Changes approved for Heritage Harbour in East Manatee

MANATEE -- Despite concerns from neighboring East Manatee residents, the Heritage Harbour Development of Regional Impact will be changed to add commercial, retail and multifamily units to an undeveloped parcel.

Before the Manatee County Commission's approval, the applicant added two stipulations Thursday in response to the concerns -- one prohibiting certain uses in the 500 feet adjacent to the Waterlefe Golf & River Club subdivision and the other directing multifamily development be located only south of Port Harbour Parkway.

Some Waterlefe residents still felt the changes weren't enough.

"They want to crowd us in like that," Waterlefe resident Patsy Hall said. "I think it is unbelievable. The ground can't support it. The schools can't support it. The roads can't support it."

Hall, whose land borders the parcel in question, said they are also displacing wildlife.

"They are building on every inch of Manatee," she said.

In a 5-1 vote, the county commission approved the changes to the zoning ordinance and general development plan for Heritage Harbour DRI, which allocates parcels from other parcels to the new development and also includes adding a land

use equivalency matrix and realigning the Port Harbour Parkway extension through the parcel.

Commissioner Robin DiSabatino cast the sole dissenting vote, and Commissioner Larry Bustle was absent.

"I understand the neighbors' concerns about having commercial here, but I believe it is permitted by the Comprehensive Plan," Commissioner Betsy Benac said.

The parcel is on the west side of Upper Manatee River Road approximately one mile north of State Road 64. Waterlefe borders the parcel to the north and Greenfield Plantation borders it to the south.

To DiSabatino, the proposal was "against our policy of compatability."

"I appreciate them working diligently to add on the list of stipulations that won't be allowed 500 feet from Waterlefe," she said. "I would have liked to see it through the entire community and not just 500 feet from Waterlefe. ... Now you are putting commercial smack dab in the middle of an area that doesn't really have commercial at this time."

The commission also:

Had the first of two public hearings to terminate a local development agreement for Long Bar Pointe. The termination was part of the settlement the commission approved with the developers last month. The commission will formally vote to terminate the local development agreement and amend the site plan approval for the subject parcel of Long Bar Pointe in June.

Approved a rezone to planned development mixed use and a general development plan for 33 nonresidential mixed use lots on 111.14 acres on the northwest quadrant of 44th Avenue East and Lakewood Ranch Boulevard.

Approved a rezone to planned development mixed use and a preliminary site plan for 22,500 square feet of nonresidential uses on 4.4 acres and 168 multifamily units on 15.09 acres.

The project site, which totals 19.49 acres, is on the southwest corner of U.S. 301 and Oxford Road.

Approved a revision to the zoning ordinance and general development plan for The Gateway North Development of Regional Impact, a mixed-use development on the northwest corner of Interstate 75 and Moccasin Wallow Road interchange.

The commission will also consider an amended and restated development order for the project.

Approved a large-scale map amendment to residential, six dwelling units per acre, for 59.68 acres on the south side of Moccasin Wallow Road, approximately 1.75 miles east of the I-75/Moccasin Wallow Road interchange in Parrish.

Claire Aronson, Manatee County reporter, can be reached at 941-745-7024. Follow her on Twitter @Claire_Aronson.

This story was originally published May 5, 2016 at 11:14 PM with the headline "Changes approved for Heritage Harbour in East Manatee ."