Issue link: https://newsleader.uberflip.com/i/104211
'TIS THE SEASON TO BE OVERLAID An artist's rendering shows how businesses could look in a section of the North Trail Overlay District. Image courtesy City of Sarasota THE SARASOTA PLANNING BOARD WILL DISCUSS THE PROPOSED NORTH TRAIL OVERLAY DISTRICT AT ITS UPCOMING MEETING By Stan Zimmerman City Editor Another section of the City of Sarasota could One incentive is a 10-foot increase in the albe put under "administrative review" if the lowable height of buildings. The other is "adNorth Trail Overlay District is approved. ministrative review" — keeping site plan apThe Sarasota City Planning Board will cast its proval at the level of the professional planning eyes on the plan Wednesday evening, Jan. 23. staff, with no formal review by the Planning If it approves the concept, the City Commis- Board or the City Commission unless the staff sion should be looking the plan over in April. decision is appealed. The North Trail Overlay District (NTOD) — The NTOD took more than three years to "En Tod" in bureaucratese — runs five miles along both sides of U.S. 41 from the north- develop. It is the fruit of many collaborative ern city limits at University Parkway south to (and sometimes confrontational) meetings Tenth Street. Most property on both sides is among four neighbor associations (Indian already zoned "North Trail," but the overlay Beach/Sapphire Shores, Tahiti Park, Bayou district contains incentives its creators be- Oaks and Central Cocoanut), business ownlieve will jump-start development in the area. ers, the Greater Sarasota Chamber of ComTwo distinct areas not covered are the cam- merce, property owners, architects, realtors, puses of New College of Florida and the Ring- city planners and commissioners. ling College of Art and Design. "They have their own master plans," said Ryan Chapde- "It's a good middle ground [plan]," said Chapdelain. lain, the city's chief planner.