TO: Honorable Mayor & Members of the North Port Commission
FROM: A. Jerome Fletcher II, ICMA-CM, MPA, City Manager
TITLE: An Ordinance of the City of North Port, Florida, Rezoning ± 3.30 Acres of Land Located West of Jennings Boulevard in Section 24, Township 40 South, Range 20 East of Sarasota County and Further Described in Instrument No. 2022010157 in Official Records of Sarasota County, From Environmental Conservation Classification (EC) to Agriculture (AG) Classification; Amending the Official Zoning Map; Providing for Findings; Providing for Filing of Approved Documents; Providing for Severability; Providing for Conflicts; and Providing an Effective Date. (QUASI-JUDICIAL).
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Recommended Action
Option 1: Approve Ordinance No. 2025-21 on first reading and continue to second reading on September 23, 2025.
Recommended Action for Second Reading
Adopt Ordinance No. 2025-21.
City Commission Options
Option 1: Approve Ordinance No. 2025-21 on first reading and continue to second reading on September 23, 2025.
• Pros: The rezoning will not adversely affect the public interest, health, safety, and general welfare.
• Cons: The comprehensive staff analysis concluded that there are no identifiable drawbacks to the approval of Ordinance No. 2025-21.
Option 2: Deny Ordinance No. 2025-21.
• Pros: The comprehensive staff analysis concluded that there are no identifiable pros to the denial of Ordinance No. 2025-21.
• Cons: Denying Ordinance No. 2025-21 would create a hardship for the property owner and could result in a takings claim.
General Information
Information for Second Reading
The City Commission voted unanimously to continue Ordinance No. 2025-21 to second reading on September 23, 2025.
The subject property is a privately-owned ±3.30-acre vacant tract of land that is surrounded by the public lands of the Myakka State Forest. Prior to the creation of this parcel in 1986, the subject land formed part of a broader area that, according to the 1988-1998 North Port Comprehensive Plan and the 1998 Myakka State Forest Five-Year Resource Management Plan, was formerly known as “Myakka Estates” and was to be developed by the General Development Corporation (GDC) in accordance with the former Myakka Estates Development of Regional Impact.
The subject City-initiated petition is the result of an effort to correct the zoning designations of privately held lands that are currently assigned an Environmental Conservation (EC) zoning designation, but that were not intended to be included in the EC district. The Environmental Conservation zoning district is described in the Unified Land Development Code (ULDC) as follows:
ULDC Section 3.1.2.C.1 - The Environmental Conservation district indicates properties with natural limitations to development due to environmental concerns. This zoning district protects environmentally sensitive lands.
Due to the restrictive nature of this designation, the Environmental Conservation zoning designation is typically reserved for environmentally sensitive lands and other properties that are held publicly or are otherwise intended to be held and maintained solely for the uses listed above. The subject property was excluded from the State Forest, and from the conservation program associated with the Forest, because the property was held in separate private ownership. While the property does contain portions of land considered environmentally sensitive, the ULDC and existing state and federal regulations provide controls on any development proposed for the site that ensure a balanced approach to protection of those natural resources and reasonable use of the site.
Approval of Ordinance No. 2025-21 will change the zoning designation of the subject property from Environmental Conservation to Agricultural.
Ordinance 2025-21 has been reviewed by the Interim City Attorney and is legally correct as to form.
Strategic Plan
Economic Development & Growth Management
Financial Impact
Not applicable.
Procurement
Not applicable.
Attachments:
1. Ordinance No. 2025-21 - Second Reading
2. Ordinance No. 2025-21
3. Staff Report with Exhibits
4. Presentation
5. PZAB Action Report
Prepared by: Gabriel Quintas, AICP, CFM, Assistant Director, Development Services Department
Lori Barnes, AICP, CPM, Deputy Director, Development Services Department
Department Director: Alaina Ray, AICP, Director, Development Services Department