Last April, the Florida Dept. of Administrative Hearings Judge ruled the County's 2021 change to the zoning code is not compliant with the Comprehensive Plan policy (2.9.1) which prohibits increases in density and intensity of development on Siesta Key (Link to DOAH decision).   In August 2023, a Sarasota County Circuit Court Judge ruled the County's approval of a mega-sized hotel violates the Comprehensive Plan policy 2.9.1 (Link to Circuit Court decision)  

Now that we won the legal challenges, three hotel developers have proposed changes to our protective policies of our Comprehensive Plan.  These changes will cause a dangerous precedent by allowing developers to propose mega-size hotels that circumvent the laws that protect the lives of residents and visitors of Siesta Key.

​

How does the Comp Plan amendment process work? The following are the general steps to this process:

• Staff asks the County Commission for permission to start the out-of-cycle Comprehensive Plan Amendment process. The Commissioners can agree to let all three mega-hotel proposals go forward or perhaps pick one. This is expected to occur on Nov. 28th. 

• Staff asks the mega-hotel developer(s) to file formal application(s) with all details required to process a Comp Plan Amendment.

• Different county departments such as Transportation will review the application and provide comments. The developer needs to address any concerns that may arise.

• The developer must hold a public workshop.

• If all departments and agencies are satisfied, the application goes to the Planning Commission.

• After Planning Commission votes on it, the Board of County Commission will hold a public hearing.

This process will take a few months. As per our County Charter, Comp Plan amendments that affect density and intensity require a supermajority (4 out of 5) votes of the County Commission.

If approved by the County Commission, the Comp Plan amendment must be sent to the State for review, comment, and approval. The final step is a second vote of the County Commission. If the Comp Plan amendment is approved the second time, the only option is to challenge it at the Florida Department of Administrative Hearings court.  

​