Planning commissioners continue Willow Bend Phase 5 after stormwater concerns

The Manatee County Planning Commission voted to continue consideration of PDR24‑29, Willow Bend Phase 5, after commissioners said the packet lacked sufficient stormwater detail and neighbors raised flooding and information‑disclosure concerns.

The item was introduced by planner CJ Mills as a request to add 16 single‑family dwellings on roughly 4 acres as the final phase in a larger Willow Bend subdivision that totals about 108 acres. Applicant Cynthia Bridal of Barbas Kramer said the plan is “well within the range of the comprehensive plan” and meets minimum code requirements.

Neighbor Gina Barker told the commission she and other residents bought properties expecting larger lots and a cul‑de‑sac; ‘‘When we purchased our home, we were shown a map of a cul de sac potential with 5 homes and big lots, and now we see 16 homes,’’ she said, and described ponding near homes during recent storms.

Engineer Kai Baloo of LJA Engineering testified the current proposal increases lots but reduces impervious area compared with earlier permitted plans and that the on‑site ponds presently provide the required volume; he said targeted erosion repairs and pond maintenance are planned for areas experiencing settlement. Applicant counsel Jake Kramer said the original developer and contracted homebuilder have arrangements with the homeowners association to repair any construction damage to roads and sidewalks at the developer’s expense.

Several commissioners said the packet did not include the detailed stormwater modeling and neighborhood outreach they have come to expect on similarly contested infill proposals. One commissioner said he could not support the application ‘‘as it is today’’ without additional information; another moved for a continuance to the Planning Commission meeting on Dec. 11. The motion passed on a 3–2 vote.

What’s next: The application will return to the commission on Dec. 11 with additional stormwater information and related materials requested by staff and commissioners. The continuance does not approve or deny the proposed lots.

Speakers quoted in this article appear in the meeting record. All technical and procedural claims come from staff reports, the applicant’s presentation and public testimony given at the hearing.