Lakewood Ranch supervisors propose memorial bench as place to reflect on lost teens

LAKEWOOD RANCH -- More than two months after two Lakewood Ranch teens died when their car crashed into a tree on a twisting stretch of Lakewood Ranch Boulevard, the accident scene has become a living memorial.

Poinsettias and other flowers, stuffed animals, photos, a wreath made of shiny Christmas balls, and notes from classmates and family, show how much Brendan Shreve, 17, and Jared Duran, 15, were loved, and are missed and mourned.

"It's amazing that people are continuing to come," a neighbor said of the depth of feeling about Brendan and Jared.

The neighbor was also aware that supervisors at Lakewood Ranch are concerned about the memorial in the median of Lakewood Ranch Boulevard and how risky it can be for anyone to try visit it. Motorists can suddenly appear around curves in the road, many of them exceeding the posted 35 mph speed limit.

Supervisors have been talking about the makeshift memorial since the accident, and are concerned about the safety of the people trying to visit it, said Anne Ross, executive director of Lakewood Ranch Town Hall.

"We want to be very sensitive to the mourning process," Ross said Monday.

Supervisors have asked Ross to make contact with the families of Brendan and Jared and have proposed that a memorial bench with

a plaque be placed near a sidewalk on the east side of the road.

"It would be more safe for the mourners," Ross said.

Supervisors have also asked Ross to contact the family of Donald Mader, 83, who was killed by a motorist while riding his bicycle in the same Summerfield neighborhood in 2014.

June Stroup, chairwoman of the Community Development District 1, which serves the Summerfield and Riverwalk neighborhoods, confirmed Monday that supervisors have asked Ross to reach out to the bereaved families.

"It's a delicate issue and we are trying to be as sensitive to this as we can," Stroup said. "But we are concerned about the traffic and that no one else is hurt."

The crash site is located about midway between Summerfield Parkway and Clubhouse Drive. There is no place to park nearby.

It makes sense for the community to add a memorial bench to commemorate the lives lost in that area, Stroup said.

Alan Roth, who serves as assistant secretary for CDD 1, said the entire community was shocked by the accident that claimed two of its teens.

Roth said he is hopeful families will support the idea, but supervisors won't force the issue.

"It's too big a tragedy to rush someone's grieving," Roth said.

James A. Jones Jr., East Manatee reporter, can be contacted at 941-745-7053 or on Twitter @jajones1.

This story was originally published December 21, 2015 at 11:47 PM with the headline "Lakewood Ranch supervisors propose memorial bench as place to reflect on lost teens ."