Sarasota County approves plan for major Lakewood Ranch expansion

The Sarasota County Commission Tuesday approved rezoning more than 2,200 acres in Old Miakka, a major step in plans for a southeast expansion of Lakewood Ranch.

The land east of Interstate 75 between University Parkway and Fruitville Road was previously classified as Open Use Rural and Open Use Agriculture.  

Despite public comments running solidly against the development, commissioners voted 3-2 to rezone the acreage as Residential, Single-Family-2, paving the way for the project to continue. 

Open Use Rural zoning allows up to one unit per 10 acres, while Open Use Agriculture zoning allows up to one unit per 160 acres. Residential, Single-Family-2 zoning allows 3.5 units per acre.

The acreage was divided into two separate rezoning requests for the county to consider. In both cases, commissioners Joe Nuender, Teresa Mast and Ron Cutsinger voted in favor, citing confidence in Lakewood Ranch’s track record in developing master-planned communities.

Commissioners Mark Smith and Tom Knight dissented, pointing to concerns about stormwater management and effects on area wetlands, as well as the effects of added traffic on an already overburdened Fruitville Road.

Tuesday’s decisions involved about half of a 4,100-acre parcel of land in Sarasota County already owned by Schroeder-Manatee Ranch Inc., the master developer of Lakewood Ranch.

Ultimately, the project, called Lakewood Ranch Southeast, could include up to 5,000 new homes and will extend the boundaries of Lakewood Ranch further east along Fruitville Road.

Requests to rezone the remainder of the land are expected in the coming months. 

Lawsuit ends in SMR's favor

A day after the county approved the rezoning, Schroeder-Manatee Ranch got another piece of news—the Florida Second District Court of Appeals ruled in their favor in a lawsuit brought by two Old Miakka residents. 

"Schroeder-Manatee Ranch (SMR) has successfully defended its right to extend the vision of Lakewood Ranch," the organization said in a news release Wednesday.  

"When our rights and proven approach are unreasonably challenged, we will stand firm in defending our track record, and our commitment to building a community that serves both present and future generations,” Rex Jensen, president and CEO, was quoted in the release.

Michael Hutchinson and Eileen Fitzgerald had sued to halt the expansion. They argued, in part, that new construction goes against the county’s Comprehensive Plan, which pledges to maintain and protect agriculture.

SMR won the case, and Hutchinson and Eileen Fitzgerald filed an appeal. A week after oral arguments were made to the three-judge panel, the appeals court issued a ruling affirming the lower court’s decision. 

This article was updated Jan. 29 with the appeals court ruling.