- April 18, 2024
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Despite pleas from some area residents against the project, Carlos Beruff's East River Ranch development took another step toward fruition Feb. 9 with the Manatee County Planning Commission’s recommended approval of an amendment allowing a new collector road, East River Ranch Boulevard, and the extensions of 44th Avenue East and Rangeland Boulevard to serve the development.
The Planning Commission also suggested that the Manatee County Commission approve a change of the property to Urban Fringe-3 land use.
The Manatee County Commission will address the items Feb. 16 and then decide whether to transmit plans for East River Ranch to the state for review.
East River Ranch is a 1,381.63-acre parcel that is directly east of Taylor Ranch and one that borders State Road 64, County Road 675 and 61st Avenue East.
Among those protesting approval of the new community, because of the corresponding extensions of 44th Avenue East and Rangeland Boulevard, were representatives of Hunsader Farms and the Myakka Elephant Ranch.
The Manatee County Commission also will consider a proposed rezoning of the parcel to Planned Development Residential — Mixed Use, at a yet-to-be determined meeting in March.
Julia Braren, the chief operating officer of Myakka Elephant Ranch, said an expansion of 44th Avenue East would take the road through the current elephant habitat. She said her family has owned their property at Verna Bethany Road since 1986, at which time they were authorized to use it to house exotic animals.
She said as well as creating a huge amount of traffic and noise in an area that currently is limited to two homes, the development would be a “nuisance and interfere with the animals’ natural enrichment.”
David Hunsader of Hunsader Farms said the current plans feature Rangeland Boulevard passing adjacent to his farm.
“I just can’t see putting a boulevard right next to our farm where when we use it for festivals, we have hundreds of thousands of people come out from around the world to come see our farm and pick our produce, pick our flowers or strawberries.”
Hunsader said that the current extension being proposed for the property involved a road heading “right through” the farm’s tiny town and petting zoo.
The new road and road extensions are part of the supporting infrastructure needed for East River Ranch.
Sheila Tirey, a planner with Heidt Design, said an extension of 44th Avenue East and Rangeland Parkway will relieve traffic from State Road 64 and State Road 70. Meanwhile, the new collector road, East River Ranch Boulevard, will extend about 1.5 miles from Bourneside Boulevard and County Road 675 and will provide additional circulation and connectivity.
These roads will be implemented at the expense of the developer.
Tirey said the intersections of the collector road and other areas will include activity nodes along State Road 64, 44th Avenue East, and Rangeland Parkway that will providing services, jobs, and additional residential uses.
“Those proposed residential units will be able to access those services and non-residential uses for daily needs and services, without getting in their car and driving a long distance,” she said.
Carol Clark, a planner with East River Ranch, said some residents requested that 61 Avenue East, which borders the south end of the project, to be paved, while others said they wanted no access from that road. She said the developer would choose whichever option the county preferred.
Evaluations showed about 124 acres of wetlands and just over 3 acres of streams in the area, said Tirey.
Carrie McNott of Monarch Ecology Group, which performed the environmental consulting on the project, said there were roughly 80 acres of upland habitats, while the rest of the property is farmland.
Currently, up to 276 total dwelling units are allowed on the property. The proposed change of the future land use category would allow the developer to build three dwelling units per acre, instead of one dwelling unit per five acres.
This designation may contain limits on numbers of units or square footage on non-residential development to ensure that roads and utilities are not overburdened.
Both members of the public and county staff members noted that the project marks another extension beyond the county’s Future Development Area Boundary Line, following the adjoining development of Taylor Ranch.
The lands east of the FDAB are designated as being primarily for agricultural uses, however, in November 2021 the county allowed development further east under specific conditions.
These conditions include that development must be a continuation of lands that are already being developed west of the site, as well as that the project must be managed by a master developer who is responsible for all of the infrastructure.
Thoroughfares and utilities must be available and any continuations of those features must be completed at the expense of the master developer, or an improvement district. In this case, Schroeder-Manatee Ranch is in the process of creating the East River Ranch Stewardship District for the project.
“It’s self-evident that the county will be faced with the decision whether to move the FDAB east,” said Sarah Schenk, an assistant county attorney. “This is a stopgap measure until that time, and I think the time will be coming soon.”
Planning Commissioner Ray Turner said the FDAB had been developed in 1999, before Lakewood Ranch’s population increased. He inquired about where it would leave the county population-wise, with such a significant migration, if development does not proceed east.
However, Charles Andrews, a certified planner with Manatee County Development Services, noted the development cannot demonstrate compliance with the requirement for development to be “coterminous and contiguous” with development east of the FDAB.
Currently, Taylor Ranch, located beside East River Ranch, has yet to gain a final approval from the county commission, but has a pending rezone request tentatively scheduled for March 23.
Andrews also noted the property will fall into the established Watershed Overlay District.
Scott Rudacille, an attorney for Schroeder-Manatee Ranch, said that the legislation on the FDAB did not allow for unlimited development to proceed in the east.
“It’s not that easy to pull together 1,300 acres of property and do a large project with a master developer and all the utilities.”
The Planning Commission approved the development through a vote of 3-1, with Planning Commissioner Cindy Kebba in opposition.
Planning Commission Chair Bill Connerly recused himself due to a conflict of interest, handing the temporary status of chair to fellow planning Commissioner Paul Ruteledge.
Kebba inquired whether the development continuing eastward was against the purpose of the FDAB line.
“If you look at our direction, which is to look at what the land use code says, that’s what we need to do,” said Planning Commissioner David Roth about expansion to the east. “I know the builders, I know the attorneys, and I know the public, and they do want to go on it.”
Some residents spoke at the meeting to voice concerns about the development.
Tim Tralick, a Myakka City resident, voiced concerns about the proximity of East River Ranch Boulevard to his property, noting that maps show the road curving directly beside the corner of his 1,000-acre parcel southeast of the Freedom Factory speedway. He inquired about whether a wall could be added to block the view of the development.
Manatee County resident Angie Fairweather said based on what she had read about the urban fringe future land use category, she was concerned about the traffic flow increase on County Road 675, which she said sees large numbers of children being dropped off by school buses. She called for a non-developer funded study on the environmental impacts.
Correction: This story has been updated to correct that East River Ranch is a Carlos Beruff project.
