MANATEE COUNTY – As it revises its land use rules to encourage urban redevelopment, the Manatee County Commission says it will make five “corridors” its priority areas: Manatee Avenue, Cortez Road, 53rd Avenue, 15th Street East and the Tamiami Trail.
Next, county planners will select three actual sites available for redevelopment, such as vacant lots and stores. Then they will apply the county’s codes to those properties to determine whether the regulations are more of a hindrance than a help.
The current Land Development Code is encouraging suburban sprawl while contributing to urban decay, Commissioner John Chappie said. “It needs to change.