Carlos Beruff, as the applicant, has proposed a new development plan that would eliminate wetlands and erect an 8-foot-high wall along their edge. This no-wetland-buffer permit defies the community’s tireless effort to not only protect wetlands but to have wetland buffers. The project plans to mitigate impacts by using a mitigation bank over 50 miles away in another county.
The permit is not finalized and seeks public input. I have submitted comments you can see by clicking here. Beruff, along with his political hack Anthony Pedicini, bragged about getting Manatee Commissioners like Mike Rahn and Amanda Ballard elected. One of their first actions was removing our local wetland policies, a major issue in the 2024 election.
It is hard to describe the damage Rahn and Ballard did, but what is more insulting is how they treated members of the public who testified. Then-commissioner Kevin Van Ostenbridge, as chair, attacked a child who was giving sincere comments. Rahn and Ballard sat quietly and now claim they will stand up to developers. They had their chance to do that, and now we must once again take our time to defend our environment…