Lennar plans Lakewood Ranch expansion

LAKEWOOD RANCH — As Justin Norwood leaves his Panther Ridge community, turning west onto State Road 70 is manageable.

But then, he looks at his oldest daughter, Bekah, now 10.

In just a few years, Bekah will begin learning to drive. And the additional traffic from both the nearby 1,300-home Del Webb community, now under development, and the proposed 1,999-home Lakewood National Golf & Country Club and Bridgewater East projects proposed opposite it, make him worry.

Lennar plans to build the twofold project that will be split by the Braden River about 1.25 miles east of Lorraine Road on the north side of State Road 70.

 The northern part, Lakewood National, includes 1,567 homes, including multifamily housing, as well as a 36-hole golf course and other amenities. Bridgewater East, considered a sort of expansion to Lennar’s existing Bridgewater development in Lakewood Ranch, will have 412 single-family homes. Both communities will be developed in phases over the next 10 years.

The plans prompted Norwood to contact Manatee County commissioners in opposition to the project in advance of an Aug. 6 public hearing on a general development plan. With large trucks carrying loads for Mosaic or Tropicana, the two-lane State Road 70 already sees serious accidents and fatalities, including one fatality July 2 and two injuries July 26.

Norwood, like many of his neighbors, says the two-lane roadway is already dangerous, and more development will compound current problems.

“I’m not concerned as much about traffic jams or being in gridlock,” he said. “I’m concerned most about safety. The experience of driving east daily is an adventure, to say it kindly. I see the county approving projects that create this very dangerous mix out there.”

Panther Ridge’s Stephen Martin agreed.

“East County is so unthought out with regard to north-south thoroughfares,” he said. “It causes traffic problems right now. Now, we want to add more people and more congestion to basically the same area (as The Mall at University Town Center). It seems we’d want to have more infrastructure in place (first).”

Lakewood National and Bridgewater East are two separate communities Lennar is developing on 1,389 acres that are bordered to the south by State Road 70. 

Lennar’s plans meet Manatee County’s transportation requirements. (See sidebar). And per state law, the developer is not responsible for correcting existing deficiencies on State Road 70. The Florida Department of Transportation plans to widen S.R. 70 to four lanes in that area, but the project is still years away from fruition.

Lennar attorney Caleb Grimes said Lennar will pay road impact fees, which the county can use as deemed necessary for future roadway improvements.

He also said the problems residents are describing will not be exacerbated by Lennar’s proposed development.

“(Traffic problems will) be lesser because you start slowing traffic down, providing places for turns without blocking traffic,” he said.

Contact Pam Eubanks at [email protected].