Manatee County commissioners voted to continue discussion of a county-initiated rezone and general development plan for a new Lake Manatee EMS station, saying they need more evidence that the county-owned site is the best and least environmentally risky option.

James Crutchfield, deputy director of public safety, outlined a business case dating to 2019 that identified the east-county area as needing additional ambulance resources and larger facilities to improve coverage. He told the board that the existing station has room for only one ambulance and that acquiring space to house two units was central to the request: “We identified a need to add an ambulance to this area of the county,” Crutchfield said.

But several commissioners and residents argued the county had not sufficiently considered alternatives. Commissioner Crystal Phelps and Commissioner Bob McCann, among others, pushed staff to examine using or improving the existing Quattlebaum/Claiborne house footprint, leasing space from local fire districts as a stopgap, or acquiring other county-owned or developer-donated parcels. Commissioner McCann moved to continue the item “to no date certain” and to re-advertise the hearing; the motion carried and staff said they would return with additional analyses and outreach.

Residents who spoke at the meeting asked the county to require tighter stormwater controls and to show how any new driveway, grading or utilities would avoid worsening nearby wetland and private-property impacts. Planning staff and the applicant’s project team said buffers, on-site stormwater management and a 30% open-space commitment were included in preliminary materials, and that some existing structures on the site predate zoning overlays. Sydney Seymour, Manatee County construction services, explained efforts to limit impervious area and locate stormwater ponds and said the new drive alignment seeks to improve site visibility and safety.

Commissioners also discussed interlocal arrangements. EMS staff said East Manatee and other fire districts had offered space for a single ambulance but did not have capacity to host two ambulances and full staffing; staff noted that a leased arrangement is possible but likely costly and may be only a short-term solution.

The county ordered an ambulance through the CIP and the vehicle is in production, officials said, placing some time pressure on the project. Still, the board agreed that the public-service need did not eliminate the requirement to show that the chosen site is the best location and that off-site impacts are addressed. The continuance allows staff to return with comparisons of alternative locations, more detailed site-selection justification, cost and lease options, and neighborhood outreach.

The planning next steps: staff will re-advertise the hearing and run additional neighborhood meetings; commissioners asked for a clearer analysis of options (county-owned alternatives, interlocal agreements and stormwater mitigation measures) before taking final action.