County Moving Forward in Land Development Code Rewrite

BRADENTON -- Manatee County Officials say their Land Development Code has become overly complicated and needs revision. Their goal is to create mixed-use zoning districts, streamline regulations and consolidate chapters with similar requirements. The county is looking for public input and is giving residents 60 days to weigh-in on how the LDC could best be shaped to better Manatee County's future.

Phase-One of the LDC rewrite will serve to reorganize and clean up inconsistencies within the LDC, establish a primary base of changes to simplify the code, followed by a public review of the suggestions that will run until December 23, 2013.

Phase-One of the LDC rewrite was first presented to the public at the Manatee BOCC work session on October 15, 2013 by Manatee County Planning Division Manager Robert Schmitt, and then posted on the county's website October 22, 2013 to start the 60-day public review process.

For the last year, Schmitt has been working with Littlejohn Engineering Associates to develop and implement the changes that Schmitt says, "will put the LDC in 21st century terms."

After the review process, Schmitt's staff will meet with those who submitted proposals to answer questions and discuss LDC revisions before Phase-Two is introduced.

Changes in the County's Comprehensive Plan will be needed before the second phase of the LDC rewrite can be completed. 

The success of the Urban Service Area (USA) that was recently approved by the BOCC, and the county's "How Will We Grow" plan significantly rely on the changes in the second-phase of the LDC rewrite.

The Manatee LDC has been the backbone to how the county's future is shaped. The LDC rewrite proposals will take regulations out of the LDC, change the comprehensive plan and streamline the application process for development. 

Public comment on in the LDC rewrite should be sent to robert.schmitt@mymanatee.org or presented at any of the BOCC meetings during "public comment."