Planning commission recommends approval for SRQ AutoPort garage‑condominium plan with tree and stormwater stipulations

The Manatee County Planning Commission voted 7‑0 on March 12 to recommend approval of a privately initiated comprehensive‑plan text amendment and an amended general development plan that would allow a two‑story "garage condominium" development on about 4.38 acres east of North Tamiami Trail.

Applicant representative Scott Rudasil told commissioners the project would use roughly the front half of an 8.82‑acre parent parcel and retain a ground‑level footprint similar to an earlier approval while allowing unit owners the option to build interior second floors. "We're requesting your recommendation of approval," Rudasil said, describing the development as owner‑occupied vehicle storage with limited hangout space rather than residential uses.

Staff planner Lindsay Craig said the proposal would amend a D‑5 limitation to increase permitted nonresidential square footage from 66,625 to about 134,984 square feet and would keep the site in planned development commercial with the same permitted and prohibited uses. Craig told the commission the site is in four overlay districts, that the project provides about 45.2 percent open space (exceeding the 30 percent requirement) and that staff has added specific stipulations limiting conversions to residential uses and restricting maintenance to minor repairs.

Traffic and circulation were central to the discussion. Jason Utley, the applicant's traffic consultant, said the project's Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE)‑based trip generation at full buildout yields about 25 PM peak‑hour trips, compared with 177 PM peak trips for the previously approved auto‑sales use. "The anticipated total volume of trips is 25," Utley said, and added that internal circulation and widened drive aisles are designed to accommodate trailers and larger vehicles so there would be no spillback onto US‑41.

Commissioners pressed the applicant on whether the trip calculations assumed interior second‑floor build‑outs by unit owners; Rudasil and Utley said the trip study accounted for full buildout but reiterated the use is a low trip generator compared with an auto dealership. The applicant also agreed to a stipulation that would limit outdoor storage and require that covenants and the condominium association address event or party uses.

Stormwater, flooding and water‑quality protections were discussed in detail. Civil engineer John Cavoli said the design reduces runoff by more than 50 percent on 25‑year storm events and that the team has submitted modeling to the Southwest Florida Water Management District. Tom Gerstenberger of Public Works said the site lies within the Bullwicks Creek watershed, which drains to Sarasota Bay (an Outstanding Florida Water), and noted the presence of bacterial and mercury impairments that must be addressed under the state's stormwater rule. Gerstenberger said buildings will be set at least one foot above the base flood elevation and that final engineering and drainage details will be reviewed at the final site‑plan stage.

Environmental impacts were raised after a neighbor letter and staff review flagged osprey nests on the site. Carrie McNutt of Monarch Ecology reported three osprey nests—two active—and said the team overlaid nest locations on the site plan to try to avoid impacts. McNutt said, "We do have a total of three osprey nests on‑site," and that if avoidance is infeasible the project could consider installing replacement platforms and scheduling work to avoid active nesting.

Neighborhood protections were discussed: the applicant said it would stipulate to preserve healthy native trees along Jungle Way and in the adjacent 15‑foot buffer as requested by the Whitfield Ballantyne Manor Association. The association's proposed language—preserving "all healthy native trees, (including cabbage palms), as determined by the county arborist"—was read into the record and the applicant and staff said they would work to finalize stipulation language before the board hearing.

After the presentations and questions, the commission approved the CPA/text amendment (Item 2) and the GDP/zoning amendment (Item 3) with the staff‑proposed and applicant‑agreed stipulations. The chair announced the items will go to the Board of County Commissioners with the commission's recommendation. The commission also confirmed a joint meeting in May to focus on transportation.

The planning commission's action was a recommendation; final approvals and any changes to stipulations will be decided by the Board of County Commissioners during its review.