Longboat commission workshop moved for talk of Colony density plans
Commissioners suggest a larger venue for their January workshop in anticipation of a larger turnout.
Town commissioners are scheduled to hear from the developer of the former Colony Beach & Tennis Resort — at 1 p.m. Monday, Jan. 22 in the Longboat Key Club’s Islandside John Ringling Room — for the first time since voters rejected its past hotel proposal.
But Unicorp President Chuck Whittall, who’s paying to rent the venue, according to Town Manager Tom Harmer, isn’t attending the regular workshop meeting to talk about his plan for developing the property.
The meeting has one agenda item: A zoning code change that allows developers seeking tourism pool units relief from lower density requirements when pursuing a planned unit development designation.
The planned unit development process, often referred to as PUDs, allow developers flexibility in certain zoning codes to encourage creative design and land use, permit diverse building locations and preserve natural and scenic open space, according to town codes.
But as the code is written, developers seeking PUDs must forfeit zoned density in what town staff have called a “trade-off” for flexibility.
The site of the former Colony Beach & Tennis Resort is zoned for six units an acre — the PUD process shrinks density to four-and-a-half.
The zoning code change Unicorp seeks is the original six units an acre.
Unicorp’s application for developing the site of the former Colony, which the Planning and Zoning Board is scheduled to hear at its February meeting, requests 165 units from the tourism pool, which would use all remaining units from the pool.
But Unicorp is not appearing before the commission to talk about its development application. The workshop meeting Monday is only for discussing the zoning code change, although that amendment is crucial to Unicorp’s plan to build a 166-room St. Regis hotel with amenities.
Without the zoning code change, Unicorp’s application as it has been submitted to the town would be null and void.
No official vote can be taken at the workshop, but it will be open for public comment.
A workshop consensus is a recommendation for what the commission should do at its regular meeting. It’s not binding, either.
The next scheduled regular meeting Feb. 5 is the earliest the zoning amendment could be heard before the commission for an up or down vote.
The zoning text amendment ordinance, or the official document the town will vote to approve or deny, must be voted for at two regular meeting before it can be enacted.
This is the process for any ordinance brought before the commission, whether it be an ordinance establishing a budget or an ordinance for sign codes.
But these kinds of changes are often brought before the board as town staff sees fit — Unicorp asked town staff to write an ordinance to amend the zoning code and bring it before the town, the first time a property owner has done so since 2005, according to town planner Maika Arnold.
Town staff recommended denying the ordinance.
The town commission will hear regular town business at 9 a.m. Monday in Town Hall.
Unicorp’s proposal for redevelopment
- A 166-room St. Regis Hotel;
- 102 residential condominiums;
- A 10,000-square-foot ballroom;
- A spa, pool, lazy river & salt water lagoon, lounge and bar;
- 6,300 square feet of meeting rooms;
- 1,400 square feet of board rooms; and
- 8 acres of open space.
The next steps
- Unicorp National Developments Inc. is scheduled to appear before the Planning and Zoning Board in February about its development plan for the site of the former Colony. If recommended for approval, that application for development will go before the Town Commission at its regular meeting in March.
- If the Town Commission approves the zoning code change at its January workshop, the ordinance establishing the amendment must be approved at its February and March regular meetings.
- If both of these applications are approved on this schedule, Unicorp’s application for a zoning code change and its application for development could be heard for final decision in March before town elections.