Neal Homes Looks to Finish University Park

BRADENTON – Neal Homes says that its most recent application to modify plans in University Park's Country Club will likely be the last development in the project. The 46-unit reallocation is said to be for upscale homes on par with other recent offerings from the developer. The Manatee Planning Commission recommended the application Thursday. It will now come before the BOCC in a November 1 land use meeting.

Leisa Weintraub, Vice President of Marketing, said that development on the tract now dubbed “B2” will be similar to recent developments in Kenwood Park and Lakewood Ranch. Weintraub also said that the tract will be given a British-themed name similar to other developments within University Park

Planning commission member George Mendez noted that the commission had received letters from residents voicing concerns regarding the project and asked if they'd been addressed. Developer John Neal said that they had held at least two meetings with the community, one as recent as two weeks ago, and “quelled all concerns” with nothing more than “improved communication.”

Neal said that residents had some confusion because they received a standard announcement required by the county without communication from the developer, whom they'd all bought homes from, and were appeased by his explanation of how the expansion would be handled. The application seeks to decrease acreage devoted to open spaces, while increasing acreage used in residential development.

Mendez said that he didn't see anything in the letters that would lead him to vote against recommending the application, but didn't want a couple hundred people “showing up wearing the same colored t-shirts, asking for changes,” and said that one of the concerns expressed was a possible delay until more of the snowbird population returned. Neal responded that they had already pushed back the date that the application will be presented to the Manatee County Commission until November 1, to help alleviate that concern.

The full stipulations of the application read as follows:

Unnamed Exclusive (University Park Country Club) is north of University Parkway, between Honore Avenue and the Palm Aire Development, and extends north to the Braden River. Present zoning: PDR/WP-E/ST (Planned Development Residential, Watershed Protection-Evers and Special Treatment overlay districts) (1,187.59± acres).

1.) Allocate 46 previously approved residential units to newly created Tracts L South and B2,

2.) Decrease acreage devoted to Open Space (roads, right-of-way, etc.) in favor of the new Tracts B2 and L South,

3.) Increase residential acreage to accommodate Tracts B-2 and L South,

4.) Update the Development Order to reflect the project expiration and build out dates as previously authorized by the State of Florida and Manatee County, and

5.) Update the Development Order to reflect terminology changes, Department references and other minor changes.