Three new retail and major housing projects in works for Manatee County – Sarasota Herald-Tribune
Three major projects could soon bring new commercial space and a mix of housing options to key areas of Manatee County.
The projects include a new retail shopping center in Parrish, new townhomes on Cortez Road and hundreds of new homes in Ellenton.
Manatee County commissioners approved zoning changes to make the three projects possible on Thursday, but residents are concerned about the impact they will have on traffic in the area.
Parrish is quickly becoming one of Manatee’s fastest-growing areas, and demand for retail is at an all-time high as developers continue to build new homes.
Commissioners voted unanimously on Thursday to rezone 13.35 acres of agricultural land into commercial zoning for the construction of a new shopping center called Fort Hamer Crossing.
The site is owned by William and Katherine Marsh, who requested the zoning changes with plans for up to 150,000 square feet of commercial retail space.
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The project would be located at the southwest corner of Fort Hamer Road and U.S. 301. A major project to extend Fort Hamer northward is currently underway.
Cortez Road also is in line for a major housing boom as developers work to infill the limited amount of open land available in western Manatee County.
Commissioners approved necessary zoning changes to 57.55 acres of land on the north side of Cortez Road near the Palma Sola Boulevard intersection for the construction of 148 multifamily units known as Mangrove Cove.
The project would consist of seven buildings that are three stories tall with 44 townhomes and two four-story multifamily buildings over parking.
The project is located near the Lake Flores and Peninsula Bay developments, which also are slated to bring thousands of new homes to the area.
Some commissioners and nearby residents expressed concern over added congestion on the already heavily trafficked Cortez Road.
Commissioner Carol Whitmore pointed to the allure of Anna Maria Island, saying that the development would not be the reason for heavy traffic congestion in the area.
“If you are going to build on Cortez Road anywhere from 75th to the island, either Manatee or Cortez (roads), you have to really look whether you really want to live there because people from all over the state of Florida are using those two roads to get to Anna Maria Island,” she said.
Commissioners unanimously approved the necessary zoning changes for a mixed-use project by Medallion Homes that could bring a mix of hundreds of single-family and multi-family homes to Ellenton.
The project is known as Ellenton Cove and is located at the southwest corner of I-75 and Mendoza Road. It contains six parcels that encompass just over 80 acres.
Commissioners gave the developer two options, which could impact the number of homes built.
The first option allows the construction of 532 multifamily units on the east side of the project, 78 single-family units on the west side, and 30,000 square feet of commercial space.
The second option gives Medallion Homes a mixed-use density bonus to instead build 780 homes on the west side of the project.
Residents who spoke during the meeting expressed concern about the impact the development could have on traffic on Mendoza Road.
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“Mendoza Road is two lanes, and since 2015, we’ve had two developments there,” nearby resident Donna Cooley said. “Willow Walk has over 700 buildings and then you’ve got Silverstone South and now Silverstone North. That’s over 1,400 buildings there. So talking about traffic, yes it’s bad. To put another 700, depending on which option, that’s asking a whole lot from the small road of Mendoza.”
Medallion Homes Project Planner Carol Clarke said the developer is setting aside right-of-way for a planned extension of 49th Avenue East that would instead help alleviate traffic in the area.
“This area is really surrounded by incoming development,” said Carol Clarke, Project Planner with Medallion Home.
