Citizens Accuse Developer of Abusing the Process

BRADENTON – At Thursday's Planning Commission meeting, east county residents made their third public appearance to announce their objections to the county approving the proposed Myara Subdivision. Most who spoke claim the developer, Pat Neal, is exhausting their patience, their funds and their right to petition.

The subdivision lies on a 32.67 acre vacant site located west of 99th Street East (Pine Meadow Way) and Clubhouse Drive at 6804 99th Street East Bradenton. The site is within the RES-1 (one dwelling per unit acre Future Land Use Category (FLUC) and the WP-E (Watershed Protection Evers) and ST (special Treatment) Overlay District.

The Preliminary Site Plan proposes 72' x 135' lots, 1.28 dwelling units per acre, sidewalks and 22 acres of open space. The internal roadway has a 1,207 foot cul-de-sac with an eyebrow turnaround located 700 feet from the entrance; essentially a dead-end-road. The Land Development Code (LDC) restricts cul-de-sacs to 800 feet.

Staff had objections to the length of the cul-de-sac, the request for Special Approval required because the project is adjacent to a perennial stream (Braden River), the project's location within the Watershed Protection Evers and Special Treatment Overlay District and the exceeding net density of 1.0 dwellings per acre in the RES-1 FLUC.

A Planned Development is necessary to achieve Special and/or Specific Approvals. The applicant wants to have the BOCC make the decision determining the compliance and consistency with the Comprehensive Plan; consequently the staff recommended the board deny the project.

Only a few citizens were notified the night before the meeting that the item might be continued, and stated they could not believe the application was getting another continuance.

Many residents who signed up to speak decided to speak only to the inconvenience of the process and the burden placed on them, noting that they would reserve their comments of disapproval to the project when it is actually being discussed.

Surrounding residents told the commission they were being played, used and abused. They said Neal was redesigning the project with continuances for fear it would be denied; at the expense of public funds, in hope of wearing down the opposition.

Joe Mullary said, "How many times do they do what they want to do? They are wearing us down. He (looking at Neal) should reimburse us for our costs."

Joan Bold called the proceedings an "undue burden on the people."

Larry Grossman said, "Unlimited continuances, it's just more time to change results, withdraw your application (as he looked in Neal's direction)." Grossman looked at the county attorney and said, "Object to additional information added without knowledge to the public. How long are you going to continue to allow this? At what point is this a new application?"

Ed Goff said, "Hours and hours have been spent. The system isn't working. It needs to change, and not on our dime."

Jack Richardson said, "I have been all over this county lately, and I see the people mistrust this process."

Karen Murphy said, "I am a planner by profession, I cannot believe this is the situation. I used to work for Manatee County. We count on you for public trust."

Brenda Russle said, "This is not a level playing field."

Many times county attorney Sarah Schenk was asked how many times can the applicant continue the application process. She answered, "It is up to them."

The item is now scheduled to reappear on the October 13 agenda.