Southeast expansion of Lakewood Ranch in eastern Sarasota County receives Planning Commission approval
Lakewood Ranch’s eastward expansion in Sarasota County follows a recent recommendation by the Sarasota County Planning Commission to approve the first 550 acres of a 4,100-acre development about 10 miles east of Interstate 75. took a step forward.
The southeastern part of Lakewood Ranch, which will be north of Fruitville Road and west of Verna Road, near the Manatee-Sarasota County line, is currently preparing for rezoning approval for one of the first phases of the massive project.
This phase of the Lakewood Ranch Southeast Plan calls for the construction of 910 single-family homes and 490 multifamily units on 546 acres in the first of seven planned areas. The project covers 4,100 acres of developable land with a total of 5,000 residential units.
The project will be a continuation of Lakewood Ranch, a 30-year-old city-scale development centered in Manatee County. The project covers over 33,000 acres and has a current population of 72,000 people.
The primary developer of Lakewood Ranch is Schroeder-Manatee Ranch Inc.
Last week, the Sarasota County Planning Advisory Commission recommended approval to rezone the land from its current rural classification, which allows only one unit per 10 acres, to a residential classification that would allow up to 3.5 homes per acre.
File photo taken in March 2024 at Waterside Place in Lakewood Ranch. The 33,000-acre master-planned community in Manatee and Sarasota counties continues to expand eastward.
The density increase, first approved by the County Commission in late 2022, prompted a legal challenge from longtime residents of eastern Sarasota County that has so far been unsuccessful, although residents remain confident they will prevail.
Area residents continue to oppose Lakewood Ranch project
Mike Hutchinson and Eileen Fitzgerald filed a legal challenge to the changes, arguing that the increase in residential density violated the county’s mandate when it updated its growth plan in the early 2000s. Commitments made by rural communities.
Hutchinson and Fitzgerald have appealed a 2023 ruling that favored the county and plan to argue in their appeal of the 2023 ruling.
Previous coverage: Lakewood Ranch Ranks Top All-Ages Master-Planned Communities for Sixth Consecutive Year
Hutchinson appeared before the Planning Commission for a rezoning hearing last Thursday, telling the commission the process was a waste of time because he would win the appeal.
If Hutchinson and Fitzgerald win their appeal, the project will not proceed as expected.
Lakewood Ranch Southeast requested a waiver to hold additional community workshops. Sarasota County requires community workshops to be held within nine months of plan approval and extends the window for an additional 12 months.
County community workshops on the project were completed in March.
The Planning Commission recommended that the county approve the exemption and recommended that the County Commission approve the rezoning request.
This phase of the Lakewood Ranch Southeast Plan will build 910 residential and 490 multifamily units on 546 acres in the first of seven planned areas. The project covers 4,100 acres of developable land with a total of 5,000 residential units.
A date has not yet been set for the topic to come before the Sarasota County Commission.
This article originally appeared in the Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Lakewood Ranch gets approval for expansion in eastern Sarasota County
