Local Government BOCC Approves Density Increase at Soho Mendoza

BRADENTON — At Thursday's Land Use Meeting, Manatee County Commissioners approved the Soho Mendoza (Willow Hammock) Preliminary Site Plan for 299 single-family lots, on 113 acres west of I-75 on the north side of Mendoza Road, at 37th Street East in Ellenton. Critics say it invites too many cars, too much noise and that there aren't enough schools.

The rezone to RES-3 (three dwellings per acres) and RES-6 (six residential units per acre), from A-1 (Suburban Agriculture, one dwelling per acre) is a raise in density that some local residents object to.

Although the project meets the gross density of the Future Land Use Map, which caps the possible number of dwellings for the property at 548, Thursday's request was for 299. 

Planned developments allow Special Approvals to help mitigate potential impacts, such as setbacks, buffers and noise. Noise and schools were the big issues at Thursday's meeting.

The noise issue is still in the works; the county is waiting for a study that will determine what is necessary to keep the I-75 and Mendoza traffic noise in compliance with regulation. 

Schools servicing the Willow Hammock development are Tillman Elementary, Lincoln Middle and Palmetto High. There are more than 7,000 residential units in eight projects that propose to use Palmetto High School. The school district says it will need to build another high school in northeast county as early as 2018 to accommodate growth, yet the county has not been collecting school impact fees from developers since 2009.

Commissioner Robin DiSabatino

Commissioner Robin DiSabatino wasn't satisfied with the notion that the 100' setback from I-75 was a sufficient distance to counter expressway noise. I-75 is on the FDOT/MPO project calendar with plans to expand I-75 to 10 lanes. 

DiSabatino also had trouble with the overwhelming number of students expected to go to a district that is documented as being insufficient in the number of schools needed for the approved developments. "We have 4th and 5th graders in portables," said DiSabatino.

Vice Chair Betsy Benac and Commissioner Carol Whitmore argued against that being a factor. "We can't do anything about it," said Benac, adding, "It doesn't matter, if the schools say they have the room, we have to approve, that's the law."

Whitmore said that her daughter was in a portable and she turned out okay.

Local resident James Mckinny spoke to the board about the traffic and the noise. "There are too many cars, and there are no plans being made to address this quagmire."

The motion to approve the Willow Hammock was 5-1 with DiSabatino dissenting.