Seeking parking changes, again

LAUREN TRONSTAD

STAFF WRITER

Desired changes to the Residences at the St. Regis Longboat Key’s parking will go before the town’s Planning and Zoning Board on April 18.

The hotel and condominiums are already more than a year into construction with at least a year remaining before completion.

Developers submitted plans in January for a three-level parking garage on the northeast corner of the property.

The plans have been deemed complete after analysis by town staff. The next step is consideration by the Planning and Zoning Board, which will allow for the first public input opportunity. If approved by the board, the changes would need to go before the Town Commission twice.

The change would replace a plan to install mechanical lifts in the approved ground-level garage under the hotel building. The lifts were designed to multiply the available parking spaces on the property to satisfy town requirements.

The multilevel garage would be built on the side of an alreadyapproved outdoor surface lot.

In replacing the mechanical lift spaces and surface lot, parking spaces on the property would increase from 100 to 157. Previously approved plans showed 62 mechanical lift spaces and a 28-space surface parking lot.

Parking revisions are among several changes requested, including: n Delete beach shelters and Tiki hut n Move patio heaters and a fire lane farther east n Amend departures for open space ratio, living space ratio n Add new departures for dimensions of parking spaces in the new parking structure and the building separation requirements between the hotel podium and the new parking structure.

In the event new plans are not approved, construction of previous plans would move forward.

Town leaders in 2018 approved Unicorp’s plans to move forward with the St. Regis project, ending years of back and forth with the town and voters on how to proceed.

In 2017, voters rejected the initial plan to add residential density to the 17.6-acre property that was once home to the iconic Colony Beach & Tennis Resort. Once ownership of the land that housed the former colony units was secured, work began in late 2021.

In 2021, developers had to make changes to parking plans to meet town requirements for the balance of spaces between residential and hotel spots.

Five buildings are under construction, a five-story hotel on the north end of the property, three five-story condo buildings on the south side and a single-floor amenities building in between.