Additional details about the development of a proposed town center and about 5,700 homes in Palmer Ranch east of Interstate 75 emerged at an April 16 Sarasota County Planning Commission meeting.
That meeting was ultimately continued to a yet-to-be-scheduled date, so details could be clarified prior to the board voting on whether to recommend land use changes needed to add a town center to the 2,351-acre tract of land known as Palmer Ranch East.
Some of those clarifications include how 1,000 homes would be added to the 4,702 homes allowed by right, as well as a clarification on the minimum amount of light industrial space and minimum percentage of public space.
What is Palmer Ranch East?
Palmer Ranch East, also known as Palmer Ranch 2400 MDO, consists of nine parcels under the control of Palmer Ranch developer Hugh Culverhouse Jr., through McCann East Limited Partnership.
The development was included in Sarasota County’s 2050 Plan when it was approved in 2002.
The master development concept plan for the 2,351 acres allows for a significant amount of open space, starting with a 200.7-acre conservation easement and 651 acres as an alternative greenway buffer.
Only about 1,075 acres are targeted for development.
Palmer Ranch East LLC, the corporation overseeing the land, is seeking to build a total of 5,702 homes — that includes 1,000 units for the proposed town center, which is above the two units per acre allowed in the village plan.
In addition to that, the plan calls for 1,480,000 square feet of non-residential development, broken down into 600,000 square feet of commercial, 630,000 square feet of office and 250,000 square feet of light industrial.
The town center itself would be focused around the intersection of Lorraine Road and a northern extension of State Road 681.
A separate but related plan calls for the partial interchange of State Road 681 and Interstate 75 to be built out as a full highway exit.
What was clarified at the planning commission hearing?
The chief clarification involved the explanation that the 1,000 additional homes, which would likely be clustered around the town center, would be workforce housing added via 2050 Plan formulas or the use of transferable development rights.
Justin Powell, president of Palmer Ranch LLC, also explained how the town center would create land for a major employment center east of Interstate 75 and added that he’s worked with the Economic Development Corporation of Sarasota County and talked about businesses who would be interested in locating to that type of town center.
Shops and restaurants would create a destination for residents east of I-75.
“We want people to feel like a little downtown and community,” Powell said.
While the proposed town center will create a sense of place, the long greenway and accompanying multi-use recreational trails will connect other neighborhoods with the town center.
After a brief video showcasing the proposed town center, Matt Lewis, a principal planner on the project, noted that the multi-use trail “makes it possible for anyone within this village to be within a short bike ride to the town center we saw in this video.”
What land use changes are being sought?
Now that plans for both an extension of Lorraine Road south to link up with Knights Trail Road and the State Road 681 interchange at I-75 are advancing, a reintroduction of the proposed business park is a natural next step.
Palmer Ranch East LLC is submitting three applications to establish the framework for the town center: a comprehensive plan text and map amendment, a unified development code text amendment and a Development of Critical Concern/Master Development Plan/Master Development Order application.
When will the road network be built?
The reconfiguration of the I-75/SR 681 interchange is currently in the project development and environmental impact study phase by the Florida Department of Transportation.
That study is projected to be complete in early 2027.
Now, vehicles traveling south on I-75 can access SR 681 south and vehicles traveling north on 681 can access I-75 northbound – a legacy of when I-75 ended in Nokomis, north of Oscar Scherer State Park.
The Sarasota Manatee Metropolitan Planning Organization’s five-year work plan projects completion of the building of a full interchange for 2035 to 2040.
Extension of Lorraine Road from Clark Road south to Knights Trail Road is anticipated to be complete by 2030.
Earle Kimel primarily covers local governments in Sarasota County as well as land development and environmental issues for the Herald-Tribune. Follow him on Facebook, and X. He can be reached by email at earle.kimel@heraldtribune.com. Support local journalism by subscribing.
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Major Sarasota development plan sparks new questions
