Gamble Creek Village project comes back before Manatee BOCC Thursday

PARRISH — In September, Manatee County Commissioners voted 6-1 to transmit a text amendment of the county's comprehensive land-use plan to the state for comments. If passed, the amendment would have profound consequences, allowing for the transition of 5,000 acres of Parrish farmland into a future city comparable to Lakewood Ranch.

Back then, commissioners noted several times that they were "just voting on whether to transmit it to the state" and that it would still come back to the board for a vote. On Thursday, the amendment will return to the BOCC for that vote.

The Gamble Creek Village project would turn land currently zoned for 1,200 homes at one per every five acres, into 7,200 homes, plus plenty of commercial entitlements. As if that was not a big enough change to consider, the development site is also about two miles east of the Future Development Area Boundary.