Expansion of Lakewood Ranch en route to Sarasota County Commission after passing planning commission

More development coming to Sarasota County

FOX 13's Kim Kuizon reports that residents of Sarasota's Lakewood Ranch community are upset about the county's plan to redevelop cattle land into homes, with some even filing lawsuits against the county to stop them.

SARASOTA, Fla. - Michael Hutchinson didn’t grow up in the country, but once he moved there, he understood the beauty of a rural lifestyle. It’s a lifestyle he knows is fading fast.

"It’s a way of life that’s going away," Hutchinson said.

A sign that is protesting the redevelopment of cattle land at Lakewood Ranch Southeast in Sarasota County.

All you have to do is drive down Fruitville Road in Sarasota County to see the changes.

WATCH RELATED VIDEO: Lakewood Ranch expansion fight

Cattle fields and crop land are disappearing as new homes go up.

A new home being built in Sarasota County's Lakewood Ranch Southeast.

"It’s just not set up to handle the amount of traffic we have now, never mind all the traffic that will come with all this development," said Hutchinson.

There are also concerns about flooding, overcrowding and schools.

Thursday night, the Sarasota County Planning Commission unanimously approved a zoning change request for Lakewood Ranch Southeast.

The request rezones the rural land for residential use and changes it from one unit per 10 acres to 3½ units per acre.

The total project could bring 5,000 homes to the area.

READ: Sarasota couple continues fight against Lakewood Ranch expansion: ‘Keep the country, country’

"I voted no originally, but as the rezone is presented, it checks all the boxes as county staff identified," said planning commissioner Justin Taylor. "When using the Planning Commission’s finding of fact, I don’t have (the) ability to make a vote against it this point."

Cattle land in Sarasota's Lakewood Ranch Southeast community.

Some on the planning commission said changes to the county’s comprehensive plan in 2022 gave them no other option.

"We aren’t up here to vote with our personal opinions. We are up here to uphold the comprehensive plan," said planning commissioner Emmalee Legler.

Those changes to the comprehensive plan are what Hutchinson is fighting.

He sued Sarasota County after commissioners made changes to the 20-year-old plan, and despite a judge ruling in favor of the county, Hutchinson is appealing.

WATCH: Residents challenge Lakewood Ranch expansion plans

"The ability to have a rural lifestyle the way we are going, there won’t be any left in the county; it’ll be totally gone, and the surrounding counties have the same problem," said Hutchinson. "The developers just want all the land, and there’s no slowing them down at the moment."

The future of the land will eventually be in the hands of Sarasota County commissioners when they take a final vote on the development.

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