Lena Road: A new priority?

Every day, Jaci Krawtschenko fields calls from customers running late to concealed-weapons classes or in need of directions to her ammunition store off Lena Road.

Most frequently, they have followed a set of bad directions and ended up on the northern section of the road. It is separated from its southern counterpart by roughly half-mile stretch of forest.

“I wish they would build it,” Krawtschenko, co-owner of Aegis Tactical LLC, said of the connecting segment of Lena Road. “More and more businesses are coming.

“It will give us a ton of exposure,” she added.

A drive along the southern portion of Lena Road reveals “for sale” signs offering land entitled for warehouse, office and other uses. The Lakewood Ranch-Sarasota Elks Lodge 2855 has a new lodge under construction at the northernmost end on a cul-de-sac. Lodge Vice President Darrin Simone said the future roadway connection is one of the reasons the Elks picked the spot. The connection  would provide easy access to members traveling from either direction.

Immediately south, a newly opened multitenant building houses five businesses. And, across the street, construction crews have poured a building pad.

Development along Lena Road, coupled with the need for traffic alternatives, have made Manatee County District 5 Commissioner Vanessa Baugh aware of the road.

Connecting the northern and southern segments of Lena Road is not in Manatee County’s five-year transportation work program, which means the county has not yet completed plans or estimated costs, but Baugh said she plans to bring it up during county budget work sessions this summer. She has spoken preliminarily on the issue with Ron Schulhofer, director of public works, and County Administrator Ed Hunzeker.

“It is a road that needs to be joined at this point,” Baugh said.

The next step would be to conduct a study to estimate construction costs. At least some funding could come from impact fees, generated from new construction to build infrastructure.

“The good news is there’s a lot of growth in that area — Lakewood Ranch, Rosedale, Creekwood,” Baugh said. “The impact fee money is probably there. It’s a small section of road.”

But the money isn’t there right now. In terms of transportation funding, county commissioners have prioritized construction of the 44th Avenue East extension, which ultimately will connect west Bradenton to Lakewood Ranch and provide an east-west alternative to S.R. 70 and S.R. 64. If Lena Road were to connect, it would cross paths with a future section of 44th Avenue East.

Sections of the $130 million 44th Avenue East roadway are under various stages of design and construction.

Baugh said she expects the commission to prioritize transportation improvements during upcoming budget discussions.

Lena Road business owners and employees support transportation improvements on Lena Road. Although the project brings additional traffic to the two-lane roadway, it would also provide an alternative route to I-75 and Lakewood Ranch Boulevard, and create a secondary ingress and egress to businesses.

“It would ease some of the traffic flow, and it would give us options,” said L.J. Hayes, president of R.T. Moore Mechanical Contractors’s Florida division.

Mark Carlson with Floor Source of Florida LLC, agreed.

“This is a hard road to access from eastbound State Road 70,” Carlson said. “I hear people all the time say they wish it would connect.”

Business professionals on the northern half of Lena Road agreed. Paul Hayden, owner of American Pride Golf Cart Services, an EZ-GO franchise that manufactures and refurbishes golf carts, said the road is needed. 

“As many north-south roads as we can have, the better,” he said. “Lakewood Ranch is one of the fastest growing regions in the country. That’s the No. 1 reason we need it. We have to plan a littler further ahead than we have in the past.”

Baugh said she hopes to make progress as quickly as possible.

“You won’t see Lena Road get built this year, but I can assure you it comes up (during budget discussions),” Baugh said. “I will make sure of that.”