Issue link: https://newsleader.uberflip.com/i/102968
Sarasota News Leader January 11, 2013 Page 37 the Allens' houses were lighter than the other lens would be willing to consider what he had structures, the audience broke into laughter, suggested, Merrill added. necessitating Chairwoman Carolyn Mason's When Hines asked whether Merrill was seekasking for order. ing a continuance of the requests for the variMerrill also pointed out the houses would be ances, Merrill said he was, "so that we can built on concrete pilings, with the first level try to work with the neighbors to amend this 19.4 feet above the ground, as required by application." Federal Emergency Management Agency regPatterson told him, "This isn't a typical neighulations for new construction in floodplains. borhood dispute. … This, to me, is about the principle of building big expensive things that LAST-MINUTE NEGOTIATIONS your owners will want to protect … on two During the public comments portion of the small lots … in an area that I know has been hearing, 12 people addressed the commission, awash with seawater not once but over … a but only one gave full support to the Allens' period of years [and] I think there's a fairly request. good likelihood they will be again." One speaker — Sarasota attorney Morgan Bentley of Bentley & Bruning — told the commissioners he was representing the Terrace Condominium, whose board was "open to suggestions ..." She continued, "All the properties on Casey Key that built really big stuff and came to us for seawalls — they didn't think 10 years later they were going to have seawater lapping at the foundations." While he did not have the authority to offer Prior to discussion of the Allens' petition, specifics, Bentthe commission ley said, he did unanimously demention that nied a request if the houses for construction were shorter of a seawall on and further from Casey Key. the beach, the After Patterson Terrace board made her momight be willing tion to deny the to support the second variance requests. request, she added, "This is Merrill told the a classic examcommissioners ple of wanting he had spoken A slide from a county staff presentation notes impacts to to build a lot in with Bentley the vegetation on the 168 Beach Road parcel if construcharm's way." % twice. The Al- tion is allowed. Chart courtesy Sarasota County