SIESTA KEY, Fla. — Nearly a week after approving plans to build a 170-room hotel in Siesta Key despite opposition from residents, Sarasota County commissioners on Tuesday approved another developer's plans to build a large high-rise hotel on the key.
In a 4-1 vote, commissioners again gave a developer special approval as the hotel's plans exceeded the current zoning policies in the area. This time the hotel will be seven floors with around 120 rooms total.
As it stands, Siesta Key hotels can't exceed a height of 35 feet. The proposed hotel just off Stickney Point Road near the south bridge to Siesta Key would reach 83 feet - with a separate parking garage across the road.
This likely isn't the end of high-rise hotels being approved on Siesta Key. Several other Siesta Key hotel plans are awaiting approval by the county to move forward.