Manatee commissioners surrender oversight of Carlos Beruff’s Aqua by the Bay | Letter to the editor

On Thursday the Manatee County Commission, with the notable and noble exception of Commissioner Carol Whitmore, threw their collective hands up in despair to say we know not what we did so let’s undo it. What was undone was a proffer submitted to the board in October 2017 at a quasi-judicial hearing to approve the Long Bar Point (Aqua by the Bay) General Development Plan, to seal the deal and obtain unanimous consent. This contentious project involves over 500 acres and over 2,800 residential units - the last major development site fronting Sarasota Bay.

The proffer (stipulation that originates from the applicant, not the county) stated that after 750 residential units were completed (built and received Certificates of Occupancy) the commission could consider for “further approval” additional preliminary site plans. The applicant was in effect giving the commission the opportunity for a second look once they had something to look at. Thus the applicant subjected himself to commission action years hence to withhold further approvals subject to amending the General Development Plan if the commission and citizens believed that improvements to the plan were needed.

This was a “quid pro quo” and stemmed from the utter lack of detail about number of buildings and their placement and effects, mix of uses and other aspects of the project (wall effect) which should have been examined. Citizens were deprived of information in the submission and the commission accepted the proffer as a condition of their approval. Details to follow.

The commission, with the assistance of staff and the applicant, muddied or muddled the meaning of the proffer, its paternity debated. Staff had already approved preliminary site plans beyond 750 units in violation of the stipulation.I

n the end, the commission surrendered its leverage and citizens went quietly out into the morning light disgusted.

Larry Grossman

Sarasota