YouTube star Cleetus McFarland races on this Florida track. How will new homes fit in?

Thousands of homes are set to be built near the historic DeSoto Speedway in East Manatee County following approval from the Manatee County Commission last week.

It’s the first time the commissioners have approved a new development past the latest location of the county’s development boundary line, which protects agricultural land to the east.

A previous public meeting attracted dozens of speakers worried about the racetrack’s future when new homes surround it.

But plans for Taylor Ranch now include a “race village” on 140 acres closest to the speedway, developers announced during Thursday’s public Land Use meeting.

The idea was inspired by The Motor Enclave in Tampa, a 200-acre site which offers luxury garage space near a private paved track and off-road trails, as well as an events center.

“This area of the property will be constructed, designed and marketed to the future owners and tenants who want to take advantage of being in close proximity to the racetrack — people who understand the options and want to be part of that lifestyle,” said Kyle Grimes, a land use attorney representing the developer.

Opponents of Taylor Ranch feared that new residents would complain about noise from the racetrack, which serves as the home base of YouTube star Cleetus McFarland, who has more than three million subscribers.

Grimes said all homeowners will be required to sign a waiver that acknowledges the existence of the racetrack as a “pre-existing and permitted use.”

Lakewood Ranch also plans to install sound mitigation technology in the form of a berm that is topped with a 25-foot wall and trees to reduce the noise.

Lakewood Ranch cleared for expansion

The controversial development has been working its way through the permitting process for years. The developer first petitioned county leaders in 2021 to allow the construction of a subdivision beyond the county’s boundary line.

The Future Development Area Boundary (FDAB) line marks the limits of county services, such as sewer and water lines. However, Schroder-Manatee Ranch pitched a plan to build homes beyond that line, which roughly runs parallel to the western edge of Lake Manatee, while paying for the expansion of infrastructure needed to support the new community.

That plan was protested by several East Manatee residents, including Cleetus McFarland. The YouTuber, whose real name is Garrett Mitchell, purchased the DeSoto Speedway track in 2020.

Elizabeth Wexler, an attorney working on behalf of Mitchell, said the YouTube star wanted the board to delay the decision. While Taylor Ranch will require residents to acknowledge the track, Mitchell said he would prefer to have the racetrack’s protections reviewed by his own land-use attorney.

Due to Lakewood Ranch’s size and influence, nine different law firms said they couldn’t work for Mitchell because of a conflict of interest, she told board members.

But board members said Mitchell had plenty of time to secure counsel, pointing to the crowd of 15,000 people he rallied to watch a previous hearing in December.

“It’s a stall tactic,” said Commissioner Kevin Van Ostenbridge. “There’s no point in dragging things out and slowing things down.”

Taylor Ranch wins approval

Despite objections from residents and a warning that oise from the track would disturb new residents, the Manatee Board of County Commissioners voted 5-2 to approve the project.

Commissioners James Satcher and Jason Bearden voted against the proposal.

Taylor Ranch, a 2,307-acre development planned at the southeast intersection of State Road 64 and Bourneside Boulevard, is slated to add 4,500 units as an expansion of the master-planned Lakewood Ranch community.

Katie LaBarr, a planner representing Lakewood Ranch, said the housing types will be a mix of single-family homes, townhouses and rental apartments. There are also plans to build a fire station, a school and cellphone towers on the property.

Developers say they hope to co-exist with the racetrack for years to come.

“We really wanted to show that we want to see the drags trip be successful,” Grimes said.

Several commissioners, who expressed concern in December about how the new community would impact the racetrack, said they were satisfied by the developer’s commitment.

“My only concern is trying to make sure the racetrack is covered 100%,” said Commissioner Vanessa Baugh, who noted that her grandchildren are fans of Cleetus McFarland.

“Every commissioner on the board wants to ensure there are protections in place,” Van Ostenbridge added. “When we do this, we’re not setting the track up to fail. We all want to see the track continue to flourish.”

FDAB a ‘cruel hoax’

As they discussed whether to approve Taylor Ranch, board members hinted that they’re ready to tackle another controversial issue — relocating the FDAB line even further east.

As Manatee County’s population has grown, the FDAB line has shifted over the years. Some commissioners said they believe the time has come for another move.

“I think it’s time that this board moves to officially move our (FDAB) line from where it is. I think it needs to move to (County Road) 675,” said Baugh.

Commissioner Mike Rahn agreed, pointing to a growth projection model that has the county’s population increasing to 500,000 by 2030.

“The FDAB is not a wall. It’s a temporary line in the sand meant to hold growth up to a point,” Rahn said. “We can’t stop people from coming here, but if we don’t plan for growth, growth will plan for us.”

Some residents argued that the line helped informed their decisions to purchase property out east in the first place.

“The FDAB line was supposed to be the line in the sand. People bought in eastern Manatee County on the promise that the area would remain agricultural and rural,” said Kimlyn Walker, an attorney representing the Panther Ridge Homeowners’ Association.

“Now the FDAB is essentially a cruel hoax against the people of Manatee County. It doesn’t mean anything if you can just go beyond it and build things,” said Richard Williams, president of the Panther Ridge II Homeowners’ Association.

Another large project is already in the pipeline. East River Ranch proposes to add another 5,378 units, 900,000 square feet of commercial space and 300,000 square feet of self-storage just east of Taylor Ranch.

That project is expected to come before the board later this year.