VENICE – The Venice City Council unanimously approved a special exception for the height of a proposed medical office building at 2695 Curry Lane to allow for an ambulatory surgery center to be built on the ground floor.
Ambulatory Surgery Centers offer a variety of out-patient surgeries – depending on the tenants.
The proposed 54,228-square-foot office building would be built and managed by Charlotte, North Carolina-based Flagship Healthcare Properties, which owns several similar properties and is actually building two medical office buildings in south Sarasota County, in relative proximity to the Venice campus of Sarasota Memorial Hospital.
In addition to the property at 2695 Curry Lane, Flagship is also building Coastal Wellness Center at 1200 N. Tamiami Trail, Nokomis; and owns two other medical properties –Palmer Crossing Medical at 5310 Clark Road, and Gulfgate Professional Complex at 3231 Gulf Gate Drive – elsewhere in Sarasota County, according to the company website, https://www.flagshiphp.com.
Flagship Health could have asked for an exception to build a structure as tall as 46 feet – 11 feet above the 35 feet allowed by right.
Martin Black, the consultant representing Flagship Healthcare Properties, said the 43-feet, 4-inches of height requested was the minimum needed to allow the extra ceiling height for equipment in surgery center rooms.
The proposed site is on the north side of Curry Lane, across the road from The Sophia Luxury Villas, south of the Sarasota Memorial Hospital Venice campus and sandwiched between another medical office building to the west and PAM Health Rehabilitation Hospital to the East.
Once completed, the office and surgery center would create about 100 jobs in the medical industry.
Midlam honored for historical preservation efforts
Earl Midlam received the Legacy Award from the Venice Historic and Architectural Preservation Board, which recognizes those with a significant impact on the city’s history or helped preserve and disseminate knowledge of the city’s history.
The longtime caretaker of “Old Betsy,” the city’s 1926 American LaFrance fire engine along with his wife Karen, has been involved with a variety of history-related efforts –i including spearheading an effort to build a permanent storage building/showcase for Old Betsy.
Midlam, a member of the Venice High Class of 1970 has been heavily involved with everything from the school’s all-class reunion to Venice/Nokomis Area Old-Timers Picnic.
Venice Historical Resources Manager Harry Klinkhamer noted that Midlam has donated hundreds of items for preservation, prompting Historical Resources has an “Earl Midlam Collection.”
A former member of the Venice City Council, Midlam – after accepting the award – urged people to become involved with the city,either by serving on boards or joining historical groups or Venice Area Beautification Inc.
“Please get involved in this community,” he said.
Home added to city’s historical resources register
The council unanimously approved the first reading of an ordinance placing a Venezia Park home at 500 Nassau Street on the city’s Local Register of Historical Resources.
The house was built by Graham Walker in 1927 or 1928, according to Venice tax records.
He planned to sell it but lost all his Venice properties in 1935 to the Venice Mortgage and Security Company because of tax liens.
In 1989, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places as a contributing structure to the Venezia Park National Historic District.
The home was purchased in April by the Michael E. Jeromin Living Trust.
Klinkhamer told the council current plans call for the Sanibel, Florida-based Trust to restore the structure.
Among other things, owners of structures on the register are entitled to: a 10-year property tax exemption on qualified improvements; the ability to restore properties in a floodplain, even if the cost exceeds 50% of the assessed value; modified enforcement of the Florida Building Code; and exemptions from fees normally required for development review permits.
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Venice council approves height exception for medical office building and surgery center
Reporting by Earle Kimel, Sarasota Herald-Tribune / Sarasota Herald-Tribune
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