Local Government Aldi Grocery Store Coming to East County

BRADENTON — At Thursday's BOCC Land Use meeting, members approved the first Aldi Inc. grocery store in Lakewood Ranch. The European style chain provides amenities as an option, and prides the limited choices of brands by top-shelf selection contracted to its own label.

There isn't an in-store deli or bakery, nor are there 20 brands of one item to choose from, but there is a focus on quality packaged and canned goods at a considerable discount compared to what is available at other grocery chains.  

Aldi's stores have other nuanced differences that make the shopping experience unique, most aimed at reducing costs in areas other than product quality. Shoppers insert a quarter deposit to unlock shopping carts, providing an incentive to return them to the storefront and preventing the need for an employee to corral them. They also do not accept credit cards, the fees of which tend to be higher than debit cards. Bags are not provided either (though they can be purchased), encouraging shoppers to use reusable canvas ones. 

The new store will be built on the northeast corner of S.R. 70 and 45th Street East, diagonal from a recently-built Publix and across from a long-vacant structure that once housed a Winn-Dixie. It will be the Illinois-based company's second Manatee County store with one already in operation at 4705 Cortez Blvd. That site is also next to a Publix plaza and has enjoyed considerable success.

There were a considerable amount of 'Special Approvals' required, for the 3.87 acres parcel, to obtain a building permit: mitigation of wetlands, preventing encroachment of the Pearce Drain/Gap Creek and a finished floor above Base Floor Elevation because the property is in a Coastal High Hazard Area (proposed to be at 13.5 feet). 

The request was to rezone the property to PDC (Planned Development Commercial) and a Preliminary Site Plan for 17,018 square feet of retail use area.

Most of Thursday's discussion was on the traffic and the conditions the intersection is currently in. 45th Street East is now a two-lane road, but is embarking on becoming a four-lane divided highway.

Questions to the safety of getting in and out of the property spawned most of the concern. There will only be one entrance/exit on 45th Street, which will be a right-in/right-out, requiring a u-turn in some cases.

Concerns arose to having a turn lane for the west-bound S.R. 70 travelers and the 45th Street entrance/exit being too close to S.R. 70. Staff assured that it met FDOT specifications. 

There were also concerns about those who might try and go left from exiting the store, before the highway divider is built, but staff said that the store won't be built and opened within the next 10 to 12 months, and that the four-lane of 45th Street will start in the next six months, after which construction will be providing the separation of the highway.

Staff supported all requests and recommended approval, as did the Planning Commission (unanimously). The board followed suit, voting 7-0 for approval.