Manatee County officials reject ‘high density’ development plan along Sarasota Bay
Even with a revised proposal, the Manatee County Commission voted to deny the Bradenton Tennis Center’s second effort to prepare the property for a multifamily development.
In June, the Bradenton Tennis Center sought to rezone its 6.7-acre property along Sarasota Bay so that it could sell the land to a developer, but nearby residents strongly opposed the idea of a seven-story building where the tallest condos are four stories high.
During a public Land Use Meeting Thursday morning, county commissioners rejected a modified proposal that slightly reduced the height of a building that could be built on the property at the southeast corner of Bay Club Drive and El Conquistador Parkway.
The Bradenton Tennis Center opened in the 1980s as the Racquet Club at El Conquistador and has been a community pillar for nearly 40 years. But more recently, the private club’s membership has dwindled, local residents say. The proposed rezone would have allowed for up to 107 multi-family units on the property.
As a result of the previous hearing, the Bradenton Tennis Center’s owners updated their proposal to limit the height of any future development to five stories, including one parking level on the ground floor, but commissioners said that request still does not fit the surrounding neighborhood.
“We don’t need to go crazy and give the absolute highest use every time,” Commissioner George Kruse said.
Bradenton Tennis Center seeks ‘high density’
Marty Black, a local planner representing the Bradenton Tennis Center, said the revised proposal cut back on the earlier proposed density, reducing the max building height by two stories. He argued that Manatee County’s Comprehensive Plan, which dates back to 1989, says the property is appropriate for “high density.”
“What we did hear was about the height and the way to address that was to reduce the number of allowable stories,” Black said.
However, as of Thursday afternoon, the Bradenton Tennis Club did not have a developer in mind to build on the property, leaving the site’s future more open-ended than board members would prefer.
“This is looking at a chart and going, ‘What’s the absolute highest I can put on a brochure to sell this property to God-knows-who from God-knows-where at the highest, highest price,’” Kruse said. “I’m not willing to take that chance with an infill development surrounded by people’s houses.”
Nearby residents also said they weren’t satisfied with the updated plan. The proposed building height would still be taller than condominiums in the area.
“They want to sell the tennis court? OK, fine, but they want to maximize the development beyond anything in their neighborhood,” said Patricia Petruff, a land use attorney working on behalf of the El Conquistador Bay Club Condominium Association.
“It’s clear that overdevelopment is headed our way,” added Susan Henderson, one of nine residents who spoke out against the proposal.
Commissioners denied the rezoning request on a 4-1 vote. Commissioner James Satcher voted against the denial. Commissioners Amanda Ballard and Mike Rahn were absent.
This story was originally published September 28, 2023 at 3:48 PM.
