Manatee County Sets August 21 Vote on Wetlands Protections in Potential Clash with State Hurricane Recovery Law
Manatee County commissioners will vote August 21 on restoring wetlands protections and tightening development rules, setting up a possible legal battle with a new state law that limits local governments from imposing stricter growth regulations for one year after a hurricane.
Senate Bill 180, signed into law earlier this year, prevents municipalities within 100 miles of a hurricane’s impact from enacting policies that could slow rebuilding. State officials have warned that Manatee’s proposed changes—such as reinstating a 50-foot buffer from wetlands and restricting development outside the county’s urban growth boundary—could violate similar restrictions enacted after Hurricane Ian under SB 250.
Commissioners contend the law is being misapplied, arguing their proposed policies do not impede storm recovery but instead address long-term growth management. The planned changes would reverse prior board decisions that allowed development on agricultural land beyond the urban services area and loosened wetland protections. The new board majority, elected in 2024 on a platform critical of overdevelopment, has pledged to restore those safeguards.
The August 21 vote is expected to draw opposition from developers and may trigger lawsuits challenging the county’s authority under SB 180. Commissioners, however, have signaled their willingness to defend the measures in court.
Manatee County has also joined other local governments in seeking clarification of the state law. Earlier this month, the board backed a Pasco County proposal urging the Florida Association of Counties to lobby for changes specifying that SB 180 applies only to properties damaged by hurricanes, not to unrelated future development projects.
If approved, the wetlands protections and growth plan revisions would mark a significant shift in Manatee’s development policies, testing the boundaries of state preemption laws and setting the stage for a potential statewide debate over local control.
