Development remains a hot topic around Englewood and the greater Southwest Florida community. Not everyone agrees on how or where things should change, but everyone has plenty to say about it.
For the members of “Oppose Manasota Beach Road,” it’s been a whirlwind of a week. Englewood REVIEW reported earlier on Kelly Bauman’s legal action pushing back against the Manasota Beach Road extension, and since then, the group has been busy making its voice heard. Between public meetings and sidewalk protests, they made sure everyone heard what they had to say.
On Tuesday, June 16, Sarasota County opened its meeting to public comments on the $15 million Manasota Beach Road Extension Project. The county slipped this into its budget agenda, and neighbors wasted no time showing up. Their primary concern: flooding. This area already fills up with water when it storms, and a lot of residents worry this project will just make things worse.
The group “Oppose Manasota Beach Road” has been fighting since February. Kelly Bauman recently took the fight a step further, filing for a formal administrative hearing with the Southwest Florida Water Management District. The district decided her case deserves attention, so now it’s heading to a state hearing officer.
“We weren’t warned, we weren’t contacted—we found out about this project late in the game,” Bauman told the crowd, encouraging more people to speak up during these meetings.
More residents have been confronting the developers. Many fear not just the flooding but the bigger changes new development might bring. “Developers want to sell houses with direct beach access,” Bauman pointed out. “If we’d known about this sooner, we’d have been there from the start.”
Now, the group’s urging county commissioners to see the site themselves before they lock in any decisions. “Come look with your own eyes,” Bauman says. “Walk the land before you make a call you can’t take back.” She tells neighbors, “Your voice matters. You’re the ones at stake. Don’t let three minutes at a microphone be your only shot.”
During Tuesday’s meeting, members read aloud the Englewood REVIEW article to make sure their frustration was on the record. Here is a video of the reading of the article at the meeting.
The county’s attorney, David Pearce, filed a motion to dismiss Bauman’s petition, something Bauman describes as routine. “They spent a lot of your money on this,” she said, pointing out that multiple lawyers joined the call to shut down a single citizen’s concerns about flooding and wetlands.
While that legal wrangling was already swirling, the group wasn’t just locked in paperwork. On Wednesday, June 17, they gathered for a demonstration at the corner of Manasota Beach Road. Signs, chants, conversations; one hour making it clear they’re not standing down.
No one’s pretending it’s easy. Many claim the road is inevitable and progress is unstoppable. Others just want transparency, environmental protection, and a voice in the process.
As for Kelly Bauman, she’s honest about feeling the weight of the moment: “This is bigger than me. I put it in God’s hands and try to do the right thing.” She admits the stress is real, but says faith keeps her steady. “I just want to see justice for the community and to stop this road.”
Click here for the “Oppose Manasota Beach Rd.” Facebook page.
