SARASOTA COUNTY (SNN TV) – Two residents in rural Sarasota County sue the county over the Lakewood Ranch plan.
The developer is planning to build a community up to 5,000 on over 4,000 acres of undeveloped land in eastern Sarasota county. Lakewood Ranch Southeast will be east of Lorraine Road between Fruitville and the Sarasota-Manatee County line, according to the Herald-Tribune.
Sarasota County commissioners approved the ordinances over concerns of nearby residents, including an amendment to the county’s long-term growth plan. That amendment allows more homes to be built on the Lakewood Ranch property than previously permitted.
Residents Mike Hutchinson and Eileen Fitzgerald have filed a legal challenge against amendment. Hutchinson said he has been unhappy about the growth in eastern Sarasota County for a while and likes the rural lifestyle.
Hutchinson ran in the Republican primary for Sarasota County Commission District 1 in 2020 but lost to incumbent Commissioner Mike Moran.
