Sarasota National residents urge pause, redesign of Manasota Beach Road extension; commissioners ask for more study

Dozens of residents from Sarasota National and nearby neighborhoods urged county commissioners on June 3 to halt or redesign the proposed Manasota Beach Road extension, saying the plan would run too close to homes, harm wildlife habitat and reduce property values.

Residents described a lack of timely notice about the project, safety and noise concerns, and potential devaluation of homes by 15–25 percent, according to one speaker’s summary of constituent estimates. Multiple speakers — including John Burke, Terry Short, Mary Burke, Jim Dent, Joseph McGrath and others — appealed for buffer adjustments, landscaping, lighting and safety mitigations. Several asked the county to consider moving the road further south to protect the Audubon Silver-designated preserves within Sarasota National, or to explore alternatives such as managed lanes on U.S. 41 to relieve congestion without creating a new highway adjacent to housing.

Commissioners expressed sympathy with residents and the need for clearer outreach. Commissioner Ron Kutzinger and others noted that residents told them they were not notified in advance of the proposed alignment. Commissioners said staff should provide additional outreach and engineering analysis before advancing construction. Commissioner Mark Smith said vacating related rights-of-way could, in some circumstances, aid conservation and asked staff to make sure solutions do not include putting roadways through preserved property.

At least two residents asked the county to delay the project until environmental and traffic studies were completed and mitigation plans were made public. One speaker referenced Florida Statute 336.71 and asked the board to ensure the public hearing notice requirements were met for any public-private partnership proposals. Another speaker suggested a public-private managed-lanes feasibility study on U.S. 41 that could alleviate traffic without adding a new road through the preserve.

County staff and planning partners said they were working on designs and that some project elements remain under review; staff later confirmed to the board that several launch points for county action would require more study and public input. Commissioners indicated they were open to postponing or reworking the alignment and requested additional community meetings and analysis that would be presented at a later date.