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An Alternative to
Shaping Development
Sarasota County created a new path for development regulation at
its urban crossroads called a form based code. Citizens will
have direct input to the design of projects using this code, and
that agreed upon design will be incorporated into a plan specific to that site.
The code is uniquely designed for
Sarasota County and addresses the connection of:
- buildings and pedestrians to the public
realm,
- the form and mass of buildings in
relation to one another,
- the scale and network of streets and
blocks.
Adopted Form Base Code
Developments Eligible
for Rezoning
Proposals for mixed-use development in unincorporated Sarasota
County could be eligible for rezoning to planned mixed-use
infill if they incorporate the principles of traditional
neighborhood design, including:
- A densely interconnected street network,
dispersing traffic and providing convenient routes for
pedestrians and bicyclists.
- High-quality public spaces, with all
building facades having windows and doors facing tree-lined
streets, plazas, squares, and neighborhood parks.
- Compact development, creating a walkable
urban environment and conserving land and energy through
reduced automobile usage and advanced techniques such as
stormwater infiltration.
- Diversity not homogeneity, with a variety
of building types, street types, open spaces, and land uses
providing for people of all ages and every form of mobility.
- Resilient and sustainable neighborhoods,
adaptable over time to improved public transit and to
changing economic conditions.
Process for
Requesting Rezoning
The new district provides form-based regulations that could
be used to seek approval of a development concept plan
formulated during a charette-based planning process conducted by
Sarasota County or its designee. This planning process is a prerequisite for petitioning for this district.
Applicability
Applicants could request that this district be applied to sites
that meet the following criteria:
- Mixed-Use Centers: On land designated on
the Future Land Use Map as Neighborhood Center, Village I
Center, Village II Center, Community Center, or Regional
Center. Land designated as Major Employment Center also
qualifies provided the Major Employment Center fronts on an
arterial street.
- Redevelopment Corridors: On existing
non-residential parcels fronting U.S. Highway 41 from the
southern edge of the city of Sarasota to Jacaranda
Boulevard; Bee Ridge Road from U.S. Highway 41 to Interstate
75; or Stickney Point Road from U.S. Highway 41 to Swift
Road and Clark Road from Swift Road to Interstate 75.
Past Workshops and
Public Hearings on Form-Based Codes
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