Wednesday, October 04, 2006

Manatee County set to continue to move forward

As Sarasota county "sits and studies" things, Manatee County plans to once again expand its tax base.

Schroeder-Manatee Ranch is looking past the current soft housing market and proposing two massive developments that could bring more than 8,000 new homes to Lakewood Ranch. Both developments are slated for open pastoral northeast of the intersection of Lakewood Ranch Boulevard and State Road 70, near the stalled hockey arena project.

The 8,100 new homes would add to the roughly 6,000 already built in Lakewood Ranch, and were part of the Ranch's original master plan that extends over 30 years and could lead to development of 7,000 acres.

The new expansion would also contain over 300,000 sq' of commercial space as well. This translates into more jobs and more tax payers. Of course Sarasota County continues to "study' and I believe tries to find a way to keep people out of our area. But, this is what you get when one elects the bone-head type of leaders we seem to continually put in office here in Sarasota.