Manatee County stands on the brink of tremendous growth

As northern Manatee County stands on the brink of tremendous growth, 26 major developers are trying to work together to anticipate the need for future roads, parks and schools.
"They want to provide an organized infrastructure mechanism similar to what Lakewood Ranch did in south county," said Ron Getman, chairman of the Manatee County Commission.
Two developer groups are working with county officials to provide infrastructure for an estimated 30,000 new homes from Port Manatee on the extreme west to U.S. 301 near the Hillsborough County line to the east.
The groups, fearful a possible building moratorium could hamper their plans unless school sites are dedicated, roads are built and utility lines paid for, have indicated a willingness to help build infrastructure.
"There are those who will say we are in league with the developers and usually, we are always at odds," Getman said. "But this is an attempt to bring us together for the benefit of the public. It is no more than working as a group to have an organized approach to north county development."
North County Developers Group, which opened its initial bank account several months ago under the name The White Hats, now consists of eight members who are willing to help pay for infrastructure if the county can provide a mechanism to benefit all parties, said local attorney Hugh McGuire, a North County member who is also group spokesman.
That mechanism could include impact fee credits.
McGuire's group is mainly focused on the area east of Interstate 75 and north of Parrish.
Although eight or more additional members are expected to join the organization in the next few months, bringing the total to about 16, current members include John Falkner, Pat Neal, Britt Williams, Sonny Vergara, David Wick, Bruce Williams and Carlos Beruff, McGuire said.
"We're a group of developers who realize the situation we are in," McGuire said. "What we want is to learn the mechanisms so that we can do a private-public partnership where developers can pay for some of this and eventually get paid back the money we put out."
North County Developers Group was spawned by a speech Getman gave at a Manatee Homebuilders Association meeting this fall.
Developers at the meeting told Getman they were concerned about a possible countywide building moratorium due to the lack of school sites, roads and parks.
Getman proposed they get together as one voice.
"Schroeder-Manatee Ranch provided the roads and school sites to provide for the growth it created in Lakewood Ranch," Getman said. "But north of the river you have 40 different developers, each with different ideas. I told them if we could work with one master planning entity, one voice representing all the others, it would be more effective."
Widening U.S. 301 from Erie Road north through Parrish is a top priority if the area is to keep up with growth, McGuire said.
Improving the overall road grid in north county, including seeking more north-south roads, is another key, McGuire said.
"What we want to know is, 'Is there an opportunity to move quicker if a developer gets involved?' " McGuire said.
In order for it to come to the county as a single voice, North County Developers Group hired Robert Sheets, chief executive officer of Government Service Solutions, a Tallahassee consulting firm.
Reached by phone Tuesday in Tallahassee, Sheets said that in his 30 years of consulting he has never worked with 16 developers on one project.
The first phase of Sheets' work will be submitting a concept document by Feb. 28, he said.
"Our first task, working with all these different developers, all with different projects in different stages of permitting, is to put together a single database with a matrix that shows where there is a need for schools, parks, water, sewer and roads," Sheets said. "Once we get this matrix together, then we will discuss concepts like how will we fund this major arterial road, how will regional and neighborhood parks be funded, how will maintenance be sustained."
A second organization, called The Buckeye Road Group, consists of principals from 10 proposed subdivisions in the area north of Moccasin Wallow Road around Buckeye Road, said Sarasota attorney Bill Merrill, who represents the group.
The Buckeye Road Group includes Curiosity Creek (Centrum), Newport Isles (Ryland Homes), Sweetwater Preserve (Lerian Developments), Artisan Lakes (Taylor Woodrow), Wellington Lakes and Stone Dam Preserve (Hofnanian Windward Homes), and four others.
"This is a rather unique situation," Merrill said. "You have 10 developers all cooperating and going in together to bring water and sewer lines to the north area, working things out to get right of way," Merrill said. "The goal is to see what it would it take to create fully sustainable communities."
The 10 subdivisions are all in different phases of pre-groundbreaking, but the developers are working with the county to plan libraries, parks, schools, roads and other infrastructure, Merrill said.
Although they are working in the same relative area, the two groups have no plans to join, Merrill said.
"The North County Developers Group is interested in developing land further east than we are," Merrill said.
The Buckeye Road Group plans to deliver a preview of its ideas to commissioners on Jan. 24, Merrill said.
Road needs
Without developer assistance, Getman painted a bleak picture of the county's ability to keep up with roads, the most pressing offshoot of growth.
The county will need $2 billion to create the road grid needed by 2030, Getman said.
Right now, Manatee and Sarasota counties share $8 million to $10 million annually from the state for transportation needs, Getman said.
Manatee County also gets an estimated $7 million yearly in gasoline sales tax revenue, of which $4 million goes to pay back a bond debt, Getman said.
"That leaves only $3 million a year from the gas tax plus our split with Sarasota," Getman said. "Just to realign the southern portion of 43rd Street West and Cortez Road cost us more than $3 million."