BOCC Approves More East County Development

BRADENTON – At Thursday's land use meeting, Manatee County Commissioners approved a series of items that will increase density and development in the rural, largely agricultural portion of east county, including the controversial Taylor Ranch development adjacent to the county's two racing facilities.

In the Palm Grove Preliminary site plan, commissioners approved a request that will allow Neal Communities to add 224 units where a 17,750 square foot medical office had previously been approved. Residents objected to the density of development, largely because of its position on an already overburdened SR-64 and its proximity to the county reservoir at Lake Manatee. The item passed 5-2 with commissioners Amanda Ballard and Jason Bearden dissenting.

Developers of Crosswind Ranch requested a comp plan amendment and rezone to allow for just under 441 acres (32.4 of which are east of the FDAB) to be rezoned from AG/R (Agriculture/Rural 1 unit per 5 acres) Future Land Use Classification (30.0.± acres) to the Uf-3 (Urban Fringe - 3 dwelling units per acre). Both items passed 4-3 with commissioners Satcher, Baugh, and Van Ostenbridge dissenting.

The Taylor Ranch request to rezone more than 2,300 acres from general agriculture (1 unit per 5 acres) to Planned Development Residential and a General Development Plan to allow 4,500 residential units (1.95 per acre) east of the county's Future Development Boundary was back before the board after being transmitted to the state in December, following a meeting in which hundreds of racing enthusiasts protested what they felt was an incompatible development adjacent to both a drag strip and race track.

Developers said they had modified their approach and would market the portion of the development closest to the racing facilities to race enthusiasts who would be less inclined to complain about noise and other factors.

Kimlyn Walker, the legal representative of the Panther Ridge II Homeowners Association, showed up to oppose both the comp plan amendment and rezone on behalf of her clients, while Elizabeth Wexler, an attorney representing the Freedom Factory raceway requested a two-week continuance so that her client's recently obtained land use attorney could be brought up to speed, noting that the "long reach" of Lakewood Ranch had left nearly all local land use attorneys with an inability to take the case because of conflicts. Wexler was not able to secure a continuance (Commissioner Bearden made a motion for one that died for lack of a second) and noted that she would preserve her client's right to appeal.

A number of east county residents also showed up to oppose the development, based largely on concerns about its potential impacts on the county water supply both via its proximity to Lake Manatee, as well as concerns regarding the ability of county water facilities to adequately serve the new growth. Members of the Myakka agricultural community echoed those concerns with Crystal Summers arguing, "the FDAB line was a lifestyle promise, and we can't just move it because developers want it," adding, "you cannot eat residential housing."

Commissioners were largely dismissive of the concerns and spent much of the time after public comment lauding Lakewood Ranch as a desirable community in which many people wanted to move, thus making it worthy of expansion. Vanessa Baugh, whose district the project resides in, suggested the board give serious thought to officially moving the eastern boundary of the FDAB to state road 675 (Waterbury Rd). Both items passed 5-2 with commissioners Satcher and Bearden dissenting.