Charlotte County commissioners kill Manchester cut‑through MSTU after months of public dispute

Charlotte County commissioners voted on Oct. 14 not to move forward with the proposed Manchester Waterway cut‑through Municipal Service Taxing Unit (MSTU) or the county design/permitting RFP, ending a multi‑year effort to reopen and restore three possible channel cuts in the Manchester/Alligator Bay area.

The action came after hours of public comment from waterfront residents, repeated technical briefings from county staff and differing views among commissioners on the project’s cost, environmental impacts and who would be taxed to pay for it.

The Manchester cut‑through project was presented to the board as a restoration and navigation proposal that could include up to three channel cuts. Public Works Director John Elias told commissioners staff had mailed 7,226 postcards, and that the county had received 612 responses in favor and 1,468 opposed. Elias said the design‑phase estimates ranged from roughly $1.32 million (single‑cut design) to $1.76 million (multi‑cut design) and that the estimated project total…