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Manatee County to seek multiple concept plans for Cortez Seafood Shack site after residents reject boat ramps
Summary
After months of outreach and five public open houses, Manatee County commissioners asked staff to return with multiple master-plan concepts for the Cortez Seafood Shack property—including versions with and without public boat ramps—after neighbors and a coalition strongly objected to ramps citing traffic, safety and environmental concerns.
Manatee County commissioners on Dec. 16 directed staff to develop multiple conceptual plans for the county-owned Cortez Seafood Shack site, including options with boat ramps and versions without them, after extensive public testimony and debate. The board did not authorize construction or rezoning; it asked staff to return with two or more visual concepts, cost estimates and phasing options before any formal planning decisions.
The county's consultant, Kimley-Horn, summarized outreach that included an online survey and five open houses. The consultant said priorities countywide included multi-lane ramp capacity, commercial services such as fuel and charter pickup, and passive waterfront recreation; but adjacent neighborhoods emphasized waterfront dining, small marinas, bait/tackle and park space.
Nearby residents and an organized Cortez coalition urged the commission to remove public ramps from the redevelopment scope. Patty DiPietro, president of Sunset Harbor, told the board the neighborhood surveyed 327 households (93% response) and found 96% opposed locating boat ramps at the Seafood Shack site. "These narrow, winding streets have hazardous 90-degree blind corners that are impossible for vehicles towing boats to navigate without encroaching completely into the opposite lane," said Mark Szilagyi of Cove Point Condominium Association. "Adding large vehicles towing boats into this mix is an accident waiting to happen."
County staff acknowledged the site had long been considered as part of a broader regional ramp strategy and said existing residents' concerns, FDOT access limitations, storm-recovery use and limited site acreage must shape any design. Commissioner Tal Sadiq, whose district includes the site, moved to authorize conceptual planning; commissioners amended that motion to require multiple concepts (including at least one without ramps) and directed staff to bring back designs with preliminary cost estimates and potential phasing.
The board emphasized the county currently has limited dedicated construction funding for the site: staff estimated roughly $4—$5 million remain from earlier allocations to proceed with master planning, not construction. Commissioners also discussed interim uses to avoid leaving the property fenced and idle, such as temporary green-space improvements or community programming while planning continues.
Next steps: staff will prepare two or more conceptual master plans (ramped and non-ramped), preliminary cost estimates and traffic/parking considerations for a future board work session. No rezoning or permitting approvals were made at the Dec. 16 meeting.
Ending: Commissioners said the public input will guide the county's next design steps and that the concepts will return to the board before any construction funding or rezoning requests are pursued.
