Your article presents a sensible approach to managing our County’s inevitable future growth. The past several years of anti-growth sentiment, I believe was spawned by the public awareness of developer control over many former County Board members thus, the lack of trust in decision making. That has changed and I hope developers will be a part of the solution and buy into the suggestions you have made as there is ample opportunity for them and a less congested future for all.
Definitely a realistic POV. What resonates again and again is the local governance/policy framework. Enforcing the FDAB, clarifying language crafty legal teams will exploit and so forth. To be truthful if an individual really wants to preserve the land they have to buy it and fight at every step to prevent an irresponsible buyer next to them from encroaching or adversely impacting it.
I appreciated the point in here where you stated you will make decision that prevent that from happening.
The infill and commercial will be great I agree-let’s be honest though-without the governance, developers will not be compelled to make an infrastructure decision or growth restriction if it will adversely impact profits. That’s capitalism and it’s their business model-OK. But local governance and consistent management and oversight of the changes is what a realistic person should seek in their representatives and or county staff. It’s what I look for.
Not a NIMBY or BANANA just respect your neighbor. Developers are not “neighbors” in the sense of the word. They cannot promise to be good neighbors with a devils smile and think it’s OK.
We are growing….and we need to step up our infrastructure project execution. It won’t be easy but it’s reality. Smarter growth means acceleration of the projects we know are needed.
It will cost us money. We should spend some of our surplus or commit to a percentage in a thoughtful way. We can equally build a better community on our terms, not just at the discretion of private business. It’s not as sexy as a new chick fil a, but a bridge, a road or a canal improvement project is the long game we should be playing alongside the bedrooms.
This is one of the better statements of what growth should be than I have seen in a long time. As a former Manatee Planning Commissioner my observation is that all too often, development means giving developers most of what they want and failing to look at the larger community.
Where are our walkable communities, knit together by reliable, dependable and public transportation? Instead, we acquiesce with urban sprawl and more automobile-dependent communities.
George, you talk a good stick, your voting records indicates otherwise. It's been uncontrolled growth for the last 5 years you been on the BOCC. The recent 4-3 votes from the BOCC continue to harm Manatee county with no affordable housing component in any of the 65K housing permits the previous boards approved and the continue 4-3 votes with Carol Felts, Jason Bearden and Dr. Bob McCann voting against uncontrolled growth. the rest of you George, Amanda, Tal, and Mike Rahn always voting for insane unsustainable growth. Hate to be "A pain in my ass" but facts are stubborn things.
Disagree with you on Bearden. He voted for just about everything KVO wanted. KVO lost so now he's done a 180. He saw what happened to KVO. He wants to get re-elected so as soon as the results were in in 2024 he flipped. He used to yell about property rights. He didn't worry about infrastructure or even wetlands until KVO out. Hopefully someone better will run against him. Never cared for Rahn even when he was on the Planning Commission. I would like to see both gone. Can't vote Ballard. Wrong district.
What a huge difference the 44th corridor has made at the bottle neck of SR64 and 41. We need to try to stay ahead of the traffic demands. If the new section of Ft hammer bridge was in place and the flyover at the hospital and 41, we could almost eliminate some major historical bottlenecks in our area.
I completely agree. The new corridor has been a big success and I expect to be even more so as more commuters realize the benefits of shifting to 44th. I’m on it regularly. The Board is actively working on getting the new section of Ft Hamer bridge designed and funded with conversations continuing this year in both Tallahassee and DC. As for the flyover, I’m a massive proponent of it and I’ve had many conversations with FDOT regarding its necessity. Unfortunately, I believe that was pushed out to 2031 on their schedule so we’re going to have to come up with an interim solution with the City of Bradenton as that works its way through.
I very much agree with most of this. I will say, that for some of us who did buy into rural, it's not wrong of us to want to not lose the reasons we moved to AG zoned land. But yes, we very much need infill development. So many parts of Bradenton could use revitalization and infill to help create that community feel. Thanks for putting into words what so many people fail to realize. The plan should never be for no development- it always needs to be HOW we are developing and planning for the future with smarter development.
I voted for you for reasons you have outlined in this article. But, as long as developers are building substandard high density complexes that couldn’t withstand a hurricane (as they are stick-built- no concrete blocks), and no impact fees are charged , I can not agree with this over-development. Take the situation with just one road, Buffalo Rd. This 2 lane road is trying to handle all the recent development on it plus that coming off Moccasin Wollow Rd and the multi-unit housing and businesses on the opposite side of 69th St. Now they are building a Walmart, a hospital, etc.
We have so much trouble getting out of Imperial lakes, then have long line to get on 69th.. Fix what is broken before asking for more.
George,
Your article presents a sensible approach to managing our County’s inevitable future growth. The past several years of anti-growth sentiment, I believe was spawned by the public awareness of developer control over many former County Board members thus, the lack of trust in decision making. That has changed and I hope developers will be a part of the solution and buy into the suggestions you have made as there is ample opportunity for them and a less congested future for all.
Definitely a realistic POV. What resonates again and again is the local governance/policy framework. Enforcing the FDAB, clarifying language crafty legal teams will exploit and so forth. To be truthful if an individual really wants to preserve the land they have to buy it and fight at every step to prevent an irresponsible buyer next to them from encroaching or adversely impacting it.
I appreciated the point in here where you stated you will make decision that prevent that from happening.
The infill and commercial will be great I agree-let’s be honest though-without the governance, developers will not be compelled to make an infrastructure decision or growth restriction if it will adversely impact profits. That’s capitalism and it’s their business model-OK. But local governance and consistent management and oversight of the changes is what a realistic person should seek in their representatives and or county staff. It’s what I look for.
Not a NIMBY or BANANA just respect your neighbor. Developers are not “neighbors” in the sense of the word. They cannot promise to be good neighbors with a devils smile and think it’s OK.
We are growing….and we need to step up our infrastructure project execution. It won’t be easy but it’s reality. Smarter growth means acceleration of the projects we know are needed.
It will cost us money. We should spend some of our surplus or commit to a percentage in a thoughtful way. We can equally build a better community on our terms, not just at the discretion of private business. It’s not as sexy as a new chick fil a, but a bridge, a road or a canal improvement project is the long game we should be playing alongside the bedrooms.
This is one of the better statements of what growth should be than I have seen in a long time. As a former Manatee Planning Commissioner my observation is that all too often, development means giving developers most of what they want and failing to look at the larger community.
Where are our walkable communities, knit together by reliable, dependable and public transportation? Instead, we acquiesce with urban sprawl and more automobile-dependent communities.
George, you talk a good stick, your voting records indicates otherwise. It's been uncontrolled growth for the last 5 years you been on the BOCC. The recent 4-3 votes from the BOCC continue to harm Manatee county with no affordable housing component in any of the 65K housing permits the previous boards approved and the continue 4-3 votes with Carol Felts, Jason Bearden and Dr. Bob McCann voting against uncontrolled growth. the rest of you George, Amanda, Tal, and Mike Rahn always voting for insane unsustainable growth. Hate to be "A pain in my ass" but facts are stubborn things.
Disagree with you on Bearden. He voted for just about everything KVO wanted. KVO lost so now he's done a 180. He saw what happened to KVO. He wants to get re-elected so as soon as the results were in in 2024 he flipped. He used to yell about property rights. He didn't worry about infrastructure or even wetlands until KVO out. Hopefully someone better will run against him. Never cared for Rahn even when he was on the Planning Commission. I would like to see both gone. Can't vote Ballard. Wrong district.
2026 election cycle with change 4-3 vote...For The record
What a huge difference the 44th corridor has made at the bottle neck of SR64 and 41. We need to try to stay ahead of the traffic demands. If the new section of Ft hammer bridge was in place and the flyover at the hospital and 41, we could almost eliminate some major historical bottlenecks in our area.
I completely agree. The new corridor has been a big success and I expect to be even more so as more commuters realize the benefits of shifting to 44th. I’m on it regularly. The Board is actively working on getting the new section of Ft Hamer bridge designed and funded with conversations continuing this year in both Tallahassee and DC. As for the flyover, I’m a massive proponent of it and I’ve had many conversations with FDOT regarding its necessity. Unfortunately, I believe that was pushed out to 2031 on their schedule so we’re going to have to come up with an interim solution with the City of Bradenton as that works its way through.
Nice piece George. Thank you for all that you and the Board do. Some part time job huh?
I very much agree with most of this. I will say, that for some of us who did buy into rural, it's not wrong of us to want to not lose the reasons we moved to AG zoned land. But yes, we very much need infill development. So many parts of Bradenton could use revitalization and infill to help create that community feel. Thanks for putting into words what so many people fail to realize. The plan should never be for no development- it always needs to be HOW we are developing and planning for the future with smarter development.
I voted for you for reasons you have outlined in this article. But, as long as developers are building substandard high density complexes that couldn’t withstand a hurricane (as they are stick-built- no concrete blocks), and no impact fees are charged , I can not agree with this over-development. Take the situation with just one road, Buffalo Rd. This 2 lane road is trying to handle all the recent development on it plus that coming off Moccasin Wollow Rd and the multi-unit housing and businesses on the opposite side of 69th St. Now they are building a Walmart, a hospital, etc.
We have so much trouble getting out of Imperial lakes, then have long line to get on 69th.. Fix what is broken before asking for more.
Your POV is a breath of fresh air. Excellent article!