Manatee County Commission stands by its Long Bar Pointe decision

MANATEE -- With hardly any discussion Tuesday, the Manatee County Commission took its attorney's advice to stand by a decision it made last year on development plans at Long Bar Pointe.

The board unanimously OK'd a written settlement offer without any concessions or compromises to developers of the southwest county property overlooking Sarasota Bay.

The offer declared the board's position as: "No changes to the action of the government entity."

An accompanying statement setting allowable uses indicated county Comprehensive Plan policies do not inordinately burden the developer's property.

"I think it's a very good idea to support your attorney's recommendation," said former Manatee County Commissioner Jane Von Hahmann, who told the commission she approved of its decision to deny sending a Comp Plan text amendment to state land planning officials for review.

Long Bar Pointe developers are attempting to reverse the commission's decision, which effectively killed their waterfront vision for the

463.2-acre property south of El Conquistador Parkway and west of Champion's Row Street.

In August, Medallion Home President Carlos Beruff and Barrington Group's Larry Lieberman hired eminent domain expert attorney S. William Moore to serve the county with a Bert J. Harris Private Property Rights Protection Act claim.

The claim came right before the one-year anniversary of a marathon Long Bar Pointe public hearing at the Bradenton Area Convention Center, where more than 1,000 people turned out, most in opposition to changes developers sought in the county's Comprehensive Plan.

The commission's decision, Moore claimed, caused a property loss of $18 million in fair-market value.

"On the face of the above-listed Comprehensive Plan Policies, the landowners-applicant is clearly denied its common law riparian rights, historically associated with coastal lands in private ownership," Moore wrote.

If the county did not agree to begin to reconsider, developers would seek a formal settlement offer from the county, he wrote.

The commission's decision constitutes its response.

A call to Moore's office for comment late Tuesday was not returned.

Sara Kennedy, Herald reporter, can be reached at 941-745-7031. Follow her on Twitter @sarawrites.

This story was originally published December 17, 2014 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Manatee County Commission stands by its Long Bar Pointe decision ."