Commissioners request clarity on Live Local eligibility

• County Attorney directed to clarify Sarasota's interpretation of the law

• Commissioners contacted by many residents expressing significant concern

• 2,250+ apartment proposal for Tatum Links land faces unique challenges

Nearly 100 stayTRU members sent emails, left voice messages and/or attended the March 24, 2026 Sarasota Board of County Commissioners meeting in support of efforts to reign in high-density development authorized by Florida's Live Local Act (LLA). In response to extensive citizen concern, Commissioner Tom Knight requested that the County Attorney prepare a legal opinion on LLA eligibility for certain types of residential and rural land. His request was supported and approved by fellow Commissioners.

When the LLA was signed into law in 2023, Senate President Kathleen Passidomo, said the clear purpose was to convert under-utilitzed commercial and industrial land in urban areas into affordable workforce housing "close to workplaces, shopping centers and schools." But the Act's vague language has created potential loopholes encouraging developers to apply for LLA approval on residential land far from urban areas - including the massive 2,250 apartment proposal for the Tatum Ridge Golf Links land.

Multiple amendments to the LLA have not fully reconciled the bill's original stated intent with developer interpretation. Several Florida municipalities have questioned the wide interpretation of the law with Hillsboro county taking the lead by filing a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the law. During the Commissioner meeting,Tom Knight spoke at length about the anguish felt all around his district and throughout the County as multiple applications for large, high-density projects have been submitted for residential and rural areas of Sarasota.

The Live Local application for the Tatum Ridge Golf Links land presents unique approval challenges as compared to most other LLA projects. The Golf Links land is duly recorded as Open Space for The Legends making the Links land significantly more encumbered than other LLA sites. The next step for the Links LLA project is for the applicant to prepare extensive engineered drawings of the entire development and address County concerns that any development of the Links land would make The Legend's non-conforming and/or an illegal use within the zoning district requirements. Further the County wrote that in order to be in compliance, it appears that the applicant would require the approval of all Legend's homeowners.

Thank you to the stayTRU members who reached out to our Commissioners supporting efforts to keep Live Local true to its original intent.