"Got us nothing": Burnt Store homeowners wait for updated development plan

Members of the Burnt Store Corridor Coalition (BSCC) left a Charlotte County Commission meeting disappointed on April 23, after commissioners did not agree to update a development plan for the area.

The current Burnt Store Area Plan was created in 2005. Now, members of the BSCC say the plan needs to be updated to address issues that existing communities face from new development in the area like drainage, wildlife impacts and traffic.

John Flemming, Chairman of the BSCC, said members have been pushing for an update to the plan since late September 2023.

“There is no dialogue,” said Flemming. “We’re nowhere near where we should be after seven months, we should be much further along.”

At Tuesday's meeting, commissioners directed County staff to plan stakeholder meetings for residents so they can give input on development before committing to an update to the development plan.

“These stakeholder meetings are an educational opportunity for them and for us and it will just keep the process moving forward, and that's the whole idea, it's not a dead issue,” said District 2 Commissioner Christopher Constance.

BSCC members say they were disappointed with the decision, and were hoping commissioners were ready to move forward with an updated plan.

“I was asked today what did this get us? It got us nothing,” said Flemming. “What we needed today was a motion that the county commissioners make, where we would actually have the approval to go forward with a plan.”

County staff have not yet set a date for the stakeholder meetings.