Planning board backs Sarasota Youth Sailing site plan and government‑zone waiver

The Sarasota City Planning Board on March 11 recommended approval of a site plan (24 SP 19) and a government‑zone waiver (25 GZW01) for the Sarasota Youth Sailing program, which operates public youth sailing programs in partnership with the Sarasota Sailing Squadron.

Joel Friedman, a consultant with Cleveland Consulting representing the Sarasota Youth Sailing Organization, told the board the project would demolish an existing, rusted storage structure and replace it with a two‑story, 4,230‑square‑foot educational facility with ground‑floor storage and a second‑floor multipurpose classroom and offices. “It’s to request that we not be required to pave the parking area and aisle,” Friedman said, explaining the waiver request would allow the organization to continue using crushed‑shell parking that has been in place since 1958.

Travis Yates, president of Sarasota Youth Sailing, described the group as a 501(c)(3) that serves about 400 youth annually through summer programs and year‑round outreach, including scholarship support and programming for students on the autism spectrum. He said the new building would allow more indoor classroom space and better serve returning and prospective sailors.

Staff planner Camden Jenkins summarized the staff report and recommended approval. Jenkins said the property—about 9.3 acres at 1717 Ken Thompson Parkway in the Government Zone District—would retain its community office/institutional future‑land‑use designation and that staff found the site plan and conditional‑use request met applicable standards. “We find that the proposed project complies with all required standards for review of site plans, major conditional uses, and G‑zone waivers and recommend approval with the conditions outlined in the staff report,” Jenkins told the board.

Board members questioned emergency‑vehicle access and the durability of the crushed‑shell surface if a washout occurred along the shoreline. A presenter explained that the structural capacity comes from the compacted subgrade and shell base and that restoration after any washouts would be the applicant’s ongoing maintenance obligation; staff confirmed the Fire Department reviewer supplied the condition language about restoring shell material after storm events.

Members also asked about the lease arrangement with the city; Julie Ryan of real estate and planning said the club pays a percentage of membership fees on a quarterly basis, but exact amounts were not available at the meeting and were described as de minimis for the general fund.

The board took two separate motions: first to recommend approval of site plan 24 SP 19 and major conditional use 24 CU 4 under sections 4506 and 4906 of the zoning code, and second to recommend approval of government zone waiver 25 GZW01. Both motions were seconded and passed by roll call vote, 5–0. The items will move to the Sarasota City Commission for final action.

The board recorded the approvals as a recommendation to the Commission; staff noted remaining technical conditions in the staff report that the applicant must meet during the permitting and building‑plan review process.