In a rebuke of a high-profile development proposal, the Sarasota City Commission voted 4-1 on Tuesday to uphold an appeal against the Obsidian condo project, a 327-foot, 18-story residential tower proposed for 1260 North Palm Ave. in downtown Sarasota.
The decision overturns approvals previously granted by city staff and the planning board and halts the project, at least temporarily, following extensive deliberation and public input. The vote followed more than six hours of presentations, testimony and resident comments that raised issues about traffic flow, pedestrian access, construction impacts, precedent and loading space for drop-offs to residents.
“This tall building is completely out of character for North Palm Avenue,” wrote longtime resident Hugh Fiore in a public comment. “If this developer has found a loophole, we need to fix that problem, not adjust our sound thinking to let him proceed.” [A loophole that allowed the use of more interstitial space, located between levels, allowing for a higher tower in total]…