site-plan approval. Staff also recommended the applicant hold a community workshop because of public concern over the use of bonus density.

Tom Sikarsky, the certified planner representing Development Services, told the applicant team that “the civil plans are difficult to read” and asked for separable, higher-resolution civil files. Sikarsky and other reviewers flagged that existing-condition information was overlaid on civil sheets and that uploaded digital files appear to have resolution problems that make details unreadable.

Reviewers also listed technical and code-specific corrections. Key outstanding items recorded in the meeting record include:

- Unit counts and attainable-housing tables: Planning staff found inconsistent unit totals between the cover sheet and A0.02 and asked for a reconciled site data table showing attainable units under the Live Local Act and the downtown attainable-housing density-bonus program, including tiering and AMI calculations. Staff noted the current AMI table lists an upper AMI range of 100–129 but both programs cap certain bonuses at 120% AMI.

- Frontage, recess and façade dimensions: Reviewers asked for clearer frontage and awning dimensions for Ringling Boulevard and Pineapple Avenue, plus a labeled 12-foot recess on primary streets commencing above Level 2 and balcony encroachment dimensions consistent with section 7-1202.

- Parking and easement documentation: The applicant said an off-street parking easement has already been recorded and will be submitted officially; the DRC recorded that the easement must be uploaded through the portal prior to DRC approval. Staff also asked for a note designating tandem parking as valet or assigned only, and for garage façade calculations that exclude the garage entrance from parallel façade totals.

- Utilities and landscaping coordination: Utilities reviewers asked for corrected callouts on proposed ductile fire lines, clarifications about proposed water main connections, relocation of trees that conflict with underground utilities, and a civil/landscape alignment. The utilities reviewer also requested a field investigation to confirm existing service sizing and to guide whether a six-inch or eight-inch line is required.

- Fire, access and circulation: The Fire Department asked for demonstration that fire apparatus can reach within required distances of exterior walls (150 feet without sprinklers, up to 450 feet if fully sprinkled), a staging/turning plan for apparatus, and clarification of a foyer or hallway column shown within a narrow corridor.

- Building and code notes: Building staff asked that rooftop equipment be included in total building height measurements and requested notes confirming temporary rooftop furniture and finished-grade dimensions to evaluate basement rules under Table 6-1003. Staff also noted a Fire Command Room adjacent to Pineapple appeared to be labelled as habitable; reviewers said it is not habitable and must be relocated or the applicant must file for an administrative adjustment.

Staff recommended the applicant schedule a community workshop because neighbors had expressed concern about the use of bonus density; the DRC recorded that the item will require a resubmittal because six departments still have comments outstanding (zoning, utilities, arborist, building, fire and traffic).

Developer representatives on the call said they would coordinate with staff to provide higher-resolution digital civil files, submit the recorded parking agreement through the portal, and prepare the other clarifications and plans requested (including a fire staging plan and administrative-adjustment materials where necessary). The DRC did not vote on substantive approvals at the meeting.

Next steps: The applicant must resubmit revised plans that resolve the listed comments before the DRC will grant administrative site-plan approval. Staff reiterated the community-workshop recommendation and noted the off-street parking agreement must be recorded and submitted as part of the resubmittal.