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Hotel trials likely to combine, begin Oct.
By John Morton
Consolidation it is, at least schedule-wise -leaning toward probably but with a bit of maybe.
The two separate lawsuits fighting Sarasota County’s approval of two high-density hotels in 2021, with a third approved in 2022, will possibly combine into one trial beginning Oct. 9 in the 12th Judicial Circuit Court. Three weeks have been set aside on the court’s calendar for the proceedings.
Judge Stephen Walker, who resides over both matters, made that determination March 17 with the blessing of lawyers for the two plaintiffs, the county’s legal team, and the lawyers for the developers and site owners.
The cases “have many of the same legal issues, same factual issues,” said David Smolker, the attorney for the group suing the county for the approval of both the eight-story, 170-room Calle Miramar hotel near the Village and the seven-story, 120-room Old Stickney Point Road hotel near the south bridge. That latter project includes a five-story parking garage across the street.
The plaintiffs are resident Robert Sax and the Marina Del Sol condo (near the south-bridge project) and the owners at the 222 Beach Road complex (near the Village project). That case was set for trial on June 12, but Smolker asked for a delay due to other commitments and calendar conflicts that have lessened his ability to prepare his case.
Walker also noted that his calendar, if June 12
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