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The ratio of projected commercial space to residential units has morphed. Previous plans called for even more non-residential area, but the commercial and office portion was trimmed back — by more than 1 million square feet — while another 1,000 residential units were added, Suau told the residents. Big-box stores will be prohibited, and on-street parking, slower speeds for vehicles and New Urbanism design standards are being incor- porated in the project with the intention of creating a more walkable, village-like atmo- sphere. County leaders say they hope the development becomes a "gateway village" for people headed to Sarasota from that side of town. An early proposal was aired in 2010; in July, county officials revived the effort to get the Fruitville Initiative area rezoned. "We haven't really planned like this in 100 years," Suau said. "Setting up a framework for development is usually reactive." Among the possible uses for the 300-plus acres are research and development facili- ties, condos, townhouses, hotels (including mixed-use projects), commercial space, a youth center, shops and offices. That list is based on discussions involving property own- ers in the development area and county staff members and consultants. "We sat down and talked to property owners and talked about what could happen on their site," Suau noted. All the property owners except one within Special Planning Area 3 in the Fruitville Initiative have opted into the county's plan- ning and rezoning effort. RESIDENTS' CONCERNS Residents at the meeting did have questions about traffic on Fruitville Road and environ- mental buffers. Some said they feel it is important to close East Richardson Road, so drivers will not head from the developed area directly into the neighborhoods to the east. They want to retain the rural atmosphere of that part of the county, where single-family homes sit on larger lots. "We're just trying to protect what we have here in Fox Creek One," Dave Ulsh told The Sarasota News Leader after the workshop. Suau said Sweet Sparkman is recommending that East Richardson be closed at the devel- opment's border. Ulsh is also concerned that the environmental buffer proposed along the eastern bound- ary of the special planning area is not wide enough. In the current plan, 35-foot-tall build- ings would be 100 feet from the neighborhood, infringing on the semi-rural atmosphere the homeowners enjoy. It also means wildlife would have only a small path to use as they roamed from the rural and semi-rural space south towards the county's Celery Fields. "We're concerned about wildlife and the vital- ity of our neighborhood," Ulsh added. But Ulsh understands that the Fruitville Initiative has been in the works for years. "It's a done deal," he said. Tom and Toni Weliki are worried about traffic, and they want to see county staff plan care- fully for the expected increase in the number of motorists. Wade Matthews, conservation chairman with Sarasota Audubon, also offered comments Sarasota News Leader April 4, 2014 Page 31