Plan board OK's hotel for North Venice

VENICE — A 124-room extended-stay hotel in North Venice got the green light from the Planning Commission Tuesday.

It approved a site-and-development plan for a four-story hotel on 2 acres at 305 and 309 Serrano Way, across Laurel Road from the future Northeast Venice Park.

ECHO Suites is a Wyndham brand for longer-term stays, with rates based on the length of stay. Each suite has a kitchen with an electric cooktop, microwave, full-size refrigerator, shelves and a sink, and some locations have dishwashers, according to the brand’s website.

The site is in the Portofino commercial mixed-use master-planned area, according to the staff report. Access would be from Serrano Road, to the north of the proposed hotel.

Representing applicants Laurel Road Development LLC and ES Venice LLC, Marty Black, a former Venice city manager and planning director, said they had met with residents even before holding the mandatory neighborhood meeting. As a result, he said, the exterior color scheme was changed from the brand’s white and green to beiges and browns.

Also, he said, a landscaped berm is now planned along Laurel Road, the property’s southern elevation.

Commissioners had only two questions about the proposed plan.

It includes 119 parking spaces rather than the 124 — one per room — called for in the Portofino standards. However, the number is within the general parking requirement in the land-development regulations and Planning and Zoning Director Roger Clark had approved an alternative parking plan.

But Commissioner Jerry Jasper wanted to know how employee parking had been factored in. Engineer Erin Trauger said that in the applicants’ experience the number of spaces provided is adequate for both guests and staff, as the hotel won’t usually have 100% occupancy.

Black added that because it offers extended stays, the hotel will likely have a lot of guests who arrive by ride-sharing services or other transit to visit people at Sarasota Memorial Hospital-Venice.

Commissioner Richard Hale asked that the applicants commit to placing three stop signs contemplated in the plan, and Black agreed.

With that stipulation the Commission approved a site-and-development plan 7-0.

With Commissioner Robert Young attending his first meeting, it was at full strength for the first time in several months.

It also met in Community Hall for the first time in what Clark joked is a “warmup” for a joint meeting with the Historic and Architectural Preservation Board Thursday.

Later this year, all city meetings will shift to Community Hall while renovations to Council Chambers are made.

The video and audio recordings of the meeting are at VeniceGov.com at the “Meetings” button.