Manatee County approves new hospital, village center in Parrish

Jesse Mendoza, Sarasota Herald-Tribune
·3 min read

Manatee County commissioners approved several major development projects in the Parrish area that clear the path for the construction of a new hospital and a village center.

The projects will include a mixture of residential housing, commercial and office space, and an assisted living facility at North River Ranch, which is under development by Neal Land & Neighborhoods in Parrish.

Commissioners also approved density changes to Lakewood Ranch and Palm Grove related to a land sale by Schroeder Manatee Ranch to Neal Communities.

Previously: The Neal family legacy expands as development in Manatee and Sarasota counties moves east

Also: Will change pave way for more commercial development in Parrish?

Commissioners OK'd changes to the county's land development code with the goal of encouraging the construction of more affordable housing in exchange for density.

A conceptual rendering of a 150-bed hospital that was approved for development at Thursday's land use meeting. Design is not final.
A conceptual rendering of a 150-bed hospital that was approved for development at Thursday's land use meeting. Design is not final.

New hospital, village center coming to North River Ranch in Parrish

A conceptual plan for a Village Center slated to be built at the Villages of Amazon South, which is a part of North River Ranch community in Parrish. It includes plans for a mix of residential space, multifamily housing, retail and office space, as well as a 150-bed hospital and a senior living facility.
A conceptual plan for a Village Center slated to be built at the Villages of Amazon South, which is a part of North River Ranch community in Parrish. It includes plans for a mix of residential space, multifamily housing, retail and office space, as well as a 150-bed hospital and a senior living facility.

Commissioners approved a slew of changes to the Villages of Amazon South, which is a 1,032-acre project part of John Neal's massive North River Ranch development in Parrish.

Two phases of the project are residential lots, but Neal Land and Neighborhoods also envision a walkable village center, said Katie LaBarr, a project planner with Stantec, representing the company.

Commissioners unanimously approved zoning changes on a 50-acre parcel from residential to mixed-use to allow construction of a six-story 150-bed hospital and 125,000 square feet of medical office space. The parcel is located about a half-mile north of Moccasin Wallow Road on US 301.

And: Former Parrish farmland becomes popular housing destination

Commissioners also approved updates to the existing development plan to create a Village Center on 246 acres of land surrounding the hospital property.

The updates to the project plan allow 2,497 residential units that consist of detached paired villas, townhomes, and apartments; 202,000 square feet of retail and commercial space; 20,000 square feet of office space; 247,000 square feet of medical office space; 326 assisted living facility beds; as well as the 150 hospital beds.

Density changes for Northeast quadrant of Lakewood Ranch, Palm Grove

Commissioners approved a reduction in density for Lakewood Ranch's Northeast Quadrant and also voted to transmit a proposed density increase for Palm Grove. The two projects are separate but related.

The first request removes 202 acres of land from Lakewood Ranch's Northeast Quadrant, which also reduces the overall density of the remaining property by 435 units. This brings the total of developable single-family detached homes to 9,665 units, and 2,900 single-family attached units.

LaBarr, who represented Neal Communities of Southwest Florida on the agenda item, explained that the amendment is needed because Neal is purchasing the 202 acres for his Palm Grove development project, which recently received a comprehensive plan amendment.

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A conceptual rendering of the Palm Grove site plan.
A conceptual rendering of the Palm Grove site plan.

Affordable housing incentives

Commissioners unanimously approved changes to the county's affordable housing incentive program as written in the land development code.

The changes increased the percentage of a project required to be affordable housing for its rapid response fast-tracking incentive from 10% to 25%.

Commissioners also amended the review fee reimbursement incentive to instead become a review fee deferral incentive. This makes it so that planning fees are reimbursed to an applicant at the end of a project when its determined that they are in compliance with the terms of their land-use restriction agreement.

Additionally, the county's sidewalk location incentive was removed from the program, changes were made to compatibility standards for rezones that do not have a site plan, and bulk and dimensional standards were added to various zoning districts, among other changes.

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Manatee County approves new hospital, village center in Parrish