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Title:
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Consideration of Petition No. PRZ-25-02428 rezone 3.30 acres from Environmental (EC) to Agriculture (AG) for property located at 4043 Jennings Boulevard (QUASI-JUDICIAL)
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TO: Planning and Zoning Advisory Board
FROM: Lori Barnes, AICP, CPM, Deputy Director, Development Services Department
SUBJECT: Consideration of Petition No. PRZ-25-02428 rezone 3.30 acres from Environmental (EC) to Agriculture (AG) for property located at 4043 Jennings Boulevard (QUASI-JUDICIAL)
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Recommended Action
Recommend that the City Commission approve PRZ-25-02428 via Ord. No. 2025-21 and find that, based on the competent substantial evidence, that the specific requirements in the City of North Port Comprehensive Plan, and the decision criteria listed in Section 2.2.13.C. of the Unified Land Development Code have been met.
Planning and Zoning Advisory Board Options:
Motion to Approve: I move to recommend that the City Commission approve PRZ-25-02428 via Ord. No. 2025-21 and find that, based on the competent substantial evidence, the specific requirements in the City of North Port Comprehensive Plan, and the decision criteria listed in Section 2.2.13.C. of the Unified Land Development Code have been met.
Motion to Deny: I move to recommend that the City Commission deny PRZ-25-02428 via Ord. No. 2025-21 and find that, based on the competent substantial evidence, one or more of the specific requirements of the City of North Port Comprehensive Plan and the decision criteria in the Unified Land Development Code Section 2.2.13.C. have NOT been met, including:
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
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.
The City Attorney's Office reviewed and approved the proposed Ordinance 2025-21 as to form and correctness.
Attachments:
1. Ordinance No. 2025-21
2. Staff Report with Exhibits
3. Staff Presentation
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