Planning Commission recommends denial for 131 homes near Rye Road

Source Summary

Manatee County planning commissioners commended KB Homes Tampa LLC for its willingness to meet with residents and adjust its plans accordingly, but the board couldn’t get past the project’s proximity to Rye Road. KB Homes is requesting approval to rezone 51.67 acres from general agriculture to planned development residential in order to build Ivy Run, a community of 131 single family homes on eight lots near the intersection of Rye Road and Waterline Road. Planning commissioners unanimously recommended Ivy Run be denied with John DeLesline and Scott Ziegler absent. The Board of County Commissioners will make the final decision. Vehicle access is proposed from Waterline Road with trail access from Rye Road. Courtesy image “This is a county road problem that can’t handle your density,” Planning Commissioner Anthony Sciullo said to KB Homes’ attorney Caleb Grimes. “You can’t fix Rye Road.” Philip DiMaria, a planner with Kimley-Horn on behalf of KB Homes, said that Rye Road was fully analyzed and studied, and the road has a "high degree of remaining capacity." However, KB Homes still offered to mitigate traffic issues on Rye Road by eliminating vehicle access to Ivy Run from Rye Road. Instead, the plan was revised to change the Rye Road access to a 10-foot recreation trail, so all traffic in and out of the development would be from two access points on Waterline Road. KB Homes would build the trail and then dedicate it to Manatee County so it could connect to the Gateway Greenway Trail that the county is building. Manatee County is breaking ground on the trail project June 18. "If some kid wanted to ride their bike to school (at Gene Witt Elementary School on Rye Road), they could ride that trail system and get on the large sidewalk system that goes up to the school, as well," Grimes said. The developer also proposed installing a traffic signal and realigning the intersection of Rye Road and Waterline Road. Dedicated left and right turn lanes would be added to Waterline Road, and a northbound right turn lane would be added to Rye Road. The proposal is to build 131 single family homes on 51.67 acres near the intersection of Rye Road and Waterline Road. Courtesy image KB Homes met with residents in the surrounding area four times and agreed to additional changes, as well as road improvements. The project’s density was reduced from 180 homes down to 131 homes. Open space was increased to 63%, and an 8-foot privacy fence was added to the southern boundary of the property. The effort was greatly appreciated, but it didn’t change any minds about the condition of Rye Road. East County’s Kathy McKinnon was one of several residents who provided public comment against the proposed rezone. She built her case that Rye Road is failing by pointing to past project denials, a county traffic study and Manatee County Commissioner George Kruse’s comments during a commission meeting in April. During that meeting, Kruse listed Rye Road among three roads in Manatee County that pose “legitimate safety problems,” not just slower travel times due to traffic. The other two roads were Fort Hamer Road and Buckeye Road in Parrish. Kruse classified Rye Road as a “high danger zone” because it has “no escape valve.” He used Lorraine Road as an example of a road that can be escaped because of its intersections with Rangeland Parkway and 44th Avenue East. He said if you’re stuck on Rye Road, you’re stuck. Due to summer recess, Manatee County commissioners will hear the request no sooner than Aug. 6. ____________ Another denial The planning commission heard another proposal for 100 townhomes near the intersection of Rye Road and Waterline Road in December. Altman Rye was unanimously recommended for denial, and the application was withdrawn. Parents complained how difficult it is to get their children to and from Gene Witt Elementary School on Rye Road. Country Creek’s Cara Misiewicz won’t allow her children to ride their bikes to school because it’s a safety issue, but driving isn’t much better. When trying to turn left onto Rye Road, she said, “I have to tell my kids, ‘Hold onto your butts, we’re pulling out.” In addition to the heavy volume of cars on Rye Road, there are no signals to provide breaks in traffic. ____________