Manatee drops plan to buy homes for 59th Street expansion, but residents still worried
Following complaints from West Bradenton residents, Manatee County commissioners want to scrap plans to build a roundabout as part of an upcoming 59th Street West expansion.
During a public meeting last week, residents affected by the proposed project raised concerns about the four-lane expansion of the road. They criticized what they called an unnecessary upgrade and poor communication from county government leaders. Officials plan to expand the 2.3-mile stretch of roadway from Manatee Avenue to Cortez Road.
Early drawings showed the county would need to acquire several houses through eminent domain proceedings, but an updated plan spares those homeowners.
On Tuesday, the Board of County Commissioners voted to modify the planned road alignment, which gets rid of the planned roundabout at 17th Avenue West. The change also drops the county’s earlier suggestion that six properties would need to be forcefully acquired to make way for the expansion.
Despite the changes, residents remain opposed to converting 59th Street West into a four-lane road. Homeowners argue it would make it difficult to exit their driveways and lower their property values.
“Thank you for making some changes. I appreciate that,” said Kerri Wilson, a 59th Street West resident who organized a group of residents who stand against the proposal. “I still am against the four-lane road.”
“There’s no reason for this,” added Randy Johnson, another 59th Street West resident who argued traffic flow is not a problem in his part of town. “Spend your money wisely. You don’t need it widened there.”
But county officials said traffic engineers have demonstrated why the road needs to be expanded. County Administrator Scott Hopes noted W.D. Sugg Middle School plans to increase student capacity, and ambulance drivers have reported delays in transporting patients to Blake Hospital.
“While the residents may not see it, the only trauma center in the county is Blake ..., so anybody that has trauma has to go to that facility,” Hopes said. “Sometimes it’s at times when residents may not notice when it becomes a significant problem, and it’s only going to get worse. The county is growing, the population out west is growing and that’s a major factor that we only have one trauma center and that’s on 59th.”
In an interview with the Bradenton Herald, Pointe West resident Robert Mcgarry said he believed the county should listen to longtime residents who oppose the $31 million transportation project.
“To me as a resident who has been here for 45 years, I don’t see the logic,” said Mcgarry, 74. “Growth is needed, but we need consideration for the people who have been here 30, 40 or 50 years.”
Similar road-widening projects are in the works for 75th Street West, 63rd Avenue East and Lorraine Road.
Commissioner Kevin Van Ostenbridge said county leaders plan to have a town hall meeting in January to discuss the roadway project with nearby residents. A date for that meeting has not been determined.
Visit www.MyManatee.org/CIP for more information on the 59th Street West expansion and other local transportation projects.
This story was originally published December 6, 2022 at 3:46 PM.
