Aqua by the Bay foes get guidance for commentary at upcoming commission meeting

Suzanna Young walked out of a meeting at Cortez Road Baptist Church Tuesday night with papers in hand, feeling more informed.

“This was very informative on what to say, zero in on comprehensive items,” Young said. “I think it was great.”

About 100 people filled the pews of the church for an informational meeting on Aqua by the Bay, a proposed Carlos Beruff and Medallion Home development of 2,894 homes on 529 acres between El Conquistador Parkway and Sarasota Bay. The area is said to be Manatee County’s last major stretch of untouched shoreline.

At the church, information sheets were passed out, quoting the county’s comprehensive plan and land development codes and listed the conflicts organizers felt were made to those codes in efforts to provide a basis for comments.

Organizers of Tuesday’s meeting encouraged those who plan to speak before the county’s planning commission or county commissioners to do so in an educated and organized manner, leaving out opinions and politics.

The project is scheduled to go back before the planning commission Thursday and county commission Aug. 16.

The panelists — Jane von Hahmann, a former county commissioner; Jack Merrian, who has experience working with estuaries; John Stevely, a marine scientist who spent decades with University of Florida; and Larry Grossman, who has a background as a city planner — raised concerns about the building heights, the expected impact on local fisheries and existing mangroves, as well as water quality and dredging.

Ed Vogler, an attorney representing Beruff, has previously said there would be no shoreline or water quality impacts.

The panelists also said there is not enough information on the project for it to be approved.

Young agreed.

“It hasn’t been really, thoroughly vetted for such a huge undertaking,” Young said.

Several others who spoke to the Herald after the meeting felt the same way and left feeling more knowledgeable on the matter facing commissioners.

The development was referred back to the planning commission on May 4 by county commissioners, asking for more information about how many buildings would exceed the allowed maximum height of 35 feet.

A more recent staff report outlines the different building types and where on the property they would be built — 12 with a maximum height of 95 feet on the central part of the site, four with a maximum height of 145 feet also on the central part and the others between 36 and 75 feet tall.

“They deserve an approval compatible with this area that is Manatee County that meets the development and comprehensive plan,” von Hahmann, said.

But Young still wonders about what will happen to the nature of Manatee County if the project is approved.

“Manatee County is giving away its essence. And what really rattles me is, there’s been so many years so much effort put into this comprehension plan to ensure we keep our character and its being battered to pieces.”

This story was originally published August 8, 2017 at 9:53 PM with the headline "Aqua by the Bay foes get guidance for commentary at upcoming commission meeting."