News & Updates

Category: News & Events

A new affordable apartment project is proposed for eastern Manatee County, with paperwork recently filed with Manatee County Development Services.

The development — called SR 64 Apartments — would bring 252 affordable multifamily residential units to 15005 State Road 64 East, located north of SR 64 East, east of Lorraine Road, and west of Zipperer Road. The project encompasses two land parcels totaling approximately 10 acres.

Plans call for three buildings of 84 units each, arranged around a central pond, with an amenity center, pool, and dog park included in the design.

The parcels carrying the project were previously rezoned from agricultural to general commercial through public hearings before the Manatee County Commission — a land-use shift that paved the way for this type of residential development.

No construction timeline has been announced. The filing represents an early stage in the county's development review process.

Why It Matters for Our Neighborhood

Every major rezoning and land-use shift in Manatee County sends signals about how our region is growing — and where. The SR 64 corridor has seen growing development pressure in recent years. Affordable housing proposals like this one often surface in areas where land costs are lower than in established urban neighborhoods, and they reflect broader county planning priorities.

As Manatee County continues to navigate growth, decisions about where density goes — and at what cost to farmland, greenspace, and infrastructure — affect communities countywide, including historic neighborhoods like Point Pleasant. The Affordable Housing Advisory Committee (AHAC) has separately been pressing the County Commission to preserve reimbursement programs that support ownership-level affordable housing in the 80–120% AMI range.

Residents who wish to track this project can monitor filings through Manatee County Development Services.

Sources: Bradenton Herald; The Bradenton Times – BOCC Notes 3/24/26

Category: News & Events

The seat that shapes Manatee County zoning and development policy is now officially open for a special election.

Governor Ron DeSantis issued Executive Order 26-76 on March 24, formally declaring a vacancy on the Manatee County Board of County Commissioners in District 1. The vacancy was created by the unexpected passing of Commissioner Carol Ann Felts last month. Because more than half of her four-year term remains — over 28 months — Florida law requires the seat be filled by a special election, not a gubernatorial appointment.

By Friday, March 27, the Manatee County Supervisor of Elections had opened the District 1 race for the 2026 election cycle. At least nine candidates had already signaled their intent to run, many of whom had previously filed for the 2028 cycle while awaiting the executive order. Those filings are expected to shift to the 2026 special election in the coming days, and additional candidates may yet enter the race.

Why This Matters for Point Pleasant and Bradenton Neighborhoods

The Manatee County Commission approves rezonings, variances, comprehensive plan amendments, and development agreements across unincorporated Manatee County. Its decisions set precedents on density, land use intensity, environmental protections, and infrastructure funding that affect neighboring municipalities too.

At the March 24 BOCC meeting, commissioners were already wrestling with the tension between state-mandated zoning preemptions and local communities seeking to protect their character. Residents from Myakka City voiced alarm over creeping development threatening rural land and water quality. Commissioner Kruse noted that state bills like SB 180 are actively limiting local zoning authority — making the composition of the BOCC even more critical for neighborhoods that want a strong local voice on development issues.

What to Watch

As the candidate field takes shape, Point Pleasant residents and Bradenton neighborhood advocates will want to pay attention to where candidates stand on:

• Historic preservation and neighborhood character
• Density and infill development in established neighborhoods
• State preemption of local zoning authority
• Environmental protections and stormwater management
• Affordable housing policy and community benefit agreements

The qualifying deadline and election date will be announced by the Supervisor of Elections. Follow updates at votemanatee.gov.

Sources: The Bradenton Times (March 27, 2026); Manatee County Commission Notes 3/24/26

Category: News & Events

At the Manatee County Commission meeting on March 24, 2026, a recurring theme emerged that should concern every resident invested in protecting the character of historic neighborhoods: the state of Florida is increasingly taking zoning decisions out of local hands.

Commissioner Kruse explicitly noted during the meeting that SB 180 and other state legislation are impacting local governments' ability to affect zoning decisions, citing the Live Local Act as a specific example of a state law the county is bound to follow — even when it conflicts with local priorities.

The Live Local Act, passed in 2023 and expanded since, allows developers to bypass local zoning restrictions in many cases to build multi-family housing at densities that local communities would otherwise reject. While affordable housing is a genuine need, the law's broad preemption powers have alarmed preservation-minded residents across Florida.

Myakka City Residents Sound the Alarm

The issue was given a human face by Myakka City residents who addressed the commission during public comment. Four residents — Heidi, Sloan, Lindsey, and Elizabeth — described what they called "creeping development": two golf courses already in place and a housing development proposed for their rural community, raising concerns about threats to the Myakka River and agricultural way of life.

One resident, Lindsey, described how her family's advocacy to reject a significant increase in housing density zoning resulted in their family being targeted with a lawsuit. It is a sobering reminder that standing up for your neighborhood can carry real personal risk.

Why This Matters for Point Pleasant

Point Pleasant's historic character depends on local zoning protections. When state law overrides the ability of Bradenton and Manatee County to enforce those protections, our neighborhood's future becomes more vulnerable to developer-driven density proposals that could permanently alter the streetscapes, scale, and spirit of the community.

The pattern emerging in Myakka City — incremental approvals, mounting density, lawsuit pressure on residents who object — is exactly the kind of trajectory that historic neighborhoods need to watch for and act against early.

What You Can Do

Stay informed on upcoming Bradenton City Council and Manatee County Commission agendas. Public comment periods are your most direct avenue to make the community's voice heard. The League of Women Voters of Manatee County publishes meeting notes (linked below) as a valuable resource for tracking what's happening at the county level.

If you have concerns about a specific development proposal near Point Pleasant, reach out to us at protectthepoint.org — we track these issues so you don't have to.

Sources: The Bradenton Times — Manatee County Commission Notes: 3/24/26 (published March 26, 2026), League of Women Voters of Manatee County Government Committee

Category: Feature

Every year, the Sarasota Alliance for Historic Preservation (SAHP) does something simple and sobering: it names the six historic places most likely to disappear.

The 2025 Six to Save list, released in November, spans more than a century of local history — from a 1912 rusticated block house that predates the Florida land boom to a pair of 1961 Sarasota School masterworks facing redevelopment pressure. Together, these six places are a cross-section of how this region was built, who built it, and what we stand to lose if advocacy fails.

For residents of Point Pleasant and neighborhoods like it, the list is a mirror. The same forces at work in downtown Sarasota — rising land values, permissive zoning, and a state legislature increasingly hostile to local preservation authority — are reshaping older neighborhoods throughout Manatee and Sarasota counties.

The Six

The J.B. Turner House (1912) on Fruitville Road is one of the oldest buildings still standing in downtown Sarasota — and one of only two original structures left on what was once a modest residential street. Its owner is a developer. Without a protective designation, it sits exposed.

The U.S. Garage Building (1924) on Pineapple Avenue was Sarasota's first commercial garage, a land-boom survivor that later became a local model for adaptive reuse. It now sits within a multi-parcel assemblage assembled for a proposed 18-story condominium. The demolition plan is on the table.

The Blackburn Point Swing Bridge (1925) in Osprey is one of the last working hand-crank swing bridges on Florida's Gulf Coast. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, it has survived one county rehabilitation — but that life extension is expiring, and a new engineering review will determine whether it gets another chance or gets replaced entirely.

Luke Wood Park and the Mable Ringling Memorial Fountain (1931/1936) in downtown Sarasota were once a formal civic garden donated by a local family and embellished by the Sarasota Garden Club in honor of the Ringling legacy. Street expansions, wastewater infrastructure, and decades of deferred maintenance have left little of the original design intact. A community group called Miracle on Mound is working to restore it.

The Warriner Residence (1961) is a nationally recognized example of Sarasota School architecture — clean lines, cypress cladding, outdoor rooms — recently listed for sale without local historic designation in a neighborhood where midcentury homes are routinely torn down.

And the Lawyers Professional Building (1961), architect Frank Folsom Smith's first independent project, anchors a stretch of East Main Street with its shaded courtyard and one-story scale. Its parcel is zoned for significant height. It has changed hands multiple times as redevelopment interest intensifies.

The Bigger Fight

SAHP Program Director Erin DiFazio didn't mince words when the list dropped. "With the challenging legislation coming out of the state effectively crippling local government's ability to safeguard historic places," she said, "we have our work cut out for us."

That legislative pressure is real. Florida's legislature has repeatedly moved to preempt local zoning and land-use authority — the same tools that preservation advocates depend on to protect historic neighborhoods. When cities and counties lose the ability to say no, the burden falls entirely on public pressure, nonprofit advocacy, and individual property owners willing to steward what they have.

It's a dynamic Point Pleasant knows well. Historic overlay districts — the kind that protect Cortez Fishing Village and Terra Ceia in Manatee County — exist only where communities organize and demand them. As preservation expert Cathy Slusser, a 36-year veteran of Manatee County's historical resources department, put it plainly: "If the residents don't want it, it's not going to be imposed on them."

What You Can Do

The Six to Save program isn't just a list — it's a call to action. SAHP is actively working on a Historic Preservation Transfer of Development Rights program with the City of Sarasota, which would give property owners financial incentives to preserve rather than demolish. Public comment at city and county hearings has already made a difference: community support helped the Mira Mar Plaza (a 2024 Six to Save selection) secure a zoning change that made its restoration financially viable.

If you're in Point Pleasant, the lesson is clear: preservation wins when neighbors show up. Learn about your own neighborhood's historic character. Find out whether an overlay district could work here. And watch what happens to those six buildings in Sarasota — because what goes there sets the precedent for what comes next.

Sources: Sarasota Magazine (Nov. 20, 2025); Sarasota Alliance for Historic Preservation, preservesrq.org; Your Observer (Jul. 2, 2025)

Category: News & Events

If you have been watching the Manatee River run lower than usual this spring, there is a reason: Southwest Florida is in the grip of a serious drought, and state water managers are responding with some of the strictest outdoor watering restrictions in years.

On March 25, 2026, the Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD) Governing Board voted to declare a Modified Phase III "Extreme" Water Shortage across the entire region — including all of Manatee County. The new restrictions take effect April 3, 2026 and run through July 1, 2026.

What the Restrictions Mean for Point Pleasant Residents

Under the Modified Phase III order, all outdoor irrigation — including residents on private wells — is limited to one day per week, based on your address:

• Address ending in 0 or 1: water on Monday
• Address ending in 2 or 3: water on Tuesday
• Address ending in 4 or 5: water on Wednesday
• Address ending in 6 or 7: water on Thursday
• Address ending in 8 or 9: water on Friday

Watering hours are also reduced. Unless your city or county has stricter hours, you must water between 12:01 a.m. to 4 a.m. or 8 p.m. to 11:59 p.m. Properties under one acre may only use one of those two windows.

Low-volume hand watering and micro-irrigation (soaker hoses, drip lines) is still allowed any day, but only before 8 a.m. or after 6 p.m.

Other Notable Rules

• Restaurants must only serve water upon request.
• Car washing at home is only allowed on your lawn watering day, with a shutoff nozzle.
• Aesthetic fountains are limited to four hours per day.
• HOAs may not enforce rules that require residents to water more than allowed.
• Starting 14 days after the order takes effect, utilities will issue citations without first issuing a warning.

Why It Matters for Our River Community

The Manatee River is at the heart of Point Pleasant — its health directly affects our neighborhood, our property values, and the wildlife that makes this stretch of Bradenton so special. The District reports a 13.7-inch regional rainfall deficit over the past 12 months, with aquifer levels, river flows, and public water supplies all significantly below normal for this time of year.

Outdoor water use accounts for more than 50 percent of household water consumption. Reducing irrigation is one of the most impactful things residents can do to help the river and the region recover.

For your specific watering schedule and any local City of Bradenton rules (which may be stricter), check with the City or visit WaterMatters.org/Restrictions.

Sources: Southwest Florida Water Management District water shortage order (March 25, 2026), via The Bradenton Times — https://thebradentontimes.com/stories/district-declares-modified-phase-iii-water-shortage,190608

Category: News & Events

A major city-led development project is moving forward in Bradenton that could reshape the area around LECOM Park and deliver new community amenities to neighborhoods near downtown — including, potentially, areas close to Point Pleasant.

The City Park project, announced by city leaders this week, is a multi-phase initiative centered on expanding LECOM Park and its surrounding grounds. Plans call for three new baseball fields, significantly increased parking, and infrastructure upgrades aimed at attracting state and national youth and amateur baseball tournaments. City leaders say the tournament draw is designed to boost tourism and local business revenue — particularly for restaurants and hotels that already see strong business during spring training season.

Importantly, the project is not just about baseball. Mayor Gene Brown and city officials emphasized that the expansion also includes a new community center intended to serve underdeveloped Bradenton neighborhoods, along with a public city park featuring a splash pad. Those community-facing elements signal a potential quality-of-life investment for residents who live near the stadium corridor.

Local business owners are already expressing optimism. At least one business owner near the park — located between two hotels that regularly fill during Pittsburg Pirates spring training — said the tournament influx could provide economic activity that extends well beyond the traditional baseball season.

No specific timeline for construction phases has been publicly announced, and community input sessions have not yet been scheduled. Residents near downtown Bradenton — including in the Point Pleasant neighborhood — would be well-served to follow the project closely as plans develop, particularly regarding traffic, parking, and how the community center and park spaces are designed to serve existing residents versus tournament visitors.

Stay tuned for updates as the City of Bradenton releases more details on public engagement opportunities for the City Park project.

Sources: MySuncoast/WWSB ABC7 (March 25, 2026) — https://www.mysuncoast.com/2026/03/25/bradenton-city-park-project-moves-forward-with-lecom-park-expansion/

There is a small wooden church in Bradenton that has survived yellow fever, the threat of demolition, and the relentless march of development. Today, it faces its next test — and a statewide coalition of preservationists has stepped in to help.

The 1887 Church at Manatee Village Historical Park was named to the Florida Trust for Historic Preservation's 2025 "Florida's 11 to Save" list — an annual designation that puts the state's most endangered historic sites in the spotlight and mobilizes expert resources and funding to help save them.

A Congregation That Persevered

Construction on the church began in 1887 but was briefly halted by a yellow fever outbreak sweeping through the community. The congregation persevered, completing the wooden structure in 1889. When it finally opened its doors, it became the first Christian congregation established on the Florida mainland south of Tampa — a distinction that makes it not just a local landmark, but a piece of Florida's foundational spiritual and community history.

For decades the church served its community. But by the mid-20th century, like so many historic structures, it faced an uncertain future. In 1975 — slated for demolition — it was saved by a group of determined local citizens, relocated to its current home, and made a cornerstone of the newly established Manatee Village Historical Park as part of Florida's Bicentennial preservation effort. The 1860 Manatee County Courthouse was moved alongside it.

A Living Museum Under Threat

Today, Manatee Village Historical Park is an open-air museum preserving the pioneer heritage of Manatee County's founding period (1840–1918). The park is managed in partnership with the Friends of Manatee Village, a nonprofit whose acting president, Andrea Knies, has been a driving force behind getting the 1887 Church the attention it needs.

"You can't replace history," Knies told Bay News 9. "And I also think historic buildings obviously cannot be replaced."

Knies, who has volunteered with historic societies since she was 15 years old, submitted the church's application to the Florida Trust's 11 to Save program herself — believing the designation would open doors to funding and expertise that the organization couldn't access alone. "We are going to have experts from all over the state," she said. "They're going to come together to help us with creative ways to make sure that we are able to preserve this building to its historical accuracy."

The need is real. The church requires a new roof and significant structural stabilization — the kind of work that demands both resources and specialized expertise in historic construction methods.

What "11 to Save" Means

The Florida Trust for Historic Preservation announces its 11 to Save list annually. Sites are nominated by the public and reflect places that local communities consider irreplaceable. The program is explicitly designed not just to raise awareness, but to trigger collaborative, custom solutions for each property — connecting local organizations with statewide preservation networks, funding sources, and technical expertise.

The 2025 list was announced at the Preservation on Main Street conference in Fernandina Beach. Alongside the 1887 Church, it includes the Magic Beach Motel in Vilano Beach, the St. Johns River Lighthouse in Duval County, the entire city of Cedar Key, and the Apalachicola Arsenal Officers Quarters.

"The 2025 Florida's 11 to Save reflect the extraordinary breadth and depth of stories that make up the cultural mosaic of our state," said Florida Trust Board President Mike Cosden. "By safeguarding these sites, we're not just preserving buildings and landscapes, but also the diverse histories and voices that contribute to our shared heritage."

The Suncoast has been well represented on the list in recent years. In 2024, the ancient indigenous burial mounds on Tidy Island in Bradenton and Warm Mineral Springs and Spa in North Port were both recognized. In 2023, Sarasota's Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall made the list.

Why It Matters to Neighborhoods Like Ours

The story of the 1887 Church is, in many ways, the story of every historic neighborhood: a community that built something meaningful, nearly lost it, saved it through collective will, and now must fight again to keep it.

For those of us in Point Pleasant, that arc is familiar. Historic structures don't preserve themselves. They survive because people decide they matter — and then do the work.

If you'd like to support the effort, the Friends of Manatee Village welcomes volunteers and donors. Learn more at manateevillage.org.

Sources: Pulse of Manatee (July 2025), Bay News 9 (August 2025), Florida Trust for Historic Preservation (floridatrust.org)

We're excited to launch this space for sharing updates directly with our neighbors.

What to expect

• Meeting recaps — summaries of planning board and council hearings
• Action alerts — when your voice is needed most
• Wins and progress — celebrating what we've protected together

Stay engaged, stay informed. The Point is worth fighting for.