A proposed five-story, 72-unit apartment complex off Braden Avenue drew organized opposition Thursday, July 23, when residents lined U.S. 41 with signs warning the project would overwhelm the narrow corridor with traffic.

The development, called Legacy Village Two, would rise on a site near the intersection of Braden Avenue and Tamiami Trail that previously housed a restaurant. Residents Sue Kehoe, John Philpott and Sam Whitfield were among those who gathered that morning to demand Manatee County commissioners reject the project.

Kehoe said the road already serves vulnerable populations, pointing to Easterseals Southwest Florida at 350 Braden Ave., which provides disability services and child care and has operated in the community for more than 70 years.

"We have Easterseals on this road," Kehoe said. "There's people crossing all the time with their strollers and with their disabled. To add that density to this area is just insane."

Protesters estimated the complex would add hundreds of daily vehicle trips to Braden Avenue. No traffic study supporting or contradicting that figure has been released.

Kehoe pointed to a crash at the U.S. 41 intersection on Wednesday, July 22, as evidence the corridor is already dangerous. Philpott called the building's scale excessive, saying 72 units in a five-story structure would be too large an impact for the area.

Developer Scott Eller pushed back. He said the site's former restaurant was popular and busy, generating heavy traffic with no documented crashes or safety incidents. Eller said he purchased both properties to build what he described as clean, safe and affordable housing.

"I don't really understand their argument," Eller told SNN News on July 23.

The Manatee County Commission's summer recess ended Friday, July 24, and the board's first meeting back is scheduled for the week of July 28, according to the Bradenton Times. Residents said they plan to address commissioners during public comment at that meeting. No commissioner has publicly commented on the proposal.

The commission agenda is posted at mymanatee.org.