The Manatee County Board of County Commissioners denied a contested amendment to the Tara DRI on May 8, rejecting a proposal that would have converted commercial entitlements for two parcels near Tara Boulevard and Stone River Road into up to 72 multifamily units. The motion to deny passed 5–2 after hours of public comment and a year of review and mediation.

Applicant counsel Scott Rudacille said the developer reduced the proposal after an earlier tie vote: the request was shrunk from 156 units and four stories to 72 units and a 35‑foot maximum height, and the team added stipulations covering enhanced roadway buffers, a 75‑foot setback from Stone River Road, a gated access and a commitment not to seek administrative height increases. Kimley‑Horn transportation and Atwell civil colleagues presented traffic and stormwater findings.

Neighbors and the Tara Recreation District urged denial, arguing the parcels were designated for neighborhood commercial uses when the DRI was created and that multifamily development would be incompatible with nearby single‑family neighborhoods. "This rezoning would cover those two lots even with the buffer right on the road edge at Tara Boulevard, would cover them with concrete and water," said Kathy Wooley, a Tara resident and spokeswoman for opponents. Several residents raised concerns about notification and the Recreation District's governance and financing of amenities.

Planning staff and the county attorney concluded the proposal could meet comprehensive‑plan standards if mitigations were maintained, but commissioners said public opposition and concerns about process and compatibility weighed against approval. Commissioner Mike Phelps called the rezoning "a very simple rezone" in a later public exchange but ultimately joined the majority in denying the request.

The vote to deny (ordinances 25‑27 and the companion PDMU rezoning ordinance) was 5–2, with Commissioners Ron and Sadiq voting in opposition. The commission also denied by separate motion a companion zoning ordinance for the revised general development plan. The denial leaves the two parcels unchanged; the applicant and Tara representatives may pursue administrative or judicial options available under Florida law.