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, Approving Petition No. PMCPA-25-03560 to Amend the Village D Village District Pattern Plan (West Villages A.K.A. Wellen Park) to Update Non-Residential Wall Sign Regulations and Establish Consistent Definitions for Public/Institutional Uses and Civic Spaces; Amending Section 3.4.1. of the Unified Land Development Code (ULDC) to Incorporate the Amended Pattern Plan by Reference; Amending Section 5.3.2. of the ULDC to Require Village D Wall Signs to Comply With ULDC Chapter 5 Standards and to Provide Deemed Compliance and Legal Nonconforming Status for Certain Existing Signs; Providing for Findings, Adoption, Conflicts, Severability, Codification, and an Effective Date. (QUASI-JUDICIAL).
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Recommended Action
Option 1: Approve Ordinance No. 2026-22, Petition No. PMCPA-25-03560, amending the Village D Village District Pattern Plan (VDPP) on first reading and continue to a second reading on, September 22, 2026.
City Commission Options
Option 1: Approve Ordinance No. 2026-22, Petition No. PMCPA-25-03560, amending the Village D Village District Pattern Plan (VDPP) on first reading and continue to a second reading on September 22, 2026.
• Pros
o Eliminates Regulatory Conflicts by adopting the 2024 Unified Land Development Code (ULDC) Chapter 5, specifically Section 5.3.2, as the standard for non-residential building
wall signage for Village D.
o Standardizes definitions for public, institutional uses, and civic spaces, ensuring language
consistency with the Village District Pattern Book and the Village D VDPP.
o Ensures that while the new sign regulations take effect, they will not impact existing building wall signs or signs in the permitting process, ensuring businesses will not incur additional costs. It does this by establishing clear criteria for "deemed compliance" and "legal nonconforming status" for all signage permitted, under active review, or installed before the ordinance's effective date.
• Cons:
o Staff have not identified any negative impacts or adverse consequences associated with approving the proposed Pattern Plan amendment.
Option 2: Deny Ordinance No. 2026-22, Petition No. PMCPA-25-03560, amending the Village D Village District Pattern Plan.
• Pros:
o Staff has not identified any foreseeable benefits to denying the proposed Development Master Plan Amendment.
• Cons:
o Maintaining outdated wall sign regulations for Village D creates inconsistencies between the Pattern Plan and the City's ULDC, leaving Village D without updated, content-neutral standards.
o Omits public and civic space definitions from the Village D VDPP, resulting in uncertainty regarding permitted land uses under this classification within Village D.
Background Information
M. LaBarr, AICP, of Stantec Consulting Services, Inc. (“Applicant”), on behalf of Main Street Ranchlands, LLLP (“Property Owner”), filed Petition No. PMCPA-25-03560 requesting amendments to the Village D VDPP (West Villages a.k.a. Wellen Park).
Specifically, this petition seeks to standardize building-wall sign regulations, update nonresidential signage design and installation standards, and adopt the definition of Public/Institutional use and Civic space from the West Villages District Pattern Book to ensure regulatory alignment.
History of Approvals:
Since its inception following the annexation of the property in 2000, the following approval history applies to the Village D VDPP:
• September 26, 2017: (Petition No. VDC-15-159): Approval of the West Villages Town Center Village D VDPP, establishing the original development framework.
• May 11, 2021: (Petition No. VPA-20-239): Amendment of the West Villages Town Center Village D VDPP via Ordinance No. 2021-18. Amendment to add language to regulate the placement of mobile food dispensing vehicles, commercial docks, and landscape buffer widths.
• April 25, 2023: (Petition No. VPA-22-180): Amendment of the Village D VDPP via Ordinance No. 2023-04. Amending parking standards through an administrative adjustment on a case-by-case basis and to provide for parking standards not otherwise specified.
Summary of Proposed Amendments:
• Signage Standardization: Adopts the content-neutral regulations of Unified Land Development Code (ULDC) Chapter 5, Section 5.3.2 as the primary regulatory baseline for all non-residential wall signage.
• Hierarchy of Authority: Clarifies that the ULDC supersedes the VDPP in the event of regulatory conflicts and requires West Villages Improvement District (WVID/WVRC) approval prior to the issuance of final City permits.
• Alignment of Core Definitions: Integrates the formal definitions for public, institutional, and civic spaces directly from the Village District Pattern Book.
• Protection of Vested Signage: Establishes legal nonconforming status ("deemed compliance") for all wall signage legally permitted, under active permit review, or installed prior to the effective date of the Ordinance.
• Amend ULDC Section 3.4.1: to formally incorporate the updated VDPP by reference.
No waivers are being requested in connection with this application.
Pursuant to Florida Statutes Section 166.041(4)(c), a business impact estimate was not required because Ordinance No. 2026-22 is enacted to implement comprehensive plan amendments and land development regulation amendments initiated by an application by a private party other than the municipality.
Ordinance No. 2026-22 has been reviewed by the City Attorney and is legally correct as to form.
Notice of Public Hearings were mailed to the owner and property owners within a 1,320-foot radius of the subject property on June 30, 2026. The petition will be advertised in a newspaper of general circulation within the City of North Port on September 11, 2026, in accordance with the provisions of Section 166.041(3)(a), Florida Statutes and Section 7.01(c) of the Charter of the City of North Port.
The Planning and Zoning Advisory Board held a hearing on July 16, 2026. The Board voted unanimously, 5-0, to recommend approval of Petition No. PMCPA-25-03560.
Strategic Plan
Economic Development & Growth Management
Financial Impact
Not applicable.
Procurement
Not applicable.
Attachments:
1. Ordinance No. 2026-22
2. Staff Report with Exhibits
3. Staff Presentation
4. PZAB Action Report
Prepared by: Sherry Willette-Grondin, Planner III, Development Services Department
Lori Barnes, AICP, CPM, Deputy Director, Development Services Department
Department Director: Alaina Ray, AICP, Director, Development Services Department