The Demise of Sarasota’s Form-Based Code - Spring 2019

Many real estate professionals and neighborhood residents have for months been anxious over pending massive changes to the City’s zoning code that were expected to occur when the City adopted a form-based code. Form-based codes, unlike most zoning regulations, are most concerned with the aesthetics or form of a building, rather than its use or density. Now, however, after three years of work and more than $1,000,000 spent in consulting fees, it appears that the City is moving to let the proposed form-based code quietly die and keep existing zoning ordinances from 2003 in place. Many real estate professionals and neighborhood residents have for months been anxious over pending massive changes to the City’s zoning code that were expected to occur when the City adopted a form-based code. Form-based codes, unlike most zoning regulations, are most concerned with the aesthetics or form of a building, rather than its use or density. Now, however, after three years of work and more than $1,000,000 spent in consulting fees, it appears that the City is moving to let the proposed form-based code quietly die and keep existing zoning ordinances from 2003 in place. This is probably for the best. While I admired aspects of the form-based proposal, much of it was overly complicated and incongruous – a classic case of too many cooks in the kitchen or that of a committee created to design a horse only to end up with a hippopotamus.