A proposed 275-unit apartment building in Sarasota hit a snag this week when the city Planning Board voted unanimously to deny a required rezoning petition. The board’s decision Wednesday sent a message that it wants more action on affordable housing from developers wanting to build in the city, as members criticized the proposal’s lack of so-called “attainable housing.”
Twenty of the 275 proposed units were earmarked for people making 120% or less of the Area Median Income (AMI), which in Sarasota is $96,480 for a two-person household. The rest of the units would go for the market rate in an area ranked as one of the most over-valued housing markets in the country.
The Planning Board’s vote is an advisory one; a binding decision on the rezoning application will come from the Sarasota City Commission…