Briefs

+ Two applicants vie for CDD 5 opening

Lakewood Ranch residents Glenda Robertson and Michael Miller have applied to fill a Community Development District 5 seat that board member Tom Bishop will soon vacate.

Robertson served on the CDD 5 board from November 2006 through November 2010 and also served as the CDD liaison to the Inter-District Authority Board at that time. She is active in the Country Club/Edgewater Village Association (CEVA), as well.

“Quite a few CDD 5 residents have asked me to reapply for the upcoming board vacancy,” she said.

Miller also has been an active member in CEVA, serving on his neighborhood committee since 2008 and the CEVA board since December.

“We have a great community here and I want to participate in keeping it strong and well managed,” Miller wrote in his application. 

CDD 5 will consider the applications at its March meeting.

+ Publix purchases shopping plaza

Publix Supermarkets has purchased a Lakewood Ranch shopping center for $17.45 million.

The Publix-anchored Lakewood Ranch at Town Center plaza, located roughly at the northeast corner of University Parkway and Interstate 75 at 8330 Market St., is 83,327 square feet and was built in 2000.

Publix purchased the property from General Partner Detail, of Fort Myers.

+ Hunzeker boasts accomplishments

Tourism and employment numbers are continuing to climb, and East County and other nearby areas are on a prosperous path after a successful 2014, according to County Administrator Ed Hunzeker in a Feb. 24 annual report to the Manatee County Commission. 

Last year’s highlights include the Net Metering Project at Lena Road Landfill, which began transforming waste into energy that’s later used to power the neighboring wastewater treatment plant. The project shows a 53% boost in energy savings, which equates to more than $375,000 in annual energy savings, Hunzeker said.