TO: Planning and Zoning Advisory Board
FROM: Sherry Willette, Planner III, Development Services Department
SUBJECT: Consideration of Petition No. PMCPA-24-00000114 (Formerly DMA-24-114), Central Parc at North Port Pattern Plan Amendment via Ord. No. 2025-28 to revise the buffer plan and amend Article III, Table 3.3.1.2 of the Unified Land Development Code to reference the amended Central Parc at North Port Pattern Plan. In addition, the applicant is requesting two (2) waivers from the 2010 ULDC Section 21-9 Table 1 for property located north of Greenwood Avenue and west of South Sumter Boulevard. (QUASI-JUDICIAL)
Recommended Action
Recommend that the City Commission approve Petition No. PMCPA-24-00000114 (Formerly DMA-24-114) via Ord. No. 2025-28 as presented by the applicant, without the grant of Waivers 1 and 2, and the change proposed to the buffer adjacent to Lake 13. Buffers adjacent to Lakes 5, 9 and 13 shall meet the planting/screening specifications of a Type 2 buffer.
Planning and Zoning Advisory Board Options:
Motion to Approve: I move to recommend that the City Commission approve Petition No. PMCPA-24-00000114 (Formerly DMA-24-114) via Ord. No. 2025-28 as presented by the applicant, without the grant of Waivers 1 and 2, and the change proposed to the buffer adjacent to Lake 13. Buffers adjacent to Lakes 5, 9 and 13 shall meet the planting/screening specifications of a Type 2 buffer.
Motion to Deny: I move to recommend that the City Commission deny Petition No. PMCPA-24-00000114 (Formerly DMA-24-114) via Ord. No. 2025-28:
[Select one or more WITH SUPPORTING REASONS:]
1) Consistent with the Comprehensive Plan;
2) Creating an isolated district unrelated to adjacent and nearby districts or resulting in an orderly and logical development pattern.
3) Capable of being served by public facilities, including adequate roadway capacity;
4) Necessary due to changed or changing conditions;
5) Preventing the improvement or development of adjacent abutting property;
6) Granting a special privilege to an individual owner as contrasted with the public welfare;
7) Unusable under the current zoning designation; and
8) Properly mitigating a changing scale to ensure compatibility with adjacent neighborhood.
General Information
On July 5, 2024, the Planning and Zoning Division of the City of North Port received an application to amend the Central Parc at North Port Pattern Plan and to request two (2) waivers from the 2010 ULDC. As this application was submitted before the new Unified Land Development Code (ULDC) was adopted on October 28, 2024, it has been evaluated in accordance with the provisions of the 2010 ULDC.
Central Parc is built on the former Sabal Trace golf course, which ceased operations in 2015. Currently undergoing revitalization, this site is classified as a brownfield area and spans approximately 207 acres. It is located in Activity Center 9 (AC-9), north of Tamiami Trail (US-41) and west of South Sumter Boulevard. AC-9 is designed to encourage infill development, offering a mix of low- and medium-density residential options, senior living facilities, retail and storage spaces, medical offices, and neighborhood commercial establishments. This diverse blend intends to meet the needs of surrounding communities while ensuring a convenient connection to the residential and commercial areas along the US-41 corridor.
Since its inception Central Parc has undergone a series of approvals, including a large scale Comprehensive Plan Amendment (CPAL-18-060), Text Amendment (TXT-18-179), Rezone (REZ-18-070), Development Master Plan (DMP-18-071), Infrastructure Plan (INF-20-048), Subdivision Plan (SCP-20-047), and the Phase I and Phase II plats (PLF-23-167 & PLF-24-145).
The Future Land Use Designation has recently been changed to Activity Center 9 as part of the 2024 Citywide Large Scale Comprehensive Plan Amendment. Additionally, the Citywide rezone led to a name change of the zoning district from Planned Community Development (PCD) to Activity Center 9 (AC-9), thereby aligning the zoning with the updated future land use designation. It is essential to note that these changes do not alter the approved land uses or vested entitlements for the Central Parc development.
Since there is no formal procedure for modifying a Pattern Plan, this will be treated as an amendment to the development master plan via an Ordinance, given that the original Pattern Plan was adopted through Ordinance 2019-09. Furthermore, because Ordinance 2019-09 is incorporated by reference in the 2024 adopted ULDC, it is also necessary to amend the ULDC.
The proposed Pattern Plan amendment seeks to revise the approved buffer plan. There are three (3) major changes proposed.
• Remove plantings along the back edges of lakes 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 13, 14, 16, and 17. These changes would affect adjacent existing developments, including single-family homes, two-family homes, and multi-family residences.
• The Applicant is requesting two waivers from Section 21-9, Table 1, of the 2010 Unified Land Development Code (ULDC). These waivers concern the types of perimeter buffers that are required next to existing uses.
• Lastly, the Applicant asks that the perimeter buffering abutting Mixed-Use Area 1 and Mixed-Use Area 2 follow the 2010 ULDC regulations based on the final use, which will be determined when the Site Development and Infrastructure Plans are submitted in the future.
Waiver Requests:
Waiver 1 - requests relief from ULDC Section 21-9, Table 1, Buffers, which requires a Type B buffer consisting of a 10’ wide buffer with one tree every 50’ and shrubs between the proposed Single-Family/Two-Family and existing multi-family. The waiver applies to approximately 450 feet of the boundary around Lake 5 between the Colony at Sabal Trace condominiums and Central Parc. The Applicant is requesting to eliminate any required plantings within the buffer adjacent to the lake, to allow the neighboring condominium residents an unobstructed view of the lake.
Waiver 2 - requests relief from ULDC Section 21-9, Table 1, Buffers, which requires a Type B buffer consisting of a 10’ wide buffer with one tree every 50’ and shrubs between the proposed Single-Family/Two-Family and existing multi-family. The waiver pertains to approximately 275 feet of the perimeter boundary between Fairway Villas and Central Parc, surrounding Lake 9. The Applicant is requesting to eliminate any required plantings within the buffer adjacent to the lake, proposing that existing preserved mature oaks in the buffer area provide needed buffering between the uses.
The City Attorney’s Office reviewed and approved the proposed Ordinance 2025-28 as to form and correctness.
Attachments:
1. Ordinance No. 2025-28
2. Staff Report with Exhibits
3. Staff Presentation
Prepared by: Sherry Willette, Planner III, Development Services Department
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