Civic Issues
Topics getting the most attention in Manatee County public meetings, ranked by how frequently they are discussed.
14 issues in development with high priority
Bradenton Crossings intensity increase
Developers want to add nearly 193,000 square feet to the allowed commercial space at this 35-acre project near US 41, with limits on where hotels, warehouses, and outdoor storage can go.
Ivy Run residential development
Two big subdivisions — 167 homes and 122 homes — along two-lane, tree-canopy-lined Zipperer Road sparked hours of testimony about traffic, flooding and loss of the canopy road. The 167-home plan was denied unanimously; the 122-home plan was continued indefinitely.
Short-term rental regulation update
Dozens of residents testified about disruptive high-occupancy short-term rentals in their neighborhoods, citing noise, trash, parking, flooding, and safety issues. The board is developing an ordinance with occupancy caps and registration requirements, expected back September 2.
Stephens planned residential development (164 homes) in Palmetto
Roughly 27 acres off 77th Street East could be rezoned for a planned residential neighborhood with up to 164 homes — 161 attached and 3 detached. That means new neighbors, traffic on local roads, and pressure on schools and services in the Ellenton Gillette Road area.
Affordable housing at 5th Street Elmington
An approved 90-unit fully affordable apartment project in Bradenton wants to grow to 108 units — the zoning maximum — with reduced parking because residents rely on transit. Roughly 38 percent of Manatee households are cost-burdened, and 52 percent of renters.
Parrish Lakes development package
East County's biggest master-planned community came back after a May denial with 684 fewer homes — all 400 apartments gone — and more commercial instead. Water, sewer, and school impacts all drop below what's already approved, and road connections at Erie/Carter/Sawgrass are finally unblocked after an FPL easement fight.
Crosswind Point mixed-use expansion
A Parrish mixed-use development wants more retail, less office, and a 190-foot Verizon tower. Commissioners backed the retail but said homeowners never agreed to a tower next door.
Project Grace ice rink at Premier Sports Campus
A proposed four-sheet ice rink complex with Icemann Development at Premier Sports Campus in Lakewood Ranch drew intense neighborhood opposition and questions about finances and competition with Ellenton Ice. Commissioners voted unanimously to end negotiations, though the developer says other uses could be built on the site.
Amazon South mega mixed-use rezone continued
A 35-acre addition to the North River Ranch village would add 661 homes, more retail and office, and wipe out a 24-acre wetland at Moccasin Wallow and US 301, with off-site mitigation near Port Manatee. Commissioners split over whether the walkable-village benefits outweigh the wetland loss and added strain on water, sewer and roads.
Penler Lorraine affordable housing proposal on Lorraine Road
A developer wanted to rezone about 19.5 acres at 4973 and 4985 Lorraine Road for 232 apartments with at least 25% affordable units. Neighbors worried about traffic on Lorraine Road and density, and the Board unanimously denied the plan amendment, killing the project for now.
Yort Rye Road subdivision continuance
733 homes proposed off Rye Road in Parrish where the road is already projected to fail; the four-lane widening has design money but no construction funding. Commissioners said approving homes ahead of the road is backwards.
Four Corners Mine 14-year extension and Master Mining Plan amendment
Mosaic wants 14 more years to mine and reclaim at Four Corners, plus regional clay processing. Residents cited Mosaic's long record of fines, water use, and Piney Point fears; commissioners split, approving the legal conversion but rejecting the amended plan as proposed.
Lone Valley 2,047-home development denied
The largest project on the agenda — nearly 700 acres and up to 2,047 homes along Buckeye Road in Parrish — was unanimously denied. The related deal for Lennar to fund Buckeye Road improvements through impact fee credits died with it.
Bradenton Estates II subdivision approved
An 80-home development on 18th Avenue East that neighbors say will worsen already dangerous traffic on Morgan Johnson Road and SR 64, strain drainage near the Braden River, and clash with one-acre lots nearby. Residents also flagged past nursery chemical contamination on site.