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Vote on Towers Results in Tie: Planning Board Gives No Recommendation to City Council Before Its June 14 Meeting

Posted on: Thursday, 18 May 2006, 12:04 CDT

By Melanie Marquez, The Bradenton Herald, Fla.

May 18--BRADENTON -- Tarpon Pointe, a proposed two-tower development on the Manatee River, will move to city council without a recommendation from the planning commission after a tie vote Wednesday left the project and concerned neighbors in limbo.

The recently revised proposal calls for a 17-story tower and a 12-story one on nearly eight acres of land east of Sixth Street East formerly used for a river-crossing railroad. The original plan had three towers, which was later reduced to two 19-story buildings with surrounding townhouses.

Additional changes made the attorney for the development, Stephen Thompson, confident the project would win the commission's recommendation.

Planning commissioner Lucienne Gaufillet first moved for a continuance, but Thompson quickly stood and informed the board that his client was not interested in a further delay.

"We believe that we have done everything we can and are going to do at this time," Thompson said. "We need to move this process on."

The next motion from the board was for disapproval of the project. The board tied 3-3.

The lack of approval means "the city council doesn't have the benefit of a recommendation from the planning commission," said city attorney Bill Lisch.

The city council will take action on the development at its June 14 meeting. Thompson said some small changes may be made before then, but the requested number of stories for the towers will not change.

Almost a dozen concerned residents spoke in opposition, including former planning commissioner Jerry N. Zoller.

"This is one of the worst plans I've ever seen," Zoller told the commission during the public hearing. "It just seems like the developer and the city of Bradenton are making a joint venture out of this project."

Zoller's son Bryan owns a home near the proposed development and agrees that some kind of development would be good for the area, but expressed concern Wednesday about towers shadowing his property.

After the board's decision, some neighbors gathered outside of city hall to discuss the tie vote.

"We still don't know what's going to happen," Joe Loccisano said. "It's more of a waiting game and I'm eager to find a resolution."

Developers of another proposal, Riviera Southshore, requested a delay of any action from the commission on the three residential towers they want to build. At the June 21 meeting, the board will decide whether to recommend the development, which planners say may go through changes that coincide with opinions from the city's planning department staff.

The development is planned for about 27 acres between Ninth Street East and 14th Street East, north of Manatee Avenue.

A planner with Riviera Southshore said in a Monday workshop the developers would be ready to present their case for compatibility regarding two 19-story towers and a 15-story one, but project manager Dale Johnson from First Dartmouth Homes said they want to take another month to "work with staff to work out unresolved issues."

Concerns about density and other changes that are "subjective at this point" motivated the request for a delay, Johnson said.

A 548-unit development passed with unanimous approval. Magnolia Lakes is proposed for 117 acres just east of 48th Street Court East. The developer proposes 448 condominiums in 16 five-story buildings and an additional 136 carriage home units in two-story buildings of four units each.

If Magnolia Lakes gets approval from the city council, Ohio-based developer Cedarwood will start on a project that will include conserving 81.7 acres of the project area as natural wetlands.

"It's our goal to provide a lifestyle," said Dean Myton, Cedarwood's director of residential development.

The board questioned Myton on the inclusion of affordable housing, but at this point prices for homes in Magnolia Lakes will start above $300,000, close to the median price for homes in Manatee County, Myton said.

Melanie Marquez, Bradenton city government reporter, can be reached at 748-0411, ext. 2620, or at mmarquez@heraldtoday.com [mailto:mmarquez@heraldtoday.com].

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Copyright (c) 2006, The Bradenton Herald, Fla.

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Source: The Bradenton Herald (Bradenton, Fla.)

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