Little Manatee South Community Plan
The Little Manatee South Community planning process started in the year 2001 when the residents of the area elected to drop out of the Ruskin Community Plan in order to ensure the creation of a document that would be specific to their area. Over a period of several years a group of residents and landowners met regularly to formulate a set of strategies and goals for the area. By the end of 2005, a draft of a community plan for the area south of Little Manatee River had been developed and presented to the Hillsborough County Planning Commission.In December 2007 after meeting with the Planning Commission, the current Planning Commission led community based planning process for the area was begun.
Beginning with a public openhouse in February, 2008, twenty-three meetings (23) have been conducted to date by the Planning Commission Staff. Technical experts from the county were brought in to provide background and planning guidelines for the members. Attendees to the Advisory Committee Meetings (averaging 20 -35 persons) represented a broad selection of property owners and interest groups including residents of Sundance, the communities west of Interstate 75, small lot owners to large agricultural land owners. After about a year of meeting together, there began to be an understanding and respect for each individual’s hopes and fears. The draft is being presented tonight was arrived at through both differences and compromise. The plan looks beyond the short term horizon2025 and envisions the area as it might be at the time of buildout (50 years and beyond).
Language for the specific goals was formulated by Planning Commission Staff,based on participant discussion,and then offered for modification or approval by participants.
While compromise was necessary on the part of each interest group, the final Plan is endorsed and supported by every member of the participant group and recommended as a guideline for the growth and development of the Little Manatee South Community.
Any development proposals not consistent with the adopted Countywide Comprehensive Plan are viewed as being “long term” in nature, beyond the existing planning horizon of 2025 (possibly 25 to 50 years) and not resulting in near term development. Amendments to the Comprehensive Plan would be subject to trigger thresholds.
Background
The Little Manatee South Community Plan encompasses approximately 23,000 acres of land situated between the Little Manatee River and the ManateeCounty line. Current land use includes approximately 7,000 acres of conservations lands, 6,000 acres of agricultural lands, 5,000 acres of residential, and 3,000 acres of water. The area is outside the Urban Services Area with undeveloped portions generally designated as Agricultural Rural 1/5. Most of the developed area is designated as Residential-1, 2, 4 and 6 and identified as rural communities and suburban enclaves. Estimated population as of 2007 was 6,750 residents.
The planningarea is divided into two distinct communities separated by Interstate Highway 75. The area east of I-75 consists of primarily conservation lands along the Little Manatee River and estate style residences on lots averaging 2.5 acres per dwelling unit.
West of I-75 a substantial amount of conservation land protects the gulf coast. Approximately 5,000 acres of agricultural land and a series of residential developments and mobile home parks occupy most of the remaining privately held land. These residential developments lie primarily along the Little Manatee River and range from approximately 2 to 6 units per acre. There is also an 18 hole golf course retirementcommunity and limited commercial and light industrial development along the State Highway 41 corridor.
Emerging Issues
The following factors contribute to the nature of the community plan:
- The planning area is located centrally between Tampa to the north, St Petersburg to the west and Sarasota-Bradenton to the south.
- Suburban development exists to boththe north and the south.
- The Port of Manatee directly south of the area is aggressively expanding its operations and has designated a large portion of the area south of the Hillsborough County line as port-related industrial and mixed use.
- Regional planning efforts are coming into the final stages of completion. These include:
- an I-75 corridor study by FDOT
- a Port Connector Study by FDOT,
- a regional transportation development initiative by TBARTA,
- a regional growth visioning effort by OneBay, and
- a long range transportation plan by Hillsborough County MPO
1