Residents ask county for help in fighting St. Stephen's plan

BRADENTON – Elaine Cullis said she's not opposed to school sports, but she fears St. Stephen's Episcopal School's plans for its athletic fields will ruin her historic neighborhood.

"We're not against children playing," she said, but she's worried that night sports will bring more traffic and trouble to her neighborhood.

Cullis and her neighbor Cindy Gerstenberger came to the County Commission meeting on Tuesday and pleaded with the commissioners to do something for them. Cullis and Gerstenberger live in the county – St. Stephen's was annexed into the city "because of the more lenient conditions," Cullis wrote in a memo to the commissioners – but both said they don't want to see their community and its property values adversely affected.

When games are played at the school, Cullis said, people park in areas the county has designated as "no parking" zones, and nothing is done about it by the Sheriff's Office.

"We are here to ask for your protection," Cullis said, also citing risks from nitrogen runoff, noise, light poles for night practices and storm runoff. All the historic oak trees are going to be removed from a piece of land that was supposed to be for the whole community, she said. "We are trying to protect our neighborhood, our home values and our quality of life."

St. Stephen’s did not respond to a request for a comment.

The Bradenton Planning Commission approved the school's request for the changes in its athletic fields at a packed hearing in the Bradenton City Council's chambers, and the Bradenton City Council will take up the item at its March 10 meeting. In the meantime, Cullis and Gerstenberger asked the commissioners to take action.

County Attorney Tedd Williams warned commissioners that the county has no legal authority.

"Just to advise you, the school is in the city limits," he said. "They may have a legal right to pursue, but it's their issue, not the county's. You can send someone to the meeting, but as for legal authority, you have none."

Commissioner Joe McClash said there had to be something that could be done. "We have a role as advocates for citizens," he said.

Commissioner Carol Whitmore said she wanted to avoid stepping on another municipality's toes, but Commissioner John Chappie said that it was important to look at the issue.

A motion to ask County Administrator Ed Hunzeker to look into the residents' concerns passed on a 5-0 vote.

Outside the commmission chambers after the vote, Cullis said others in the community are concerned but couldn't attend the meeting. "We're a working neighborhood," she said.