A heavily contested Take 5 Oil Change in Osprey is off the table following denial by the Sarasota County Commission.
The commission voted 3-2 to reject a proposal from Cougar Investment Management LLC and 8Square LLC to rezone 1.4 acres at the corner of Tamiami Trail and Habitat Boulevard to allow for a 3,600-square-foot office building and a 1,430-square-foot service center to be built. The decision, which saw Commissioners Neil Rainford and Mark Smith in dissent, followed a discussion regarding the development’s potential traffic issues, environmental concerns and compatibility with surrounding residences and businesses.
The denial also followed a split 3-3 Sarasota County Planning Commission vote on the item, which resulted in a recommendation that the county commission deny the rezone. The commission was originally scheduled to vote on the rezoning in July, but the developer revised its initial site plan and submitted a new version to the commission.
The development has faced continual backlash from Preserve Osprey , a citizen advocacy group comprised of residents in the Willowbend subdivision and surrounding communities like Rivendell and Seaside Springs. Around 40 members of the group attended the meeting and voiced their opposition, maintaining that an oil change facility is incompatible with the area and would bring undue impacts to wildlife, stormwater management and local noise and light pollution. A petition protesting the development has garnered more than 700 signatures from residents.