PLEASE SAY “NO” TO THE CONSTRUCTION OF HIGH-DENSITY HOTELS ON SIESTA KEY

Siesta Key is a fragile barrier island, just 2.3 square miles in size, with over 10,000 residential units and only one north-south roadway (the narrow Midnight Pass) and two routes onto/off it. It is arguably the most densely-populated, most heavily-trafficked, and most climate-vulnerable area in the region.

Nearly a half-century ago, in drafting Sarasota’s original Comprehensive Plan (CP), Sarasota’s leaders recognized the fragility of Siesta Key and explicitly limited development on the island. Since that time Key hotels have been restricted to no more than 26 rooms per acre and 35 feet in height. In 2021, despite this CP language, developers sought to build high-density hotels on the island: four hotels, none less than eight-stories, totaling several hundred rooms. In response, some individual plaintiffs brought suit and later prevailed at both administrative and judicial levels. In the wake of those decisions, those developers are now seeking to change the language of the CP to permit high-density hotels to be built on the island, including on its south end. In other words, after being prevented from violating the rules, they want to change the rules!

Allowing high-density hotels would undermine Siesta’s laid-back, small-town island vibe; further tax our already over-taxed infrastructure; limit access to our already overcrowded beaches; challenge our environmental protections; add to the already intolerable onto/off island traffic delays; and most importantly, jeopardize public safety. With the Key’s now-constant traffic jams, and the resultant impact on emergency vehicles’ ambulance response time, what will be the chances of any Key resident timely receiving emergency treatment? And what will be the odds of the Key being evacuated, because of a hurricane or any other climate or man-made disaster, in a reasonable time frame?

As residents, property owners, and visitors of Siesta Key, we love the island and deeply care about the health and safety of our family members and friends who live or spend time here. We respectfully ask for your support as we seek to persuade Sarasota County Commissioners to vote NO if and when the developers’ proposal for changing Sarasota’s CP comes before them. For more information, please visit Protect Siesta Key.org.