Proposed change opens huge loophole for bars in downtown Sarasota
I would like to dispel some of the confusion and misstatements about the proposed Zoning Text Amendment (ZTA) for restaurants, bars and nightclubs currently in front of the Sarasota City Commission.
Some of these misstatements appeared in a guest column that recently ran on the Herald-Tribune's Opinion page.
First, the proposed Zoning Text Amendment would eliminate the traditional 500-foot separation between bars and churches – and other houses of worship – in the downtown neighborhoods.
The proposal's sponsors have said that the few requests for variances have been granted by the houses of worship, so why do we need such a rule?
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The reason is because we don't know what will come down the pike.
Many in this community don't want to see bars across the street from churches and other houses of worship without at least a modicum of oversight.
Even Manhattan has a 200-foot minimum separation requirement. In fact, I can find no community in Florida that has eliminated such a separation.
Second, under our current zoning outdoor bars are only permitted as accessories to hotels and clubs. Also, both indoor and outdoor bars require public input and approval from Sarasota's planning board and city commission.
The proposed Zoning Text Amendment would allow for outdoor bars, including rooftop bars, throughout Sarasota – except in purely residential areas.
In theory, outdoor bars would be subject to public input and planning board approval whereas indoor bars would not be subject to such approvals.
However, the proposed Zoning Text Amendment has a loophole that would allow outdoor bars to be zoned as “indoor” bars. All you need to achieve this is to have retractable or roll-up walls (i.e., “enclosable” structures).
Due to weather and security issues, I can't imagine an outdoor bar in Sarasota that wouldn't be enclosable. After all, we are not talking about some resort in Bora Bora.
Dan Clermont, the chair of the planning board, cited this loophole as the principal reason why he voted against this Zoning Text Amendment. According to some commercial real estate brokers, outdoor bars that can be zoned as indoor bars are already being considered in the city – and not just in the downtown area.
To be clear, I'm not calling for the banning of more bars. But what I find offensive is the stripping away of guardrails and community input on this important issue.
There are also issues with how this Zoning Text Amendment defines restaurants and nightclubs, but that's another matter.
Notwithstanding all that I have stated above, this proposal could very well be approved as it is currently written. So far, only two of the five city commissioners have raised serious concerns.
I fear that the developers have the loudest voices and most “votes” in this town.
It's enough to drive someone to drink.
Peter Blanton is a former managing director at Salomon Brothers, Credit Suisse First Boston, Lehman Brothers and Citigroup. He is a retired and living in Sarasota.
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Sarasota's downtown bars shouldn't benefit from proposed loophole
