(To make our voices heard please email the commissioners directly. After signing this petition you can copy the following or send your own communication. Emails are at the bottom. TY)

Dear Manatee County Commissioners and Director White,

We, as residents of Lakewood Ranch and parents deeply invested in the future of our community, are writing to express our strong opposition to the development of the Country Club East Baseball fields.

Lakewood Ranch has seen explosive population growth—particularly since the pandemic—with this in mind we fully support recreational opportunities for children and families as Lakewood Ranch is home to a thriving community of athletes. This location however is not the right location and presents significant challenges for both the surrounding neighborhoods and Willis Elementary School.

Families have made decisions—purchasing homes, planning for their children’s futures—based on the areas quiet residential appeal.

Willis is a highly desired school for many families in Manatee County. Our student population is growing every year and will continue to increase with school choice and the ongoing development throughout the area ensures that this demand will further increase as more homes are built.

In addition, there is a Catholic School k-8 that will be built on the other side of Willis which will add even more traffic to the area.

The increase in traffic during school pick up and drop off is one of several pressing issues. The car line at Willis already takes over an hour to get through, and the park is the designated pick up location for more than one hundred student walkers each afternoon. If this safe space is reduced, families will be forced back into the car line, further delaying dismissal and congestion in the area. If at the same time ninety families are arriving for baseball games and practice, traffic congestion will overwhelm Lorraine Road, Masters Avenue, and even the private resident entrance into Country Club East off Ravelston and into the Lake Club off Lake Club Blvd making it extremely difficult for residents to move through the area.

The proposed fields also raise concerns about noise, lighting, and late evening activity. The quiet character of the nearby neighborhoods will be affected, and the value of homes in Country Club East, Country Club West, The Lake Club, The Isles and Del Webb may be diminished. In addition, there has been little communication with the community about this project. Many residents, myself included, were unaware that it had even reached the planning board for approval. Before public funds are allocated, there must be better outreach to the communities that will be most directly affected.

Finally, there has been minimal information provided about drainage and flooding. Paving a significant portion of the park and constructing large sports fields will alter how rainwater is absorbed. With the school and homes in Country Club East bordering the park, this is a matter that deserves careful consideration and public review.

We respectfully ask that you reconsider the approval of this project until the residents of the surrounding communities are given the opportunity to fully understand its impact and to share their concerns. Country Club East Park should remain a safe, accessible, and beneficial space for all members of the community, not just a select few.

Thank you for your time and for your commitment to serving the families of Manatee County.

Manatee County Commissioners:

drbob.mccann@mymanatee.org

tal@mymanatee.org

carolann.felts@mymanatee.org

george.kruse@mymanatee.org

jason.bearden@mymanatee.org 

mike.rahn@mymanatee.org

amanda.ballard@mymanatee.org

molly.white@mymanatee.org