New Ellenton affordable housing project wants to solve Manatee’s ‘livability crisis’
After hearing a slightly modified request to change the land use designation of nearly 200 acres in an Ellenton neighborhood, the Manatee Board of County Commissioners said it’s more comfortable paving the way for a state-of-the-art affordable housing project.
Representatives from Pearl Home’s OurLives development previously asked the board to consider a Comprehensive Plan amendment switching the entire piece of land to a mixed use designation — the most intensive land use category allowed under county code. In October, commissioners said they were skeptical about applying such a massive change in a residential neighborhood.
At Thursday’s Land Use meeting, Pearl Homes presented a modified application for a mixed use designation only in the 40-acre northeast quadrant of their 160-acre parcel located at the southeast corner of Ellenton-Gillette Road and 29th Street East in Ellenton.
Darenda Marvin, a planner working with the Sarasota-based company, said the mixed use designation was still required to provide a transition from the Florida International Tradeport to the east, which also has a mixed use designation and is planning to bring in 800 new jobs to the area.
“Give us this chance. We won’t let you down,” said Pearl Homes CEO Marshall Gobuty. “I’m really excited about it because it’s solving the livability crisis. It’s something people talk about but never get done.”
The updated request was enough to win over commissioners who feared that the all-inclusive mixed use designation could allow for densely packed homes and businesses that would be inappropriate in a neighborhood setting, which they say does not have the proper infrastructure and road improvements in place.
“I just want to thank you for listening to us. You came back with what I think is a reasonable plan. There will still be issues when you give us the site plan — there’s drainage issues in the northwest and some huge traffic issues,” said Commissioner Priscilla Whisenant Trace, who voted against the project in October, citing similar concerns. “But I wanted to tell you thank you for listening to us and working so hard on it.”
The OurLives community will incorporate “forward-thinking designs and cutting-edge home technology,” according to a Friday morning press release. Pearl Homes is working on similar projects in Bradenton and Cortez.
Gobuty said the community will feature up to 720 residential units that put sustainability and cohesive living first. His company plans on incorporating renewable energy technology, community gardens and sustainable building materials. Small businesses and shops will also be housed in the LEED certified community.
“There’s going to be meeting areas, open fire pits, movies being projected on the sides of buildings,” Gobuty told board members Thursday. “What we’re talking about now is the future. We’re talking about affordability and delivering it.”
Manatee County’s Redevelopment and Economic Opportunity Director Geri Lopez said she’s looking forward to the OurLives project, as well, which is set to offer leases aligned with the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s fair market rental rates.
“OurLives is an innovative and sustainable rental project concept to be located near a growing employment center,” Lopez said in a statement. “We are eagerly looking forward to working with Pearl Homes to create much-needed affordable housing in north Manatee County.”
Some of the county’s policies may need to be tweaked to make it easier for affordable housing projects, said Commissioner Vanessa Baugh, who also thanked Gobuty for his company’s flexibility.
“I cannot applaud what you’ve done enough, truly. It’s right under our nose and it’s something we should certainly look at — to change what we allow and what we don’t allow — so we can bring these things into Manatee County and be more productive,” Baugh said.
Commissioner Betsy Benac said she still had doubts about the plan and her vote of approval came with a “leap of faith.” The board ultimately voted unanimously to approve the rezoning request.
“I’m excited about opportunities for new housing. Net zero sounds great, and there’s so many things we should be doing, but it’s hard for me to set aside my concerns about density and intensity with mixed use,” Benac said.
Commissioners will vote on a general development plan for the OurLives project in February.
This story was originally published January 11, 2020 at 5:00 AM.
