- December 15, 2025
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The Manatee County Planning Commission saw packed chambers for its first meeting that includes two new members.
Myakka City’s Rob Brown and Lakewood Ranch’s Bruce Stamm joined the board Dec. 11. They replace members Jeffrey Eslinger and Cindy Kebba.
Like Brown and Stamm, most of the residents in the chambers were also from East County. The residents were objecting to two proposed developments — a proposed 100 townhomes near the intersection of Waterline Road and Rye Road and a joint planning agreement that would add 289 single family homes north of State Road 64, near Zipperer Road.
Residents complained that the developments would worsen flooding and road conditions.
The planning commission only makes recommendations. Both projects will have to go before the Manatee County Board of County Commissioners for final approval or denial at the Jan. 8 land use meeting.
The planning commission was unanimous in recommending the denial of this project. Alyssa Gay was the only member absent.
The request is to rezone nearly 18 acres from agriculture to planned development residential to build 100 rental units with 25% of the townhomes designated as “affordable.” The affordable designation allows for density bonuses and expedited permitting.
A major problem for planning commissioners was that Rye Road’s existing level of service from State Road 64 to Upper Manatee River Road is designated by a C (rating), which grades it as a functional road. However, unless it’s widened from two lanes to four, the level of service will drop to an F once construction is completed on the already approved developments in the area.
An F is considered a total breakdown of the road by Florida Department of Transportation standards.
Country Creek’s Cara Misiewicz said she won’t let her children ride their bikes to school no matter how much they beg because it’s a safety issue.
When driving them to Gene Witt Elementary School, it takes Misiewicz upwards of 10 minutes to take a left turn onto Rye Road because there are no traffic lights to provide any breaks in the traffic.
“I have to tell my kids, ‘hold onto your butts, we’re pulling out.’” she said. “That’s not safe for me or for anyone.”
Misiewicz noted that the sidewalks have become congested because they’re walking paths that are being used by bikes and golf carts in an effort to avoid the vehicle traffic.
The site being located in the Mill Creek watershed was another negative aspect in Brown’s view. He noted that the watershed’s study lays out a list of deficiencies and that it should be taken “off the shelf” to look at some corrective actions.
The meeting ran well past 5 p.m. By the time the vote was taken on this joint planning agreement between Simply Dwell Homes and M/I Homes of Sarasota, Matt Bower had left the dais.
Each project was narrowly recommended for approval in back-to-back, 3-2 votes with Brown and Stamm in opposition. Had Bower voted with the pair, a tie would’ve caused the recommendations to be recommended for denial.
While they are two separate requests from two separate developers, Katie LeBarr, a principal planner for the consulting firm Stantec, told planning commissioners that “the collaboration will yield better outcomes for residents.”
M/I Homes wants to build 167 single family homes on 55.8 acres to the north of where Simply Dwell, a brand by Neal Communities, wants to build 122 single family homes on 43.7 acres.
The plan is to share access points and amenities.
Residents focused on what would be lost with an approval, including dark skies at night, wildlife habitats and the canopy of trees that line Zipperer Road.
The Moran family, who has owned the land for 60 years, focused on what they’ve already lost — fertile land and a farming community.
“We are already surrounded (by development),” Marilyn Moran said. “This is not the boondocks anymore.”
While sympathetic towards the Morans' viewpoints, Brown voted to recommend denying the projects because he deemed them too intense for the surrounding area. He told the Morans that the land could still be developed with less intense uses.
Chair John DeLesline said the timing wasn't perfect, but he still voted to recommend approval.
“(The land) is going to be developed regardless,” he said. “Not too many people want a 1-acre or 5-acre lot out there, especially when they can’t grow anything.”
