MYAKKA CITY, Fla. — Proposed development in East Manatee County could lead to changes at the Myakka Elephant Ranch in Myakka City.
Julia Braren said every piece of land is precious in Myakka City. The Myakka Elephant Ranch is home to endangered species of elephants. It also educates guests on conservation efforts.
"The work we're doing with conservation impacts those all over the world. We have programs, we have support, in Tanzania and South Africa and Uganda, we're building anti-poaching ranger stations," said Julia Braren, Chief Operating Officer with Myakka Elephant Ranch.
A developer wants to build nearly 5,000 homes and rezone agricultural land. The proposed development would also add new roads.
Braren said the proposed road would expand 44th Avenue East and it would cut through the elephant habitat.
"It would cut through directly the outskirts of this, taking out a huge part of it and probably eliminating it completely," said Braren. "There's so many other routes you can take. This is a gem of Manatee County, a gem of Florida. It's a gem of the United States."
The proposed development would also impact Hansader Farms on County Road 675 in Bradenton. The road would be called East River Ranch Boulevard and would cut through the petting zoo and the parking lot for the fall pumpkin festival.
Rachel Hunsader-Sliker said the farm means a lot to her family. The farm has been around for 55 years.
"We were little, and we would just come out and run around and explore. Even growing up, I went off to college, and I was just drawn back to the farm, and I just love it. It's in the middle of the country. There's nature everywhere," said Hunsader-Sliker.
Hunsader Farms started an online petition against the development. The petition has more than 4,500 signatures.
"I'm concerned because this is how we make a living. This is our livelihood," said Hunsader-Sliker. "There's potential that it could go through our petting zoo and our tiny town that's really popular. We have a bunch of people come out on the weekends even on the weekdays, we can get pretty busy."
Manatee County Commissioners are expected to discuss the topic on Thursday at the Land Use Meeting. The meeting begins at 1:30 p.m.
