Ignoring developer threats, county commissioners bump up infrastructure fees to recommended level.
By Noah Vinsky
Original Air Date: June 6, 2025
Host: A simmering conflict in Manatee County for control over suburban development—and who pays for the infrastructure needs it triggers—seems to be headed towards outright war. At a land-use meeting Thursday, the county commissioners ignored threats by developers and state agencies and made a unanimous vote. WSLR reporter Noah Vinsky has more on that.
Noah Vinsky: At Thursday’s land-use meeting, the Manatee County Commissioners allowed some new development, and they denied some. Final score: They passed the final plat for nearly 700 new homes, and they denied two rezones that would’ve added 371 homes.
A proposal to rezone a plot of land at the corner of 44th Avenue and Lorraine Road was approved by 4-3 vote. But not before a particularly contentious discussion. Commissioners expressed concerns over traffic, suburban sprawl and resident pushback, another installment for a board that has made steps to significantly slow down development in the area.
Bob McCann
Bob McCann: We’re building so fast here in this county right now that traffic cannot keep up with it. Stormwater drainage can’t keep up with it. It’s hurricane season. There’s flooding in places right now that they say wouldn’t flood. I heard you say that it’s in Flood Zone X. So is Summerfield. The thing is that we really don’t have the capacity to put this kind of stuff in right now. This is just bad timing.
NV: That was Commissioner Bob McCann, who vented his frustration over too much development in the eastern part of the county coupled with already congested local roads. Commissioner Jason Bearden said that residents aren’t asking for more developments. They’re asking for infrastructure.
BM: We can’t keep ignoring the cries of our communities and rubber-stamping projects that compound the problem. This isn’t just about density or zoning. It’s about public trust. It’s about safety.
NV: Chair George Kruse took a different approach.
The agenda item received over 180 public comments from residents, and according to Kruse, most of which came from residents in new developments.
Kruse called the pushback “coordinated weaponized NIMBYism” (a term given to residents against development) against a sensible project. And you don’t seem to find the irony in the fact that you just moved into a house and added cars to our roads and kids to our schools, but now you want to close the door behind you.
George Kruse
George Kruse: You all just got there. And it’s by the same developer building this project.
NV: But developers would take a hit when the commissioner approved a plan the county has been mulling for months.
The board unanimously voted to raise impact fees on new development to 100% of what a consultant’s study recommended years ago. This comes just over a year after the county raised the fees to 5%. The fees could raise the price of new homes in Manatee County but would also fund community services like law enforcement and transportation.
The approval comes after multiple presentations and public hearings, including lawsuit threats from developer Pat Neal. Kruse accused developers of “punching down” on the board.
GK: Why are they scared to go talk to the governor and to the president and all these people that they have influence over, apparently? Just look at the bills that come out of Tallahassee. But that’s where the real money cost is. That’s what’s increasing their—inflating their costs. It’s the tariffs. It’s the deportations. It’s the labor cost increases.
NV: Wetland buffers were also on the docket once again. This came just a week after state officials shocked the commissioners by telling them they were not allowed to hold a vote to restore them.
New development in Parrish, Manatee County. Photo: Neal Land and Development
Four state agencies—the Florida Department of Transportation, the Southwest Florida Water Management District, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and the Florida Department of Commerce—sent last-minute emails questioning the legality of restoring the buffers.
Now, it seems Manatee County has to make a new pitch to the state. Division Manager Rachel Layton said the county has been in communication with the four agencies. County staff are preparing a response, which will be sent to the county attorney for review and back to the state, which has 30 days to respond.
Noah Vinsky, WSLR News.
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