Lakewood Ranch CDD 5 considers access changes

LAKEWOOD RANCH — Supervisors on the Lakewood Ranch Community Development District 5 board are welcoming input from district residents and the Country Club/Edgewater Village Association’s Safety Committee about whether to allow Country Club of Lakewood Ranch members use of the gate at Players Drive and Lorraine Road.

Lakewood Ranch Town Hall officials said Schroeder-Manatee Ranch is asking the board to allow all Country Club members, including those from the Country Club East development, access to the club via the gate at Lorraine Road and Players Drive.

The item has been tabled until next month’s meeting, so feedback can be collected.

“I personally need some more information as to what the CDD 5 (residents want),” CDD 5 Chairman Tom Bishop said.

Country Club members already can access the club through the main entry at University Parkway and Legacy Boulevard and at the gate at The Masters Avenue and Lorraine Road.

Residents of the Presidio and Riviera neighborhoods, in particular, are concerned about safety in their neighborhood and at the Players intersection with Lorraine.

“There are some major safety issues,” resident David Schoenborn said. “We’re all concerned with the volume of traffic (at) Players and Lorraine.”

CDD 5 supervisors noted the Players Drive entrance, unlike the other two entrances, is immediately adjacent to homes rather than the golf course. They also noted the distance from the Country Club East entrance to the Country Club, whether drivers take the Players or Masters Avenue entrance, is the same.

Contact Pam Eubanks at [email protected].

IN OTHER NEWS:

CDDs 2 and 5
• New street signage in both Districts 2 and 5 has been approved by Manatee County, allowing for the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office to begin additional patrols last week. The districts are paying for the service to curb speeding and other traffic violations in the community.
• In CDD 2, supervisors approved a work assignment with Kimley-Horn and Associates for storm drain investigation and repair work at a cost not to exceed about $14,800.
“They will be helping us develop the bid process for repairs (and the work itself,” Operations Director Ryan Heise said.
• In CDD 5, supervisors rejected a settlement offer from Gigliotti Contracting for about $50,000 in a storm drain litigation lawsuit. A trail date for the lawsuit has been set for April 2013.

All CDDs
• Supervisors granted approval to negotiate with top-ranked firms, as determined by the Request for Qualifications for Continuing Professional Services, and also approved agreements vendors selected through the same process at the boards’ March meetings.