Neighborhood meeting to address proposal for new I-75 overpass near Mall at UTC, Benderson Park
UNIVERSITY PARK -- Two roadway improvements near University Parkway and Lakewood Ranch intended to help alleviate traffic will move another step forward this week.
The public will have a chance to voice opinions about a new Interstate 75 overpass and connector road near the Mall at University Town Center during a Sarasota County neighborhood workshop Thursday evening.
The overpass is being pro
posed between Lakewood Ranch Boulevard and North Cattleman Road, with a second phase of the roadway extension to Honore Avenue. The improvement would provide a new route to the Mall at UTC and Nathan Benderson Park and serve as an alternative to University Parkway.
The overpass roadway is proposed to be built near the southern end of Nathan Benderson Park.
"There are people on all sides of this issue," Sarasota County spokesman Jason Bartolone said. "We want as many people to attend and as much input as we can get."
The neighborhood meeting will be at 6 p.m. Thursday at Church of Hope, 1560 Wendell Kent Road, Sarasota.
While Sarasota County Commission authorized a Comprehensive Plan amendment to show the proposed improvement on the Future Thoroughfare Plan at its Dec. 9 meeting, Thursday's neighborhood workshop is the next step in making the overpass a reality.
After Thursday's meeting, the overpass discussion is tentatively scheduled to go before the Sarasota County Planning Commission Feb. 19 and then before the county commission in two public hearings -- one tentatively scheduled for April 1 to approve transmitting the amendment to the state for its review. The second hearing is tentatively scheduled for June 23.
At the Sarasota County Commission's Wednesday afternoon meeting, there will be a public hearing related to the extension of Lakewood Ranch Boulevard to Fruitville Road in Sarasota County. The hearing will be to adopt a resolution on the Comprehensive Plan Amendment relating to location and alignment of Lakewood Ranch Boulevard on the Year 2025 Future Thoroughfare Plan and transmit the amendment to the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity for review and comment before coming back before the county commission. The amendment is calling for a change in the roadway alignment at Fruitville Road.
Claire Aronson, University Parkway/Sarasota reporter, can be reached at 941-745-7024 or at caronson@bradenton.com. Follow her on Twitter @Claire_Aronson.
This story was originally published January 28, 2015 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Neighborhood meeting to address proposal for new I-75 overpass near Mall at UTC, Benderson Park ."