Information Center's future uncertain

Tucked behind towering oak trees at the north end of Summerfield Community Park, a green-roofed building with a wrap-around porch offers a cozy stop for guests exploring Lakewood Ranch’s residential offerings.

The 2,740-square-foot, 20-year-old building at 6310 Lakewood Ranch Blvd. serves as an information center for Lakewood Ranch Developer Schroeder-Manatee Ranch and an office for Lakewood Ranch Community Activities Corp., a nonprofit that oversees clubs and runs events for the community.

Its future remains a mystery.

SMR will close the information center within a month as it opens a new center farther north. Community Activities will remain in place, at least for now.

What happens longterm?

At this point, nobody knows.

SMR has not specified its plans for the property.

The Manatee County Property Appraiser’s Office values the property at $426,400. The 2.3-acre parcel includes several parking places and the northern entrance into the park’s parking lot; and the site also includes a retention pond in back.

Regulations restrict the property’s future land-use to “Urban Fringe-3,” or three units per acre. Non-residential UF-3 uses are limited to neighborhood general retail.

That’s where it gets complicated.

The property is part of a larger plan that requires state-level approvals. It’s called a development of regional impact (DRI). On that development order, the property is identified as Parcel 4, the area designated for a park. No other uses are designated uses according to the map.

Manatee County spokesman Nicholas Azzara said county staff will have to review the project more in-depth to better make a determination of the property’s future use.

“Since the area is part of a DRI, the question can’t be answered by simply saying, ‘It’s zoned (blank), so X, Y or Z can be built there,” he said.

Most likely, a continued similar use, such as an office or recreational or community-type, would be allowed. But other uses that would have traffic impacts or require more parking, for example, would require more action. County Planner John Osborne said such changes would require a public hearing process to change the use of the property.

Lakewood Ranch Community Development District supervisors hope the property maintains its community-type use, and have explored potential uses for the site, should the districts acquire it from SMR. A committee leading that charge still struggles with “best-use” for the facility and plans to meet at the property for their next meeting, which has yet to be scheduled.

Overall, they hope to preserve the property’s character.

“I think the best use of this building would be a homeowners association office,” said Greg Spring, a Summerfield resident and Lakewood Ranch ambassador. “It’s a neat building, with a great view. Whatever they do, I hope they don’t demolish it. It looks like it belongs on the Ranch.”