BRADENTON --At Thursday's meeting, the Manatee County Planning Commission recommended approval for a 64- acre, 1,300-unit development south of S.R. 70 and north of the Masters Avenue in Lakewood Ranch.
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Commission members recommended the zoning ordinance with multiple stipulations to the General Development Plan.
Special approval was requested for the project because it was partially located within the Watershed Overlay District; and the gross residential density exceeds one dwelling unit per acre.
The applicant requested specific approval for a Land Development Code exemption that would allow a smaller caliber tree diameter; and the allowance of only one canopy tree per resident as opposed to one every 50 feet along the right-of-way.
Another request by the applicant was to not build a sidewalk along S.R. 70, because there is no other sidewalk to connect to. The applicant is offering a percentage of the cost to be donated to the county's sidewalk fund.
The proposed gross density doubles (2.02) the one dwelling unit per-acre allowed, and will have private streets.
The applicant also requested a street formula change; reducing the lanes to 11 ft. width and alternative street drains.
A 0.24 acre wetland will be impacted to provide a inter-neighborhood tie.
The project is proposed to constructed in phases, the first beginning in 2014 to a build-out in 2015.
The project is expected to go before the BOCC for final approval at an upcoming meeting.