Numerous details found to be missing, Development Review Committee members tell team members
Given the number of additional details that the members of the City of Sarasota’s Development Review Committee (DRC) members required, the project team behind the Adagio mixed-use project — for which two structures with commercial space are planned in downtown Sarasota — would have to submit an updated application.
That was the direction that Alison Christie, general manager of the city’s Development Services Department, provided the representatives of the developer during the July 2 DRC meeting.
The DRC members represent the various departments involved in land-use issues.
Among the suggested changes, city Planning Department Director Steve Cover pointed out in a July 1 DRC document sent to the project team that the development has been proposed to be located at the terminus of Burns Court, looking northwest. That street, he noted, is narrow and historically significant. Therefore, Cover continued, staff would like to see the project team provide “a more gradual transition of height and massing, if possible,” from the Burns Court Historic District to the section of the development that would face Burns Court.
Further, Cover noted, since the development would serve as the visual terminus of the historic district, “a more intentional and engaging façade” would be preferable, such as an architectural element or perhaps a mural.
Further, Cover pointed out, the plans call for metal parking garage louvers. The written DRC comments explained that those “present as blank, inactive walls.” Cover added in that document, “Consider incorporating vertical articulation and material variation to reduce the perceived bulk and enhance visual interest. The screening should be designed as an intentional architectural element that complements and reinforces the overall building design.”
Additionally, during the July 2 meeting, Cover pointed out that the plans submitted to city staff did not show a sidewalk for Burns Court. “A lot of people do walk on [that street] in both directions,” Cover continued, so a wider sidewalk and canopy trees would be preferred there.
He also asked the team for more details about the plans for the attainable housing units that will be included in the proposed nine-story building. For example, Cover said, how many bedrooms will be included in each unit and what will the income limits be?
Joel Freedman of Sarasota, the agent for the developer — The Lutgert Companies in Naples — explained in both the preliminary application and the formal one, submitted to the city in early May — that the planned nine-story building will have units attainable for at least 30 years, in accord with the state’s Live Local Act, Florida Statute 166-04151.
The written DRC comments dated July 1 — which the committee members referenced during the July 2 meeting — indicate that the units must be designated for households making at or below 120% of the Area Median Income (AMI). The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development issues materials each year for every Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) in the country, showing what the AMI is. Sarasota is in the North Port-Sarasota-Bradenton MSA. The 2025 income data is shown in the table below:
Further, the July 1 DRC comments noted that the affordability of the rental units would be monitored for 30 years.
Although the preliminary application said that the project plans call for 67 rental apartments, the formal application raised that to 69. However, during the July 2 DRC meeting, consultant Freedman cited the figure of 67. The July 11 update on applications submitted to Development Services — which is distributed to certain city staff members, as well as the City Commission — cited 69 units, The Sarasota News Leader found.
The 18-story building that has been proposed would have 103 condos, Freedman noted on July 2.
The Downtown Core zoning district where the project is planned has a limit of 10 stories, Freedman has pointed out. Nonetheless, the Live Local Act provisions will enable the team to construct an 18-story structure for the market-rate units.
Just as then-Chief City Planner Noah Fossick told the project team during a preliminary meeting with the DRC members in March, the July 1 written DRC comments pointed out, “Staff requests the applicant consider a greater integration of the attainable units in this project, in addition to a sharing of amenities and a common entryway for the attainable and market rate units.”
In March, Freedman explained the plans calling for the separate building with the attainable housing units, Fossick responded that the city’s affordable housing ordinance — which provides for bonus units when specific conditions are met — necessitates the mixing of the affordable units among the market-rate units.
Up until that point, Freedman had indicated that the team planned to build the Adagio in accord with the city ordinance. After Fossick made his remark, Freedman said that the team then would abide by the facets of the Live Local Act, which does not include such a stipulation.
On a related note, the comments related to traffic said that because the Adagio is being planned as a Live Local project “consider adding bicycle parking in residual or non-drivable areas of the parking garage, such as corners or irregular spaces, to enhance multimodal accessibility and optimize space usage.”
Another comment under the “Zoning/Current Planning” section pointed out, “Many rooms shown on the architectural plans do not show entryways …” Examples listed were the retail mezzanine, the bike storage area, the southeastern hallway abutting the parking garage, and certain dwelling units. “Please revise accordingly,” the written comments said.
Commercial space requirements and parking
Additionally, to comply with facets of the city’s Zoning Code, the development will have about 30,000 square feet of commercial space, though Freedman included a total of 31,933 square feet in the formal application.
“Ringling is a retail-required street,” Freedman acknowledged during the July 2 DRC discussion, adding, “We understand what that’s all about.”
The city Zoning Code requires retail space on the streets designated as primary ones in the city grid.
Moreover, as noted in the written DRC comments about the formal application, “Exterior finish materials on the Primary Street facades (except windows) shall be limited to pre-cast concrete, decorative concrete block, stucco, quarried stone, cast stone, brick, terra cotta, and tile. Materials may be combined on one facade only horizontally, with heavier below lighter (i.e., visual weight such as brick below stucco) per Section VI-1005, Table VI-1004 [of the city Zoning Code].”
Freedman did tell the DRC members that some of the commercial space, as he had noted in the application, will be provided for the Church of the Redeemer, which will stand across the street from the Adagio.
Lutgert Companies, through a limited liability company, paid the church $15 million in January for the property located at 1360 Ringling Blvd. and the parcels standing at 301 and 303 S. Palm, to enable Lutgert to plan the Adagio mixed-use development.
Lutgert bought the third piece of property for the Adagio — 330 S. Pineapple Ave. — from USG Realty LLC for $11 million in July 2024, the records maintained by Sarasota County Property Appraiser Bill Furst and his staff show.
On July 1, Freedman told the DRC members that the team hopes to maintain the Pineapple Avenue access to the site, while it would like to provide access, as well, from Palm Avenue.
Yet another written comment in the July 1 DRC document says, “Please consider reducing the number of parking spaces proposed. The current design proposes more than double the number of spaces, an additional 234 more than required.”
Along with consultant Freedman, the members of the project team present for the July 2 DRC meeting were landscape architect and arborist Phil Smith of Sarasota; Mathieu Picard, executive senior project designer for the Kobi Karp architectural firm in Miami, which designed the complex; Kemal Muskara, project manager for Kobi Karp; and Mark Mueller, senior project manager with Infrastructure Solution Services, a civil engineering firm based in North Port.