Manatee Commission to deny ‘Concession’ development plan

The commission voted 6-1 for the county attorney to prepare a written denial ahead of the next land use meeting.

The Manatee County Commission will deny a proposal from The Concession to build 22 homes on 17 acres of land in eastern Manatee County at its next land use meeting.

After debate that lasted nearly all day, the commission voted 6-1 to direct the county attorney to prepare a written denial ahead of its July 22 land use meeting. Commissioner Priscilla Trace was the only dissenter.

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Resident after resident took to the podium on Tuesday to reject what they called “urban sprawl.” Clustering 22 homes on 17 acres, they said, wasn’t compatible with neighboring areas, where residential lots spread across five, 10 or even 15 acres.

The project, they argued, would exacerbate existing flooding issues, threaten their access to historic equestrian routes and disrupt the rural character of the surrounding area. The proposal came amid plans to eventually expand that portion of State Road 70 to four lanes.