Rye Ranch proposal would bring another 3,500 homes to the fast-growing Parrish area
Manatee County government officials are reviewing plans for a 3,500-unit residential development, proposed on 1,368.5 acres of farm land at 17855 County Road 675.
Also proposed for the property are 300,000 square feet of non-residential development, and 20,000 square feet of public use facilities.
The owner of the land, Rye Ranch LLC, has filed a rezoning application with an associated general development plan and is represented by ZNS Engineering.
John Falkner, one of Manatee County’s largest property owners, is listed as the managing member for Rye Ranch LLC on records filed with the Florida Division of Corporations’ website, sunbiz.org.
John Falkner LLC owns 21,807.55 acres of Manatee County real estate, according to the Manatee County Property Appraiser.
A rezoning application with an associated general development plan is under review by county staff for completeness.
Hearing dates will be scheduled with the Manatee County Planning Commission and Board of County Commissioners once the application completeness review has been completed, according to Manatee County staff.
There is also a companion application for a land development amendment that would remove the property from the North Central Overlay District.
The project, Rye Ranch LLC/Rye Ranch, showed up on the weekly project list for April 5-11. The county staff uses the list to discuss the status of applications.
Officials with the Parrish Fire District said they are aware of the proposed development and have been working with developers to ensure fire protection is provided.
The Parrish Fire District covers a 97-square-mile area with just one fire station. Parrish and the North River area are among the fastest developing parts of Manatee County with about 25,000 homes approved for construction, or awaiting approvals.
Pat and John Neal are planning 5,842 homes at their North River Ranch development, located west of U.S. 301 and north of Moccasin Wallow Road.
Although there is little that can be considered routine in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, one constant has been the continuing flood of developer applications submitted to Manatee County. The Rye Ranch LLC project is the largest submitted in the past month.
Since the pandemic, Manatee County has been accepting an average of 100 permit requests per day and issuing an average of 150 to 200 permits a day.
“We are also completing an average of 550 inspections per day,” John Barnott, director of Manatee County Building and Development Services, said in an email to the Herald earlier this week.
Falkner, sometimes referred to as the “pickle king” for all the cucumbers he grows, is best known for his farming pursuits. But he has also been associated with development projects, such as the Shoppes at Harrison Ranch, which would bring 300,000 square feet of nonresidential development to Parrish off U.S. 301, and The Aviary, a 784-lot residential neighborhood off County Road 675.
This story was originally published April 23, 2020 at 5:00 AM.
