Planned Take 5 Oil Change in Osprey, Florida, Rejected Again by County Officials

A proposed Take 5 Oil Change in Osprey, Florida, has yet again been rejected by the Sarasota County Commission, reports the Sarasota Herald-Tribune.

For the past year, Developers Cougar Investment LLC and 8Square LLC have sought approval for the project from the county, but has faced intense pushback from locals.

Originally, the developers applied to rezone the 1.4-acre plot from commercial shopping center to commercial general—but last May, the Planning Commission recommended the County Commission reject the proposal, which did so in August.

With the site being nearby Oscar Scherer State Park, locals are arguing that the shop would negatively impact wildlife and environmental conditions. So, this past January, the developers challenged the rejection of their proposal, leading to a settlement being reached with legal representatives for the county.

The settlement would have required additional wall buffers and limited signage to mitigate environmental impact. This is what went before the County Commission most recently on April 8, but was yet again met with pushback, with approximately 70 local residents in attendance. Many spoke out against the settlement during the meeting’s open public comment section.

“These are as helpful as putting a Band-Aid on a broken leg,” said Jane Graham, an attorney representing the local residents. “It has to be a material change, and this is simply not.”

This led to the commission voting unanimously to reject the proposal again. The developers now have a few options: return to the special magistrate with the initial appeal, appeal the denial in the circuit court, or drop the proposal altogether.

“This is the third iteration that this particular item has come through by way of a board looking at it,” said Commission Chairman Joe Neunder. “It’s not the right business for that particular area.”