Builders seek ability to develop more coastal areas in Manatee County

BRADENTON — At its April 21st land use meeting, the Manatee County Commission will take up its Peril of Flood ordinance. Developers are asking the county to amend its Comprehensive Plan to allow for the construction of seawalls and the use of fill to elevate shoreline property so that it would no longer be in the coastal high hazard zone.

In 2015, the Florida Legislature passed a statute titled "Peril of Flood," specifying new requirements for the coastal management element of comprehensive land use plans related to coastal flooding and the impacts of sea-level rise, with numerous references for the protection of the natural shoreline, preserving natural habitats, and a requirement of buffers larger than 50 feet.

In a March 16th letter to BOCC Chair Kevin Van Ostenbridge and Manatee County Administrator Scott Hopes (click to view), Vogler, acting "on behalf of Medallion Homes, Neal Communities, and other interested and affected landowners and developers," contended that Manatee County's current statute was not in compliance with state law...