4970 CITY HALL BLVD  
NORTH PORT, FL 34286  
City of North Port  
Meeting Minutes - Final  
Planning & Zoning Advisory Board  
Thursday, April 7, 2022  
9:00 AM  
City Commission Chambers  
1. CALL TO ORDER  
Chair Sawyer called the meeting to order at 9:00 a.m.  
2. ROLL CALL  
6 -  
Present:  
James Sawyer, Vice Chair Nita Hester, Kenneth Maturo, Carolann Palm-Abramoff,  
Phillip Ludos and Jose Irizarry  
3 - John Metzger, Jerry Nicastro and Melanee C. Packard  
Absent:  
Also Present  
Assistant City Attorney Margaret T. Roberts, Planner III Sherry Willette-Grondin, Planner  
II Noah Fossick, and Recording Secretary Susan Hale.  
3. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE  
The Pledge of Allegiance was led by Board Member Maturo.  
4. PUBLIC COMMENT  
There was no public comment.  
5. APPROVAL OF MINUTES  
22-2611  
A.  
Approve Minutes of the March 17, 2022 Planning and Zoning Advisory  
Board Meeting.  
Chair Sawyer introduced the item.  
Vice Chair Hester spoke to scrivener's errors that were corrected prior to the meeting,  
including Board Member Nicastro having left the meeting at 10:53 a.m.  
Ms. Hale spoke to the minutes being corrected to reflect those changes.  
A motion was made by Board Member Ludos, seconded by Vice Chair Hester, to  
approve the Minutes as amended. The motion carried by the following vote:  
6 -  
Yes:  
Chair Sawyer, Vice Chair Hester, Board Member Maturo, Board Member  
Palm-Abramoff, Board Member Ludos and Alternate II Irizarry  
3 - Board Member Metzger, Board Member Nicastro and Alternate I Packard  
Absent:  
6. PUBLIC HEARING  
Chair Sawyer introduced the public hearing items.  
Ms. Roberts noted the official hearing has not started and no one needs to be sworn in.  
Mr. Fossick addressed a request from the Applicant pursuant to City Code 283(d)(2)  
granting continuances to a date certain.  
Jackson Boone, attorney representing I-75 Interchangethirtytwo LLC and Interchange  
Thirty-Two Inc, requested DMP-21-334 and REZ-21-335 be continued to June 16, 2022.  
Discussion ensued regarding fairness to the residents in attendance today.  
Mr. Boone addressed material changes being made public and residents speaking during  
public comment.  
Ms. Roberts, spoke to additional notice being provided to those not in attendance today.  
Mr. Fossick spoke to newspaper notices being republished to advertise the next meeting  
and the Applicant having access to the Staff report when the agenda was posted.  
Mr. Boone noted staff comments were not available until last Friday and spoke to time  
needed to address comments with staff.  
Ms. Willette-Grondin spoke to everyone being correctly notified and cautioned the Board  
not to discuss the item.  
A
motion was made by Vice Chair Hester, seconded by Board Member  
Palm-Abramoff, to continue Items DMP-21-334 and REZ-21-335 to the June 16, 2022  
Planning and Zoning Advisory Board Meeting. The motion carried by the following  
vote:  
6 -  
Yes:  
Chair Sawyer, Vice Chair Hester, Board Member Maturo, Board Member  
Palm-Abramoff, Board Member Ludos and Alternate II Irizarry  
3 - Board Member Metzger, Board Member Nicastro and Alternate I Packard  
Absent:  
Discussion ensued regarding moving Public Comment next on the agenda.  
A motion was made by Vice Chair Hester, seconded by Alternate II Irizarry, to move  
Public Comment next. The motion carried by the following vote:  
6 -  
Yes:  
Chair Sawyer, Vice Chair Hester, Board Member Maturo, Board Member  
Palm-Abramoff, Board Member Ludos and Alternate II Irizarry  
3 - Board Member Metzger, Board Member Nicastro and Alternate I Packard  
Absent:  
DMP-21-334  
A.  
Development Master Plan, Toledo Blade Flats, DMP-21-334 located  
northwest of I-75 and Toledo Blade Boulevard (QUASI-JUDICIAL)  
This item was continued to June 16, 2022.  
REZ-21-335  
B.  
Ordinance 2022-06, Rezone of 15.64 acres from "Commercial General"  
(CG) to "Planned Community Development" (PCD) located northwest of  
i-75 and Toledo Blade Boulevard (QUASI-JUDICIAL)  
This item was continued to June 16, 2022.  
9. PUBLIC COMMENT  
Ms. Roberts spoke to public comment not being part of the public hearing and may not  
be considered as part of the quasi-judicial proceedings.  
Tammy Wichers: expressed concern with continuance and individuals taking off work to  
attend.  
Alan Kurecki: expressed concern with the development, time of meeting, residents  
notification of changes, and public comment time limit.  
Lisa Kurecki: expressed concern with people taking off work to attend.  
Lois Rose: formal notification to those in boundary of the rezone.  
Richard Myers: developments having positive and negative effects.  
Ms. Roberts spoke to this public comment heard outside public hearing not being part of  
the hearing.  
Frederick Greene: sending more information to residents of Applicant's plans.  
Donna Macey: changing zoning to high density.  
MaryJude Moffat: residents to receive a mailing with information.  
Joy Howes: expressed concern with time off work and the changes affect privacy.  
John Perhach: expressed concern with zoning change and the project not in the best  
interest of North Port.  
Lois Rose: alternate ways to submit public comment.  
Ms. Roberts spoke to contacting the City Clerk regarding submission of public  
comments.  
Craig Beal: expressed concern with possibility of attracting criminal elements, other  
corners of the interchange zoned commercial, and original Gateway plans for this  
quadrant.  
Susan Balmer: sharing more of City's development intentions with neighborhoods,  
developers not affected personally vs. residents affected personally, and the project not  
being a good fit for the area.  
Ms. Roberts spoke to the quasi-judicial process having a strict guide and additional  
Board requests being inconsistent with the process, the Applicant may or may not hold  
neighborhood meetings, one week before the June 16, 2022 meeting final information will  
be advertised, and will review and bring back information whether the meeting time may  
be changed for the June meeting.  
7. PRESENTATION  
22-2542  
Sunshine Law Training (Presented by the Office of the City Attorney)  
A.  
Ms. Roberts provided a presentation including definition of public meetings, open meeting  
requirements, proper manner to distribute information to board members outside of a  
meeting, penalties for violations and examples, public records definition, determination of  
what a public record consists, email and text messages as they reflect to public records,  
public record requests, record retention, penalty examples, ethics resources, prohibited  
conduct, solicitation of gifts, unauthorized compensation and misuse of public position,  
abuse of public position, disclosure or use of certain information, prohibited relationships,  
doing business with the City, conflicting employment or contractual relationships, voting  
and voting conflicts of interest, who is a relative, penalties for violating Sunshine laws,  
meeting procedures, quorums and motions, not speaking unless recognized by the chair,  
and requesting information that is not a public record.  
Discussion ensued regarding the ability of Alternate Board Members to take part in  
discussions.  
8. UPDATES  
22-2619  
A.  
Staff Liaison Updates regarding the upcoming "Planning 101 Training" to  
include an overview of the Comprehensive Plan, training on goals,  
objectives and policies, Board responsibilities, the City’s Strategic Plan,  
and policies related to the Unified Land Development Code.  
Board Member Irizarry left the meeting at 10:24 a.m.  
Chair Sawyer introduced the item.  
Ms. Willette-Grondin noted changes made to the Board's Annual Report to the  
Commission, document sent to the City Manager, Staff developing a training manual, and  
a future item pertaining to a tour of the City and Wellen Park.  
10. ADJOURNMENT  
Chair Sawyer adjourned the meeting at 10:26 a.m.  
By: ___________________________________________  
James Sawyer, Chair  
Minutes approved on the ___ day of ______________, 2022.