Lakewood Ranch FL. Planning and Development Changes Affecting Local Schools Areas and Residents

Residents of Lakewood Ranch should be concerned about a recent letter they received Titled: Dear Adjacent Property Owner and Filed By: SMR North 70, LLC & SMR Northwest Land, LLC. This letter is providing notice of public hearings being held to “Amend, restate development and zoning ordinance” around between Route 64  and Route 70, between Lakewood Ranch Blvd and White Eagle Blvd.  A plot plan of the affected area “Project Site” was provided with the letter.  The Manatee County Planning Commission will hold a public hearing on 5/14/20 at 9:00 am.  The follow up to this meeting will be with the Manatee County Board of County Commissioners on 6/4/20.  Resident must appear in person to have their voices heard.  The proposed changes to the zoning ordinance if approved as noted will affect resident of Lakewood Ranch in many ways.  Most importantly it will pave the way for more multifamily housing projects (apartment complexes) etc. to be built directly adjacent to B.D. Gullett Elementary School and the new Dr. Mona Jane MS. This intent has been previously story lined thru YourObserver.com.  New multi-family and single family rental property communities are popping up everywhere and should be of concern to all Lakewood Ranch residents when placed immediately adjacent to our local K-8 schools.  There is already safety concerns for children walking to school due to traffic congestion at both intersection near the schools along Route 44. Placing rental properties immediate next to the school will add congestion to these intersections and introduce a constant flow of new residents unfamiliar with child and auto access patterns to and from the school. Per the above reference letter….questions can be addressed to Rossina Leider, Planning Section Manager at 941-7484501 Ext: 6859 or Email: rossina.leider@mymanatee.org.   

 

Residents should voice their opinion if they feel it is inappropriate for Manatee County to be holding a public hearing on this matter at this time.  These hearings will affect thousands of residents and students and they are scheduled during a period that the state of Florida is in lockdown and most Floridians are still in fear of public environments due to COVID-19.   Via email and in person formally request that the County consider postponing these hearings till such time that most local residents get back on their feet and feel safe and comfortable in public environments to attend the hearings and express their views.   There may be a formal process for requesting an extension however these processes do not take into account circumstance of public lockdown and social health fears created by a pandemic. 

Below is a list of additional items of concern related to this zoning ordinance change request.  Residents are encouraged to respond within this petition adding their views and more importantly email the office of the Planning Section Manager and appear in person at the above mentioned hearings to have their voices heard.

1. Safety of our kids at school next to a multifamily housing, rental properties, commercial property, complexes.  

2. Safety of our kids walking to/from school 

3. Change in traffic patterns to and immediately next to the school.  

4. Change in auto/buss/walking access to the school for children  

5. Changed community character 

6. Over crowding of the schools and amount of students per teacher 

7. Schools will need more infrastructure to maintain the increase in population 

8. Access to the school for fire and police 

9. Traffic congestion 

10. Parking congestion 

11. The amount of rental units that are popping up in general in the vicinity of the school creating safety concerns 

12. Rental properties or commercial properties driving down real estate value in adjacent housing/neighborhoods 

13. Multi family housing lowers the property value of single family homes 

14. Increased crime due to lower housing costs 

15. Increased noise  

16. Appearance of the neighborhood and surrounding spaces   

17. Commercial/rental property security in general 

18. Tremendous volume of rental properties continues to increase in this area driving rental prices down and affects grounds upkeep and budgets.  

19. Destruction of a large area of local and visible wetlands that beautify the local area and Lakewood Ranch 

20. Disruption of visible wildlife 

21. Potential disruption of endangered species….have any studies been done? 

22. Added burden to Public Safety Resources 

23. Gullett School is a local hurricane shelter, what adjustments has the county made to add capacity to local Hurricane Shelter Facilities based on all the new single and multifamily residence added in this area in the last 24 months.