Bradenton Times News Articles

At Tuesday's Manatee County Planning Commission meeting, a plan to build 195 single-family detached residential units was recommended for approval by five of the six members of the commission, with little consideration given to the longtime residents who opposed a plan they say threatens the character of their rural east county community.

At Thursday's Planning Commission Meeting, members voted to amend the Land Development Code to modify application requirements for wetland impacts, mitigation for altered wetlands and conservation easements. The Commission also recommended approval for a 195 single, unattached development near Rye Rd. and Waterline Rd. against the request of local residents.

At Wednesday's meeting, the Bradenton City Council voted on a request by First Baptist Church to expand the number of days the existing on-site day care is open; a first reading to adopt revisions of the city's Form-Based Code regulations; and an agreement between the City and the Southwest Florida Water Management District to study efficiency improvements for Bradenton's Aquifer Storage and Recovery System. All items were approved with unanimous votes by the council.

At Tuesday's BOCC meeting, Manatee County Commissioners voted to hold a June 18, 2013 special election with a ballot referendum to approve a half cent sales tax, to pay for Manatee County's indigent health care cost. They also voted to include a tax-abatement referendum on the ballot. In other business, the commission appointed members to the Affordable Housing Advisory Board.

Manatee County Commissioners are set to vote once more on a health care sales tax referendum, originally approved by a 4-3 vote last month. At the last meeting, Commissioner Michael Gallen, who'd originally voted with the majority to hold the referendum in June, motioned to reconsider the issue, advocating a delay until August of 2014. After much discussion, four commissioners voted to instruct counsel to draft an ordinance to conduct the vote in August of 2013. That ordinance is scheduled for a vote at Tuesday's meeting, as a time specific 9:30 a.m. item.

It's another busy week for the school board, with a workshop leading into a regular session on Monday. The board is expected to vote on new Superintendent Rick Mills' proposed administrative reorganization plan. The BOCC will convene on Tuesday morning for another vote on the proposed health care sales-tax referendum, followed by Bradenton's City Council on Wednesday morning, and Manatee's Planning Commission on Thursday.

Seeking to add 23.4 acres and 50 additional sites to their Rye Road project, in addition to the 100 which were already approved by the county commission last June, developers cleared the final hurdle Thursday when the Manatee County Commission unanimously approved their plan, despite strong opposition from nearby residents who opposed such a drastic increase in density in the historically pastoral area of East Manatee County.

The Florida Department of State Division of Historical Resources Historic Marker Commission approved an historical marker to commemorate the West Bradenton Woman’s Club and 13th Avenue Youth Center at 201 13th Avenue West in Bradenton. This will place the site on the state registry of historic places. It is the first Manatee County site on the registry with great significance to African American history.  

At Thursday's meeting, commissioners gave final approval to three development projects: the expansion of the Rye Road development in northeast Manatee County that was up against strong opposition from neighbors; additional sites on another northeast county development, Silverleaf (north of Greyhawk Landing), where there were concerns over flooding; and finally, modification of the Bowles Creek development project to include an assisted living facility.

Tuesday's BOCC Work Session with the Children's Services Advisory Board was all about understanding what to expect over the next four years. The message seemed to be that with a lot of luck, some good fortune and a friendly wind, Children's Services will survive the challenges it faces. In spite of efforts from officials to wrench down their obligations to provide a safe and nourished environment for our most vulnerable segment of society, CSAB remains focused on success.