Neighbors win battle to keep construction traffic out
In a 4-1 city council vote on Wednesday amidst a lengthy and contentious debate, the Lastra housing development in east Bradenton can move forward. However, the developer must contend with a difficult access point to the site.
The 37 acres at 4915 First Ave. E. is the last piece of undeveloped land in an area of the city that is experiencing rapid growth. The property is surrounded with new residential neighborhoods and sits back against wetlands and Interstate 75. The only access that does not impact residents who oppose construction traffic through their neighborhoods is First Avenue East. However, the road is not wide enough to accommodate construction vehicles coming and going.
It has been the one sticking point that has witnessed an otherwise favorable project go through multiple debates with strong public opposition not to the project itself, but the construction traffic created for a proposed three-to-five year construction timetable.
Resident Marc Pease presented more than 80 signatures of the 95 homeowners of San Casciano in support of the Lastra project, which consists of 12 single-family detached homes and 172 two-story townhomes. However, the homeowners association declared that the developer, Next Generation Development LLC, must not use residential roads for construction traffic.
The reason why is the safety of our children and grandchildren and the bus stops which are at both entrances.
Mark Pease
resident near the proposed construction site“The number one thing we do have a problem with is that we don’t want the council to change what they already approved when it comes to First Avenue East,” Pease said. “The reason why is the safety of our children and grandchildren and the bus stops which are at both entrances.”
Pease said the loss of one life far exceeds the added costs to the developer to work out a better and safer access and exit point.
The planning commission in August included a stipulation restricting construction traffic to First Avenue East. In a lengthy and rare debated first reading on Sept. 14, the city council also moved the project forward to Wednesday’s meeting with the same stipulation. The developer has opposed the stipulation, citing documentation that gives the developer access rights on San Ortebello Road.
“We never represented that First Avenue would be exclusive,” said Steven Thompson, attorney for Next Generation.
We get told things that they can be done when we approve something the first time and nothing changes and all of a sudden it becomes difficult, unsafe or whatever.
Ward 4 Councilman Bemis Smith
Because of those documents, Councilman Patrick Roff voted against Councilman Bemis Smith’s motion to approve the project with the stipulations intact. The documents do provide access to the development site, but residents say it was meant for future residential traffic, not construction traffic.
The two-hour debate left many frustrated, including the developer who was asked if they would be able to work with the stipulation restricting construction traffic to First Avenue East. Thompson only shrugged his shoulders. Smith was equally frustrated.
“We get told things that they can be done when we approve something the first time and all of a sudden it becomes difficult, unsafe or whatever,” Smith said. “In the past approvals, it was always First Avenue East. It puts us in a tough spot on something we may not have approved the first time.”
Mark Young: 941-745-7041, @urbanmark2014
This story was originally published September 28, 2016 at 10:25 PM with the headline "Neighbors win battle to keep construction traffic out."