Sarasota National residents plead with county to reroute proposed Manasota Beach Road; commission told earlier meeting approved shift without local notice

A steady stream of Sarasota National residents used the Board of County Commissioners’ public-comment period on May 5 to press the board to reconsider a recently advanced plan for Manasota Beach Road that would position a four-lane arterial as close as about 40 feet to some homes.

Speakers said they bought homes with the expectation that the area behind their lots would remain open space and wildlife habitat, and they described shock after learning the Economic Stimulus Working Group proposed routing the new road along Sarasota National’s southern border. “This would enclose Sarasota National — all four sides,” said Tim Swise, noting the community would be surrounded by Minnesota Beach Road, U.S. 41, Venice East and the FPL corridor.

Residents said the alignment discussed at the board’s April 23 meeting was presented as having “no citizen opposition,” but speakers at Monday’s meeting said they had not been notified and that many Sarasota National homeowners oppose the plan. Speakers urged the board to: order new environmental and traffic impact studies that reflect current built conditions; consider a half-mile southern shift of the proposed alignment; increase sound barriers and landscaping; and preserve a planned Keyway Road project rather than replace it with Manasota Beach Road.

Daryl Stacy and others said the studies used to select the alignment were decades old and predate houses, ponds and preserves now abutting the right of way. Speakers warned of noise, lighting impacts from 50-foot poles, reduced property values and wildlife losses, and asked for mitigation including increased berms, cinder-block sound walls and larger setbacks.

Commissioners and staff explained that changes to the county’s future thoroughfare plan and the development approvals that underlie roadway choices follow a defined process and that any change will involve public hearings and design reviews. County staff and several commissioners told residents there are additional procedural steps — including design, right-of-way acquisition and public hearings — before a final road is built, and that residents will have multiple opportunities to review and comment.

Why it matters: Residents said the proposed alignment would put a high-volume road — traffic estimates cited in presentations put daily peak volumes at roughly 21,000 vehicles — very close to single-family homes. They expressed concern about noise, light, safety and long-term property values if the current alignment is adopted.

What’s next: Residents asked the board to reconsider the current path and to require updated environmental and traffic analyses that reflect current conditions; commissioners encouraged continued dialogue and suggested they would consider resident requests as state, county and design processes continue.