- February 2, 2026
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A joint planning agreement between M/I Homes of Sarasota and Simply Dwell Homes, a brand by Neal Communities, is no longer a joint venture.
Commissioners voted to deny M/I’s application for 167 single family homes on 55.8 acres off of Zipperer Road, but agreed to give Simply Dwell another chance to plead its case for 99 homes.
Simply Dwell's initial request was to build 122 single family homes on 43.7 acres on the south side of M/I’s project, closer to State Road 64.
Because commissioners voted to deny M/I's project, Simply Dwell will have no choice but to reduce the amount of homes because its site only allows for one access point from State Road 64.
Two access points would be required if building 122 homes, but could only be achieved by the joint plan, which had the two developments sharing access points, a lift station and amenities. The second access would have been from Zipperer Road.
Pat Neal attended the Jan. 28 land use meeting and said the company prepared a design for 99 homes. However, there was a cul-de-sac in the plan that was too long to conform with the county’s code.
Commissioner George Kruse said he liked the proposal, but would be forced to cast a vote for denial because of the cul-de-sac.
Before Neal asked for a continuance, Commissioner Carol Felts already had made a motion to deny the project, which was seconded by Commissioner Bob McCann. That motion failed in a 5-2 vote.
A continuance was then granted in another 5-2 vote with Felts and McCann in opposition.
Had commissioners denied the application, as they did with M/I’s request, the project could not be resubmitted to the county for a year. A one-year waiting period applies when the request includes rezoning.
Both developers wanted to rezone the land from Agriculture to Planned Development Residential.
The land use meeting lasted nearly 16 hours, and more than half that time was dedicated to those two projects, which were not presented until 4 p.m. It was nearly 1 a.m. when the final votes were cast.
In between, residents on both sides of the issue gave emotional testimony that included heartfelt pleas and name calling.
The Moran family owns the land that M/I wanted to develop. They spoke lovingly of their father Earl Moran and their history in Manatee County that dates back to the late 1800s.
They also claimed that they were being deprived of their property rights and generational inheritance because of their neighbors’ complaints.
They called neighbors against the project hypocrites, anti-development activists and social media warriors that are being petty, spreading false information, fear mongering and acting as if they are the “new self-appointed HOA board for all of Manatee County.”
One family member showed a photo of a home on Zipperer Road with a paved driveway in between two oak trees to allege the homeowner doesn’t care about trees.
Zipperer Road is a canopy road that most of the residents want preserved. A compromise had been made to widen the road to 20 feet instead of 24 feet, which is the typical width. Zipperer Road is currently between 18 to 20 feet depending on the section.
Ed Vogler, the attorney representing Simply Dwell, said the company hired an arborist to ensure the canopy would be conserved.
The compromise of 4 feet would have saved 61 out of 63 oak trees, but trees were not the only issue of concern regarding impacts to Zipperer Road.
While residents wanted the trees to remain, they didn't think a 20-foot roadway would suffice for the amount of cars that would be going in and out of the developments.
Resident Pamela Laplante questioned how adding a foot of pavement on both sides would improve the road or save the oak hammock.
She suggested that digging into the root system would harm the trees even if they were not removed.
It was also her opinion that the developers' solution would inevitably fail, and Manatee County would have to fix the road at the taxpayers' expense.
Aidan Cox feared something far worse — an accident.
Cox lives off of 18th Avenue East and is a senior in high school. He drives himself to school now, but spent many years walking to the bus stop on the corner of Zipperer Road and State Road 64, often during early morning hours when it’s still dark outside.
“From being a bus rider, I’ve had a couple of close calls from cars turning (onto Zipperer Road),” he said. “Adding hundreds of more cars is completely unsafe for our students.”
The Manatee County School District agreed in its report, stating concerns for "student health, safety and welfare" due to the lack of sidewalks and inadequate width on Zipperer Road.
The report noted that the road is not wide enough for a bus to turn around, and it doesn't provide a safe pedestrian route for students.
Cox also talked about his chickens, geese and the beehive in his backyard. He asked commissioners to deny the project to preserve the legacy of the other families living on Zipperer Road, as well as the Morans.
Increased flooding on and around the road was another area of concern. Residents submitted photos and videos of past floods.
William Riley, a 38-year resident of Zipperer Road, said water flows like a “tidal wave” down the road. He used to keep horses, but regular flooding doesn’t allow him to safely keep them anymore.
Neighbors feared widening the road would eat into or eliminate the ditches that help mitigate flooding.
In the end, commissioners voted unanimously to deny M/I’s request.
"We're listening to the citizens," Kruse said. "Virtually all of your concerns are resolved by (Simply Dwell) going through and (M/I Homes on Zipperer Road) not going through."
Simply Dwell did not go through, but the majority of commissioners liked the project, so it has a good chance of approval when the new plan is brought back for another vote.
Kruse's point was that the 99 homes will have no impact on Zipperer Road because the denial of M/I's project takes that access point away.
The project will also provide lower cost homes in the area, which are currently lacking. Simply Dwell builds homes that start at just over $300,000 and most of their clients are first time homebuyers.
