BRADENTON – After winning the Manatee County Commission District 7 Republican Primary this month, George Kruse effectively became the next countywide commissioner, facing only write-in competition in the general election. This week, Kruse weighed in on his thoughts regarding a controversial rezone that developer Carlos Beruff, who provided considerable financial support for Kruse's campaign, got from the board last week, saying he likely would have been in favor of granting even greater density for the project.
Kruse posted the following statement to his candidate page on Facebook:
Since last Tuesday, I’ve been asked my opinion about various Board decisions, most often relating to the Land Use meeting for Medallion Homes. To clarify, we (as primary winners) are not thrown into some secret daily briefing like Presidential candidates. I have to work with the same public information and slanted news reports as everyone else. The Board is afforded access to staff, reports, attorneys and an open Q&A session with the applicant. It is disingenuous of me to blindly refute their decisions after each meeting over these next couple of months.
I know some current candidates are pandering with declarations of stern opposition but I’d ask exactly what legal grounds that’s based on? What section of our Comp Plan backs up this denial rather than personal preference? What interpretation of the Future Land Use map is being utilized? You all know my affinity toward in-fill locations and more affordability. I would have preferred this project with the full 450+ units, inclusive of affordable units. Those units were pushed back due to NIMBY-ism, not developer choice. The units being built are allowable as-of-right on land already zoned for multifamily. There is no bonus density as presented by the papers. There is no development in a 25-year flood plain. It’s an in-fill development, near existing infrastructure in proximity to employment. It creates over 300 housing units in a central, already-zoned location versus a sprawling subdivision out East to create the same.
I will over-analyze every development that comes in front of us. I will be thorough with every applicant due to my background but I still have to adhere to our Comprehensive Plan per state requirement. I will, however, make it a top priority to revisit that Plan to ensure it's revised to better reflect our current land use and needs today. I will also be working with our Commission and our community to provide incentives for inclusive housing that can pass public acceptance. But, I will never decline a project just to decline it; anyone who says they will do otherwise has an unrealistic and inflated view of the role of a Commissioner.
I will never cater to developers but neither will I pander to others. Believe me, with some of our past Boards, you do not want to go down the path of giving expanded and unlimited authority to the Commissioners. We have rules, Comp Plans, etc to remove personal preference from the equation. That goes for the good and the bad, as you may interpret each.
The development site had previously been zoned A-1 (Agricultural Suburban, 1 unit per acre) on one portion and RMF-6 (Residential Multi-Family-6 dwelling units per acre) on the other, which would have allowed for 199 units. The board-approved rezone to Planned Development Residential/6 units per acre will now allow for 315 units. Read more about the decision here.
Kruse defeated former Manatee County Administrator Ed Hunzeker in a landslide. Because of the write-in loophole, the otherwise open primary was closed off to just Republican voters. While Kruse enjoyed considerable support from Beruff, Hunzeker had even more developer money behind him, outraising Kruse by around 50 percent, largely raised from a bevy of other builders and development-related interests.
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