Bradenton Times News Articles

Mosaic hit a wall in a marathon session at the BOCC land use meeting Thursday. It was a team of very well qualified professionals and an extremely knowledgable public that set the pace, preventing the usual song and dance from getting the job done.

Six was the magic number. Residents of Parrish went before the BOCC for the sixth time to prevent the permitting of the Shunn-Shion Chung Springfield Subdivision. What started out as 29 homes, down to 23 homes, then to 19, 12 and finally there will only be 6 homes being built in the 25th Street, 12-acre development, if Mr Chung decides to still build.

There were two monumental issues before the BOCC Thursday; a rezoning land use change and a phosphate mining permit requested by Mosaic Fertilizer, seeking approval to strip mine 661 acres, sacrificing 50 acres of wetlands, in eastern Manatee County; and a vote on the long awaited decision determining whether a 12-acre development, and as many houses, can be built across from old riverfront property in Parrish. Residents said "no way, no more than six homes," and they got their wish.

When visiting McKechnie field, die-hard baseball fans are overcome with a sense of nostalgia. When the first Major League team arrived there in 1923, they discovered that second base was 14 inches lower than home plate, and the outfield was two feet lower than second base.  In a joint venture between the Cardinals and the city, the ball field was constructed with a grandstand and bleachers for $2,000. Today, expectations are a little different -- and so are city budgets.

Tuesday, the BOCC reviewed the Department of Housing and Urban Development Funding Report, for the ten year period (2002 -- 2012). Its focus was the Community Development Block Grants and Home Investment Partnerships -CPD- Program. The presentation also included a Consolidated Plan for the county's five year "Strategic Plan" FY 2012 - 2017, as well as the diagram to how and for what the funds are to be used for. 

On Thursday, Mosaic Fertilizer goes before the Manatee BOCC for approval of a land use code change and a permit to mine for phosphate on 661 acres in eastern Manatee county. Opposition to the mining comes from residents and environmental groups challenging the phosphate company's claims -- that they are of little risk to water supply and air quality, and that they produce significant economic benefits.

It's a full week of government meetings leading up to Thursday's BOCC Land Use Meeting, where the fate of Mosaic's Duette phosphate mine expansion will be decided by the Manatee Board of County Commissioners after receiving a recommendation by the planning commission, despite strong opposition by residents and environmentalist groups.

At Wednesday night’s city council meeting, members approved the minutes from meeting on Jan. 11, 2012.  The lane on the Green Bridge will be closed on St. Patrick’s Day for a five-kilometer run. Participants will start in Sutton Park in Palmetto run over the Green Bridge and then come back. Several expenditures costing over $35,000 are planned for the celebration of Arbor Day.  Councilman Gene Gallo was elected vice mayor. Mayor Poston announced that the first electric car was plugged in at the electric charging station adjacent to city hall.

At the BOCC meeting Tuesday, the Lakewood Ranch High School Golf team was recognized for winning the two-way 2011 Golf Championship to cap a season undefeated. The spectacular "Destination Manatee" showed off what it is made of - watch out sports fans, and Ed Hunzeker takes a stroll through Manatee County's accomplishments.

There was no shortage of ideas at the MPO meeting Monday, about how the Venice bypass should look. There were also plenty of opinions on how each option would work, and a lot of frustration from the years of struggling to get real answers. But the only thing missing was the crystal ball needed to tell what will work best for the future.