With construction of affordable housing project North Trail Plaza already well underway, developer Blue Sky Communities of St. Petersburg discovered an error that could have brought the entire project to a halt.
On July 9, representatives of the affordable housing developer appeared before the Sarasota Planning Board to seek approval critical to the completion of the 96-unit mixed-use project at 4600 N. Tamiami Trail, an after-the-fact granting of a front yard setback adjustment. Ground was broken for North Trail Plaza in June 2024 even as it awaited the bureaucratic execution of a land donation of approximately 600 square feet along Tamiami Trail requested by the Florida Department of Transportation.
As it turns out, the strip of land did not belong to the seller, in this case Sarasota County. It already belonged to the state. And by the time that all came to light, the foundation was laid and cinderblock exterior walls were up.
That blunder resulted in the buildings placed too close to the project’s actual property boundary, far too late to do anything about it…