Not unlike those persistent pop-ups in a game of whack-a-mole, a proposed Take 5 oil change in Osprey is refusing to be denied. But it once again met the business end of the Sarasota County Commission’s mallet at an April 8 meeting, with the commission squashing another attempt from the facility to push development plans through.
The commission unanimously voted to reject a settlement that, if approved, would have sent the oil change business proposal back before the government board for another public vote at a future meeting. Developers Cougar Investment LLC 8Square LLC has lobbied the county to approve the development for a year, but has been repeatedly rejected, with strong pushback by nearby residents.
The developer originally applied to rezone the 1.4-acre plot from commercial shopping center to commercial general, which would have allowed the construction a 3,600-square-foot office building and a 1,430-square-foot service center. The site at the corner of Tamiami Trail and Habitat Boulevard is near Oscar Scherer State Park, and residents of the adjacent Willowbend community argue that the oil change activities would threaten its wildlife and environmental conditions…