PDE-25-7825

Published agenda

2 appearances between Apr 17, 2025 and May 20, 2025, at 2 boards.

OutcomeApproved by the Board of County Commissioners on May 20, 2025

Approved Staff’s recommendation by a roll call vote with Commissioner Oakley absent from the vote.

Official title

Zoning Amendment (Regular) - Mitchell SJP MPUD - Master Planned Unit Development - St. John Properties, Inc. - A Rezoning Request from an I-2 General Industrial Park District to MPUD Master Planned Unit Development District to Allow for the Development of 515,000 Square Feet of Business Park and 107,660 Square Feet of Commercial/Retail Uses and Associated Infrastructure on Approximately 92.61 Acres Located in South West Pasco County

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Apr 17, 2025 → May 20, 2025 · click a mark to jump to that appearance

Every appearance2 of 2 are in a recording

Each appearance carries the official title above. Where the county’s wording changed, the change is marked: added and ~~removed~~. Steps with no marks were worded identically.

TranscriptWhat was said at each appearance is below it. Machine transcription, with speaker names inferred from voice matching. 69% of 273 lines carry a name. It shows what was said, not what was decided, and both the words and the names can be wrong.

1Apr 17, 2025
Planning CommissionAPC11Consent agendaApproved
Zoning Amendment ~~(Regular)~~ (Consent) - Mitchell SJP MPUD … - St. John Properties, ~~Inc.~~ INC. - A Rezoning Request … the Development of 515,000 ~~Square Feet of~~ sf Business Park and 107,660 ~~Square Feet of~~ sf Commercial/Retail Uses and Associated … in South West Pasco ~~County~~ County.
Approved minutes
Approved Staff’s recommendation with Mr. Girardi abstaining from the vote due to a conflict of interest.
Open this item →
34m
Charles GreyChair
Okay, I believe that we're starting with Um number eleven, is that correct?
Unidentified speakerVoice A
Yes, Mr. Chair. Item APC eleven is going first on the agenda today. Okay.
Charles GreyChair
So we're this we're starting with a consent item. Um so I don't know if you have your printouts, but If you look under APC eleven, that's the one where we're going to be discussing. Uh that's a on on consent. Is the applicant present? Anyone here to object?
We have one objection.
Unidentified speakerVoice A
We have two individuals signed up, Mr. Chair.
Charles GreyChair
Okay.
Unidentified speakerVoice B
And y you're the applicant. Yeah, yes, sir. Uh Mr. Chairman, if it's okay with you, because I think we only have two folks here, if I could jump in and we could handle our item, I think we'll be able to do it very quickly. Okay.
Charles GreyChair
Very
Unidentified speakerVoice B
good. Um a Clark Hobby, Hobby and Hobby PA one oh nine North Brush Street, Tampa, Florida, I've been sworn. And I appreciate you helping me out today knowing that I've I've got a little bit of a
Jaimie GirardiVice Chair
Speaker, are we okay with believing staff's presentation of the item? Um staff has not presented.
Unidentified speakerVoice B
You're right, David. I'm jumping the gun.
Jaimie GirardiVice Chair
I mean the staff doesn't want to present. I don't
Unidentified speakerVoice C
Okay.
Charles GreyChair
Mr. Hobby's in a bit of a hurry today.
Jaimie GirardiVice Chair
Yeah.
Barbara
He's got grandchildren waiting, I think. Good afternoon, Planning Commission Members. I'm Kurt Siverson with Planning Development Economic Growth. Before you today is item PDE 257825, rezoning request in the name of Mitchell SJP M Put. Just organize my notes here.
Charles GreyChair
Can everybody hear okay?
Unidentified speakerVoice D
Yeah, a little bit um
Charles GreyChair
A little louder.
Barbara
The county map illustrates the site by the red arrow. This is Southwest Pasco County, Commissioner Starkey's district, and the South Market area.
Sun Coast
Mm.
Barbara
Batty, if you can help me out. Got the next slide. Project overview. The proposed rezoning request is a prospective MPUD development. Currently, the site is zoned I-2 General Industrial Park. The applicant requests a rezoning to an MPD master plan unit development. the Prospective MPD of development would entitle the site by the following. five hundred fifteen thousand square feet business park, and one hundred and seven thousand six hundred sixty square feet commercial retail node on approximately ninety two point six one acres. The
master plan in the coming slides will illustrate the locations of both. The commercial and business park sites. By condition of approval number 34, just real quickly, the commercial retail uses can be C2, general commercial with provisions. Condition of approval thirty-four Business park uses there are four subcategories of uses here. First being industrial, all permitted, I-1, and accessory. C all permitted and accessory C three medical
uses, including hospitals, medical offices, laboratories. Three. Office, these are all permitted and accessory PO2 uses. And the fourth is commercial retail, same C2 with provisions.
Here's our location map as illustrated by the aerial Mitchell SJP directly about south of State Road 54. The site is approximately zero point two miles east of the State Road 54 and Starkey Boulevard intersection. Directly west of the site is the illustrated portion of the Starkey Trail.
Here's our zoning map. This site is currently I2. South of Mitchell SJP lies Trinity Communities M PUD, a residential community. West of the site is an undeveloped AC land and the Mitchell Ranch East use.
Mitchell Rant's East mixed use M PUD which is undeveloped. Across State Road 54, majority of the zoning classifications are C one, C two. RMH Mobile Home Community of Country Place Mobile Home Park.
Our future land use. Here's PD plan development. This is within the western hubs are sub-area.
Compatibility with such Goes by the fall lane. I compatibility with the surrounding existing and planned areas. State Road 54 is comprised of other mixed use, commercial, industrial, and residential land uses.
Second, economic development objective, consistent with our economic development objectives by providing employment generation in the business park, which there provides a consumer base for the commercial component. Hold on fifty four. Three, adequacy of existing and programmed public services and facilities. State Road 54 will operate at an adequate level of service with the generation of the site. Utilities and capacity exist for this site. Public transportation will be further accessible by the development of the bus stop. Built
on the uh fifty four frontage.
Here's our context map. The Starkey Boulevard expansion to the west has been stubbed to by the applicant and illustrated on their MPD master plan. Which I will show next. The applicant here has generously committed fifteen thousand dollars to a county connection of their site to the Starkey Trail. This is by condition of approval twenty four, finding a fact three. And illustrate on the master point, of course. To the south we can see training communities on PD residential Neighborhood uh to
which the applicant has requested a variance and not burdened by a vehicular connection. To the east, we can see a substantial wetland system between the site in Trinity Elementary and the Trinity Commercial Center, where the applicant has also requested a variance as to not negatively impact the wetland system by a vehicular connection. North of the subject site are various land uses, including commercial endeavors, self-storage, mobile home community of Country Place, Mobile Home Park.
The M P master plan. The pink red area along 54 is their commercial retail node. This is gonna be entitled for 107,660 square feet. The uses here being C two. General commercial with provisions. The southern portion in blue is the five hundred fifteen thousand square foot business park. The uses here are having four subcategories. Industrial I one and permanent accessory street
C three uses, the medical uses office uses which are all permitted and accessory PO two. And then the commercial retail component. Permanente C two uses with provisions. Illustrated by T. along the uh Starkey Trail is the stub, the county stub. which the applicant has committed fifteen thousand dollars to. V is our vehicular stub to the Starkey Boulevard expansion. Should
that come to fruition?
Charles GreyChair
No go ahead.
Barbara
A, B, and C are the vehicular access points. Access B is the site of the location the signal warrant study as out on by condition of approval 16. Lining the commercial node in the business park in light red are the sidewalks for internal capture and circulation of pedestrians, employees, citizens.
Next we'll go to the variation requests. Number one. A variation from 901.6, 0.D, 0.11. This is to limit vehicular access east and south of the site. East being because of the Wetland system avoiding to impact by a vehicular connection. South the Trinity community, residential community.
Variation number two, eight oh five point six, the applicant
Would like parcel owners to be responsible for open spaces, landscape areas, wetland areas, and related infrastructures without an HOA or CDD. This is the same for variation number three. Parcelanas are responsible for stormwater management systems and related infrastructure without NHOA or CGD.
Variation four. Mobile blended mobility fees varying from thirteen oh two point two
Well, Specifically thirteen oh two point two point f point two point I thirteen oh two point two point f point one point c and thirteen oh two point two point f point two point H solely within the business park. The applicant proposes a blended mobility fee based on a thousand square feet of leasable Leasable square footage within the business park for any use paid at the time of certificate of completion. Certificate
of completion does not entitle occupancy. Certificate of completion is just when the payment is due.
Finally variation number five. As to not require landscape buffers between the parcels, truck service courts, or individual tenants within the business park, allowing for a greater ease of pedestrian mobility and aids in facilitating the activation of uses within the business park. The SJP product type is a campus style and should be identifiable as such. PDE finds the requested variations consistent with their applicable LDC sections. And recommends approval.
In conclusion, PDE recommends approval of the rezoning request item PDE 257825 with the provided conditions. Thank you for your time and consideration. I'm available should you have questions.
Charles GreyChair
Okay, thank you. Thank you very much.
Unidentified speakerVoice C
Mr. Chairman, just to um clarify for the record, I will be abstaining from voting on this item due to my involvement. So
Charles GreyChair
Thank you. So I noted.
Unidentified speakerVoice B
Mr. Chairman, would you like me to speak now that you've actually given the staff their chance to do their job? Okay. Clark Hobby again, 109 North Brush Street, Tampa, Florida, have been sworn. I'm here on behalf of the Mitchell family and St. John Properties. St. John Properties is a large light industrial and mixed-use developer based in Maryland. And on this site, if we can go back uh can you flip back to the master plan? You'll see the overwhelming majority of the site is for a business
park that we're going to be building out at roughly 500,000 square feet of flex-based buildings that will be predominantly uh light industrial and office. Uh our clients unique in that we uh Own and We build and continue to own the overwhelming majority of the product that they build instead of merchant building and then selling. So the company holds a great majority of the 24, 25 million
square feet of light industrial flex-based buildings they built in their portfolio and they maintain a tenant roster. I believe it has over a thousand active tenants in it. Any given time and so it's unique and they they contain uh continue to maintain an active interest in the site over a long period of time. Um as you heard from staff, the existing zoning is I two And I'll show you in just a minute um a little bit of the backstory
on the site. But in general, I'm very excited about this site because it could have been heavier industrial uses for many, many years. I believe my father uh uh zoned the site uh heavy industrial with the Mitchell family in 1983, and it would allow some very intense uh uses that I don't think we want in this area. So what we're doing today is just zoning it to have it conform with the Western hub. uh PD that we
created about uh twelve, fifteen years ago. And so we're excited about it. We estimate, I believe, if I'm getting the numbers right, they think that we'll have roughly eighteen hundred jobs on the site. And that's based on actual numbers and their build out with similar projects around the U.S. So if I could go to my PDF, that would be great. Planning Commission a little bit of background. I think we have two neighbors here that maybe have a couple of questions, but I just want The
uh record to be clear on on how we got to today.
It's a separate PDF that I y'all uploaded.
And I'm gonna have to have you manually advance the pages if you don't mind. There you go. I just mainly doing this. I think most of the planning commissioners know this, but the Mitchell families own this property for a long period of time. So the first uh property appraiser aerial you see there is from 1985. As I said, the property was zoned heavy industrial in nineteen eighty-three. So if you see that, not only is the Mitchell property where we are on the subject site, but our property to the west isn't developed and Trinity
had not been developed at that time. So if we can go to the next page. Then you'll see in 2001 the development and the adjacent phases of Trinity began to occur off a duck slug. So we can go to the next page. This is the original Comp Plan designation when the county designated uh or created the first comprehensive plan. The site, because of the existing heavy industrial site, was already designated as heavy industrial in the original comprehensive plan. So we can go to the
next one. And that pretty much stayed in place. That map is from the uh adopted comp plan in 2007 and it continues to show heavy industrial on the future land use map. If we can go to the next page. And then again you see that's the date of the zoning. You can see in the small part of the box it shows you the nineteen eighty three zonings. If we can go to the next sheet now. Again, there are a lot of very intense uses that we don't want on this site. So what we're doing
today is basically stepping it down into something that will be more in line with what's developed around us. Uh but the existing I2 uses would have allowed bone distillation, fat rendering, paper mills, gas refining plants, metal smelting, stockyards, among many other things. So we don't want that in the area. We're going to build a beautiful business park. If I can go to the last slide here, just for the Planning Commissioner's benefit. This is based on our actual engineered
plans that we plan to submit in the in the coming days when the MPUD gets approved. And What you're seeing there is we have a nice landscape buffer up against our neighbors there, but even beyond that we have a series of ponds, two of which are gonna have fountains in them and be a really nice amenity for the area. And to the extent they can see beyond our landscape buffer and our vinyl fencing, they'll mainly uh be looking into these beautiful ponds that have fountains in them. So we think
It'll be an amenity. And moreover, the measurement that you see there shows you that the closest part of the business park buildings is 315 feet away from the nearest residence. So we think we've been very responsible here. We feel like this is going to be a great uh credit to our community, and with that, I'm happy to answer any questions that our neighbors might have.
Charles GreyChair
All right. Thank you. Any questions from up here? Comment? Okay. All right. So I think we had some couple of people that wanted to speak, had questions?
Unidentified speakerVoice A
We do have two individuals signed up. Uh the first individual is Molly Fisher.
Charles GreyChair
Molly, if you come state your name and address and you've been sworn, I believe.
Molly Fisher
Yes, I've been sworn. Um good afternoon. My name is Molly Fisher. My address is [address removed].
Charles GreyChair
Thank you.
Molly Fisher
Did I start?
Charles GreyChair
Go ahead.
Molly Fisher
This is new to me. Um hi. Uh I'm here today to share my perspective on the proposed zoning change that impacts the land directly next to my neighborhood. I live in Foxwood. Um right now that land represents a rare find in our area. It's peaceful and it's natural and it's full of life and it's where my family and my neighbors go to walk, to bike, and to reconnect. It's quiet and it's safe and it's one of the few places left in our area. Where we can just breathe. So
currently this area is zoned as an I-2 district, which as mentioned does allow limited types of development and those have strict controls with them. And that's what my family and our neighbors signed up for when we moved to Foxwood. It's been over 40 years that it's been zoned that way, and I think that it says something that nothing has been developed there yet under that zoning. But MPUD is a completely different situation. It's not the solution. MPUD will allow the developer to mix high-density residential, strip retail,
restaurants, even nightlife with fewer limits on what they can do. So under M P U D they could pivot to a mini mall or high density apartments tomorrow. But I too is giving us predictability right now. MPUD gives us uncertainty, and the uncertainty is costing us. It costs us our peace and our wildlife and our safety. And those are things that we don't get back.
The rezoning here only covers a small sliver of that entire track that we saw. This is just the tip of the iceberg. If you approve MPUD here, You start the domino effect. Every adjacent parcel is back before you asking for the same flexibility and pretty soon we're not gonna have any of that green space left. But I know Pasco is growing. We need smart growth and businesses to support it, and that's part of the deal. But but this space, that is a small rare pocket of peace next to our
homes and to our schools. It's not the right place. The students at Trinity Elementary don't deserve to have their outdoor spaces crowded by another parking lot. We're not just losing grass and trees. We'd be losing habitats and quiet moments and the free, healthy spaces that keep our community grounded. It's more than just a trail and a green space back there, but it's the community thread that's connecting us in that area right now. And once we unravel it, we're not going to be able to sew it back together. This area
is one of those rare accessible community treasures. It's a blessing to all of us as it stands. So, for my children and for my neighbors, I'm asking you all to please deny this rezoning request. Protect this green space and the current zoning for our families and for our wildlife. We don't want to be the people that look back and say that we had something beautiful and we let it be. Thank you.
Charles GreyChair
Thank you. Any questions?
Any comments? No. Thank you. Who would be next?
Unidentified speakerVoice A
Next individual we have signed up is Marie Chisolam. I'm sorry if I butchered that.
Marie Chisholm
Okay. Again, apologies for the attack alarm. Um And I I came here out of curiosity because
Charles GreyChair
before you go any further, we just need your full name and your
Marie Chisholm
Oh I apologize again. All right. My name is Marie Chisholm and I live at [address removed], which is right across the street. Okay. Um I'm telling you what my observations are. And it's bad enough for us to not be able to get out of our development. We protested this when McDonald's went in. And we were never notified of any variances. And I
think it was your town commissioners that said that variances were going to be um notified to the tenants because we we rent the property, okay? Now, with that being said, okay, we have plenty of businesses around us. We have grocery stores, we have all these things, we have plenty of medical doctors and facilities. Um I'm not very happy with this whole situation. Because I as a resident of
Country Place we're all on fixed incomes and thereabouts. And um our rents have gone up because of all this growth and impact. And not only that, people, you know It's gotta stop. It has to stop. The insurance cars car insurance rates are going up. Uh taxes are going up, everything's going up. To me You know, we need to have this little space of green. And because of
all the construction, we have a I guess you would say orphaned pehan. Okay. Because her space was knocked out. So we give her sanctuary. But the thing is we all enjoy it. And the impact on not only that, but the the ambulance, sewer. Uh car insurance, it's just null and void, you know. I mean, we might as well give up our residence.
And it's up it's gonna probably go up for sale for corporate Use, okay? It's already considered corporate use because it's a corporate landowner who rents to us, okay? But it's not helping the situation. And I don't see any senior and veterans housing being built. for people on fixed income. Why don't you take that energy and plant it into that? Because the one facility that is available, you gotta wait for somebody to
die to get in there. Okay, and the other facilities that you've Built, okay. You need to pack a gun to go into the neighborhood. You think seniors wanna be Feel safe. We feel safe now, but now it's even hard to drive and get out of there. We don't even have a turn lane to get into our development without getting rear ended. So that's basically all I have to say and I appreciate your time and listening. And uh Like
I said, I just came here to observe. But I also want you to be able to listen to the people who live in this area who are impacted deeply. Thank you very much.
Jaimie GirardiVice Chair
Can I ask you a question about the notice issue? So D. Did you get notice or how did you know about the meeting if you said you didn't get notice?
Marie Chisholm
I was just perusing. and found out about this and it was curious about all the construction on fifty four in that particular lot of land. And perusing
Jaimie GirardiVice Chair
what were you perusing?
Marie Chisholm
Uh your your site?
Our website. Just so we're clear, when the board directed that Areas like yours get notice. What was adopted into our code was that registered neighborhood organizations. get notice, not the individual tenants. So
Jaimie GirardiVice Chair
if your organization registered to be get notice?
Marie Chisholm
Well the thing is we have an H O A.
Jaimie GirardiVice Chair
Right. Did your HOA register with the county to get notice of these?
Okay, I'll ask staff if or the applicant if they noticed you got proper notices.
Marie Chisholm
Well the thing is, you know, I'm just
Jaimie GirardiVice Chair
saying it's impossible for the applicant to notify every tenant because they have to go by the property appraiser records, but we did create a process where registered HOAs could put themselves on a county list to get notice. So that's why I'm asking whether your HOA put your put themselves on the county list to get notice. I guess we'll find out from staff whether Or as I stated,
Marie Chisholm
I'm not privy to that and I'm not sure, but I do know that the all the residents came up and protested McDonald's.
Jaimie GirardiVice Chair
I understand. But as a result of what that happened, the change to our code was that Registered HOAs could get notice.
Marie Chisholm
Okay. Thank you for clarifying.
I like I said, I'm not sure because I wasn't on the HOA, but I will advise them of this situation in case we are not. Well we'll find out
Jaimie GirardiVice Chair
because uh if you were the applicant or staff would have included you in the
Marie Chisholm
in the
Jaimie GirardiVice Chair
notice list.
Marie Chisholm
Correct.
Jaimie GirardiVice Chair
So We'll find out from staff of the applicant.
Marie Chisholm
Well, I appreciate it. Again, thank you for listening. And you have a happy Easter.
Charles GreyChair
Thank you.
Marie Chisholm
Thank you
Charles GreyChair
for coming.
Uh was there anyone else?
Unidentified speakerVoice A
There's nobody else signed up, Mr. Chairman
Charles GreyChair
Mariano.
Unidentified speakerVoice B
Mr. Chairman Clark Hobby again. I'm looking through my uh notice list, David. Let me get this stand up. There we go. Um, I don't know that they have an association, but I can see that we did notice the owner. of the park, so they're all renting from this owner and I can see their name and address here. I I would have to look into whether there's any uh association. It would be un unusual this kind of park to have an association.
Planning and Development staff
Go ahead. Well, we're only playing development economic growth. Um we do have the mailing list and Ms. Chisholm's name is on the mailing list.
Jaimie GirardiVice Chair
Oh it is? Yes, sir. Okay. There you
Unidentified speakerVoice B
go. There you go. Addresses that issue. So I'll just answer a couple of the questions. For the first uh um woman who was speaking, just to be clear. The MPUD only gives as much flexibility as is proposed and being approved in the MPUD. There is no residential being proposed here. There will not be any impact on schools, for instance. There won't be any new students. And I think most of the planning commissioners are aware that what
went into creating the Western Hub w had a variety of Uh things we're trying to accomplish on the original 1183 acres. But one of the main things we're trying to do, and specifically on this site, it had already been targeted for employment. So having employment and industrial, and particularly light industrial, is one of the key components and objectives. Of the county and that the board set when they adopted the Western Hub. So what we're doing is exactly what the
board. uh gave us direction to do about fifteen years ago. And moreover, before their community was even built, it was already designated for heavy industrial. And all of the uses that we're seeking today in the business park were already allowed in that old zoning because all I one uses are allowed within the I two zoning district.
Jon Moody
Clark, could you I think it would be helpful for the lady who come up and spoke. There's quite a few uses That you voluntarily agreed won't be included in the business park. I think that might help
Unidentified speakerVoice B
keep your mind at ease. Yes. I and I don't know if we want to read all of them because it's very extensive about what's not allowed, but there are a series of what would have been C two uses That are specifically prohibited within the business park, and I'll just read a few of them. You can't have a standalone car wash. This is really mostly what's up in the retail area, but it also applies to the business park. You can't have self-storage facilities, you can't
have garage services, you can't have standalone lawnmower sales, you can't have funeral homes. Homes, uh, propane, septic tank sales, solar power collection facilities, archery ranges, et cetera. Some of these uses might otherwise have been allowed in either a C2 zoning or I one, and we elected to voluntarily in working with staff. To limit those uses. So again, we're trying to create a very high-end business park here, and our client knows how to do these.
They've done them all over the country. They generate a lot of jobs. And the other thing I guess I would also say for our our neighbor to the north, we will have a signal at this site. That's our objective. Um, and we need the signal so that the trucks can safely get in and out. Through the business part. And my suspicion is that once that signal goes in, it will slow traffic to a point that has not existed for our neighbors to the north, and they'll probably have an easier time getting out. The last thing I'd say
on the traffic, just two kind of subsets of that because traffic was raised, our timing and phasing analysis and our uh access management analysis. analysis shows that we meet the applicable levels of service. So that's been categorically categorically addressed in our studies and and that's important to know. But moreover, If I go back and I look at what the original FAR was under Heavy Industrial, and I look at the existing zoning. It would have allowed 1.5
million square feet of industrial on the site. So we're basically at one-third of what has been allowed for essentially 40 years now. So I think you could argue that this is net decreasing what the entitlements could have been. Now there's a more acerbic argument you could make about the Western Hub. Of sub-areas, but in general, we are not trying to max this site out of what it would allow, would have allowed years ago.
Jaimie GirardiVice Chair
Clerk. Could you address the comment that it's easy to convert Commercial uses in an MPUD to residential in Pasco County?
Unidentified speakerVoice B
I have not seen any MPUD that's allowed that in I would say probably almost a decade now. And all of the newer MPUDs, including this one, specifically prohibit converting any of the uses from commercial to residential. Furthermore, even if you have a land use equivalency matrix, those specifically prohibit converting non-residential to residential. So it cannot occur here. And so what this should be doing is giving our
neighbors the assurances that we're proceeding with a plan of development under this MPUD that will not have more residential and will be delivering the jobs. That we all want. Now, I I guess I should say one other thing. There was some discussion about the trail. The biggest trail in this area is the Starkey Trail. The MPUD has two provisions that will assist in making that more usable for all of the residents of Trinity. One of which is we're going to we have uh provided funding
to help make a connection from the business park over to Starkey Trail if the uh Duke Energy folks will see that fit in some point, but we also align the ingress-egress points and working with Mr. Girardi and the rest of our team to create a system where we can safely get to the point that the county plans on there being a crossing across 54 that will better interconnect the whole system of the Starkey Trail. So that's all your staff has been, you
know, working with us for basically a year to try to make sure that those things happen. It's important for the area. We get it, we want to be part of. the solution and making a great live work uh situation in our area. Yeah,
Charles GreyChair
I think one of the things that I like I live in this area too, so I'm familiar with it and uh One of the th things that everybody should know and realize is that this can new connection to the Starkey Mark. Uh the between the Starkey Park and the Sarra Nova. Uh preserve. That that gives us over twenty-one thousand acres. However. public property that you can access. which you can't access now easily from this location. That's
right. So I I think that's a very, very very big plus. And also you know, I would rat m much rather see this than a big industrial complex right behind my house. So Um I think there's some real benefits to to making this change. So um That being said, anybody else have questions or concerns?
No thank you. No. Okay. So if not then uh hear a motion. I'll move to approve item APC eleven. Second. We have a motion and a second. Any further discussion on the motion? If not, all in favor signify by saying aye. Aye. Aye. Polike sign for opposed. Okay, that motion carries and This will be heard at the county commission if you Uh wanna go to that meeting to state your concerns. We'll
have a second shot at it. Okay. Thank you.
2May 20, 2025
Board of County CommissionersP56Public hearingApproved
Approved minutes
Approved Staff’s recommendation by a roll call vote with Commissioner Oakley absent from the vote.
Open this item →
26m
Kathryn StarkeyChair
Item P 56 was published in the Tampa Bay Times on April 2, 2025, and affidavits of certified mailings and site postings.
Amy Heiler
Okay.
Planning and Development staff
Good afternoon. William Vermillion, Planning Development, Economic Growth. This is PDE 2578. 25 is zoning amendment, Mitchell S. J.P. For master plan unit development. Before I get started, I do have some ex parte to provide to the clerk.
Seth WeightmanSecond Vice Chair
Uh voting receiving file.
Kathryn StarkeyChair
Uh all in favor? Wait, did I get a second? Give me a second. All in favor? Wait, can I does that to be roll call vote for that one? Roll cover.
Kathryn StarkeyChair
District one, Commissioner Oakley. District two, Commissioner Weightman. District four, Commissioner Yeager.
District Four, Commissioner Yeager.
Commissioner Yeager, we cannot hear you.
Unidentified speaker
Is she on?
Unidentified speakerVoice E
Can you hear me?
Kathryn StarkeyChair
Yes, District Four, Commissioner Yeager. Aye. Thank you. District five, Commissioner Mariano. Hi. District three, Chairman Starkey. Hi.
Planning and Development staff
Perfect. So here is a a map of the county indicating where the project is. This is just south of State Road 54 in southwest Pasco County in the South Market area in Commission District Three.
This rezoning request is for a master plan unit development. The current zoning is Industrial II, I2 zoning district, General Industrial Park. This is to allow for the maximum development of 515,000 square feet of business park and six or 107,000 square feet of commercial retail on approximately 92 acres of the city. This is point two miles east of the State Road 54 and Starkey Boulevard intersection. Here is that location map for this project.
The zoning map indicating the current I two zoning district. and the future land use of P D.
Here is the context map here.
This shows a uh the Starkey, the current Starkey Trail runs along the Duke Eastement along to State Road 54.
Here is the M PewD Master Plan.
Oh sorry.
The pink and red areas highlighted show the commercial retail portions of this M PUD. the a hundred and seven thousand square feet. which are C two uses with provisions. The blue is the business part portion of this MPUD, the that employment generating uses, industrial medical office. The small T there Is the connection uh the stub out to the Starkey Trail in which the applicant is providing financing
for the county in terms of a uh Fifteen thousand dollars from their engineer cost estimate to be able to allow the county to connect to this trail if it is proven feasible with Duke Energy.
That V there is the uh it's a vehicular stub out. Uh in case the uh the Starkey Boulevard extension requires a connection there and it's somehow feasible with the uh the trail intersection. And then you can see highlighted there on A, B, and C are the proposed access points for this development off of State Road fifty four.
There is internal pedestrian circulation throughout both the business park and the commercial node. t to highlight some of that in internal capture for people that work within that blue area. to to be able to go to lunch uh and so forth within the red area.
There are a couple variations associated with this project, the first from 9016 D 11. This is to not provide a vehicular interconnect. to the east or to the south.
This recommendation uh comes with uh amenability from P D E as well as the Planning Commission. Uh there are wetland impacts as well as uh as some neighborhoods to the south that the applicant proposes not to impact. From eight oh five six restrictions on post-development wetlands and upland buffers within residential lots and non-residential parks. as well as from Land Development Code 902 to stormwater management requirements. Both of these variations speak to the applicant. Uh, not having to form a C D D or an
HOA to maintain these, rather the individual parcel owners would be responsible for their for their maintenance of both their. stormwater as well as their um They're buffering the landscaping and such.
Finally, from thirteen oh two from mobility fees. This speaks to a blended mobility fee rate. Which are located in the conditions of approval.
Kathryn StarkeyChair
Wait, um I have a question on that. Perfect. I thought the I thought that the company was keeping this, so why why are you talking about individual owners maintaining their stormwater pond? Because there is one owner of all of this. Were you talking about in the f in the maybe in the front?
Planning and Development staff
Sure. I I'm I will
Kathryn StarkeyChair
cover that when you come up?
Planning and Development staff
Yes.
Kathryn StarkeyChair
Okay.
Planning and Development staff
I don't want to speak for the ownership. Oh, sorry. Move it back to uh thirteen oh two, which is the mobility fees.
Because of the the multiple users that could end up in the business park within that blue area, staff and the developer agreed to a blended fee. Which is essentially a calculation. which uh takes office, industrial and retail and blends them together, and which time the applicant would be assessed this fee at the certificate of completion when they get to building construction services, just because of the multiple tenants that would be associated, instead of each individually being charged. Staff agreed to a
blended fee here and that's a variation from thirteen oh two. This is to uh to encourage those employment generating uses that could be priced out with a project of this size. And finally from 9052 landscaping and buffering. This is for internal buffering between the business part And the commercial residential that variation is to allow for greater pedestrian um walkability and visibility to not separate these uses. uh as hard so we can keep some of that internal capture.
This comes to you with a recommendation of approval from both the Planning Commission and Planning Development Economic Growth.
Kathryn StarkeyChair
Okay.
Planning and Development staff
I'm here for any questions.
Kathryn StarkeyChair
Any any questions for staff? Yeah.
You gotta know my question, Will. You have to know it. We do have the live local conditions in this one, Commissioner. Thank you.
Um Let's have the applicant speak. And I I I have a question, a couple but I'll let you do your presentation if you want to.
Unidentified speakerVoice F
Two questions.
Unidentified speakerVoice B
Well she's pulling that up. Clark Hobby, Hobby and Hobby PA. 109 North Brest Street, Tampa, Florida, have been sworn.
We've been discussing uh the Western Hub for many years and the Mitchell family has owned this property uh for many, many years. Uh the subject site that we're here to talk to you about today is going to be one of the largest employment nodes in West Pasco and will generate a significant number of jobs. Our client that's going to be developing the site, uh St. John Properties out of Maryland, has extensive experience in building uh business parks with what they call
flex buildings. that are if we can go to the next slide. Uh Based on a lower slung building built to higher standards than we typically see in a lot of the highway distribution industrial parks. And the Uh ultimate uh result is that they build them to a high enough quality where the buildings themselves and the spaces within them can flex to a higher percentage of office than
a typical tilt wall highway distribu highway distribution uh building would. And after uh conducting a survey of the space that our client has developed over time, uh we've determined that again we expect this site with the uh flex buildings that we'll have on it to generate eighteen hundred jobs. for West Pasco. So it's really exciting. Uh Dewey Mitchell spent a considerable amount of time interviewing uh industrial
developers around the country and settled on Saint John's because of their extensive experience in building this product. If I can go the next Page, you'll see where this differs with the higher quality finish on the side and the way the windows are oriented. So again, you can flex to more expensive build-out space, more office flexibility than the tilt wall 40-foot buildings that we see typically by the Interstate and to some degree by the Sunk Coast
Parkway. If I can go to the next slide. So I just wanted to let the board and the citizens know, and I know we'll have some questions from a couple of our neighbors here. This site has been uh zoned for heavy industrials since nineteen eighty three. The aerial you see here is from nineteen eighty-five, it's showing that uh none of Trinity adjacent to the site had started to be built by then. If we can go to the next slide. And you'll see that the Fox Hollow
area next to us started to be built in about 2001. Go to the next slide. And we can just roll on through there. From the initial comp plan that was adopted and readopted in 1991 through the next, we can go on to the next couple of slides. This site has always been designated heavy industrial and it's been zoned heavy industrial since 1983. We can go to the next slide. If we were to zoom in a little bit here, you can see there's a lot of reasons why none of us want the existing heavy
industrial to remain in place. It would allow for some extremely noxious obnoxious uses that we don't want there. They're not good for the county. And so we are essentially down zone. Now if I can go to the what I believe is the last slide. We're very much aware that Fox Hollow was built behind us there, and so a great amount of care with the St. John property team has gone into making sure that we have appropriate setbacks, buffers, et cetera. So I'd
point you to two things. The upper part of this graphic is showing you that the closest neighbor is 315 feet away from the first building. And we will have between that neighbor and the first building, we will have on our side uh the Very nice landscape buffer that's shown on there with a vinyl fence and landscaping on their side. We will then have a pond and a wetland and the pond that's there uh will have a
fountain in it. So it'll be a really pretty amenity and again we'll create a really nice visual buffer in addition to the fencing between the residences that are there and again a football field or more a wetland. The first buildings. On the south side, and this is just from our property line, we're over 629 feet away where the first building is, and there's a wetland along that boundary, too. So we're almost, you know, it's getting close to being a quarter mile away from any residences there.
We've given a lot of thought to how we've laid this project out. We've provided for the connectivity. Both vehicular and uh for uh pedestrians over to the Starkey Trail through it. If we if Duke Energy will cooperate with permitting for the county, we'll be able to build, you know, a connection or the county will be over over to that area. And our client went ahead and is gonna fund the pedestrian trail connection over to the Starkey Trails. We want it to happen. Our only
concern is just trying to get the permits and approvals from Duke. So again, we're really excited about it. I'm happy to answer any questions that you may have.
Kathryn StarkeyChair
Is that it for your slides?
Unidentified speakerVoice B
That's it for my slides.
Kathryn StarkeyChair
Okay. Um I have questions but I'll go to you guys first. Yes?
Seth WeightmanSecond Vice Chair
You wanna go
Kathryn StarkeyChair
first? Good.
Seth WeightmanSecond Vice Chair
So with this zoning I Just for general conversation, I think it's important that we in the appropriate locations keep. Our heavy industrial uses. Wherever those are, I I think we need to figure out where we want those and to have them. Um well the caveat, this is this is really a a unique project. Within this zoning part, we I talked a little bit about this this morning with uh Bill Fernand and the EDC. If a data center wanted to move in, would
this be a location that could potentially work? I mean you talk about Duke right here and
Unidentified speakerVoice B
Absolutely. And and just so you all know, and I I try to be a little bit demure, I don't want my client's head to get too puffy up uh here in Pasco County. This is their first project. But this client has o uh a tenant list of over a thousand tenants. And they have a huge presence with light industrial and office folks, data centers. l high end labs and I'm very hopeful that we're gonna get some of those higher paying jobs in this facility that will
be on a much higher employee per square foot basis than we've seen out by seventy five to date, for instance. Okay.
Jack MarianoVice Chair
All
Unidentified speakerVoice B
right. Thank you.
Jack MarianoVice Chair
Thank you, Mr. Um I was at a golf tournament this weekend and I had a guy that uh knew of the knew of this company, a con local contractor and spoke very very highly of them. Uh so they're they're happy to see that coming forward. Uh I want to say for this development, uh industrial heavy is is great. in certain areas. This is a tough area and we've ha we lost a lot of industrial in this whole area to resident uh not to to residential, to you know, retail, et cetera. So keeping this even as a light industrial is phenomenal. Uh I think the job opportunities are
great. And uh as as you mentioned the live local. This could have been storage units, it could've been car washers, apartments, etcetera. And not having that as something behind these people is so much better to the height that's gonna come up here. Um I'm happy to see that you're putting the heavy buffer in, twenty foot width, twenty f twenty seven shade trees. Might be
So I think as far as buffering goes and creating good quality jobs where we want it to be, I think it's phenomenal. And I hope that you'll uh follow through and and talk to them about that industrial park up in Hudson because I think these guys could do something great up there too.
Unidentified speakerVoice B
Yes, sir.
Jack MarianoVice Chair
Thank you.
Kathryn StarkeyChair
Um so I'm not a fan of vinyl fences and commercial applications and industrial especially. So Uh can we get what happened to the screen? Oh, uh what do you guys think about brick or concrete? Um, 'cause I think vinyl behind people's houses, that's gonna be a nightmare upkeep for those people on their side. Um So why would it be
Unidentified speakerVoice B
it's gonna be on our property, why would it be
Kathryn StarkeyChair
there's the other side, the back side.
Unidentified speakerVoice B
We're gonna be after we're gonna have to
Kathryn StarkeyChair
You're gonna be on both sides? This is gonna be on the property line.
I still don't I I do drive around the county and the commercial I I can see vinyl and residential uses, but I I just don't like what I'm seeing in the commercial Um they get blown out in a big storm. I I don't know.
Unidentified speakerVoice B
Well, if I if I might, Commissioner, remember, and I think this is what you were asking a question earlier about the the maintenance of the common areas. While we are going to plat this uh project, and that's part of the reason for one of the alt standards, it just related to uh lot lines that will go through the truck uh parking areas as an example and loading areas. Uh Saint John's generally does not sell any of their business parks. So their office, their regional office will be in this
facility and their intention is to own it all. uh basically in perpetuity and maintain it. And the way that they operate, and again it's different. they don't go in, merchant build, lease it up, sell it. So they're very uh keenly interested in how the maintenance looks over time. because they're there releasing the space again and again and again. They have several of these parks that are they've owned for over fifty years in Maryland. And so that's how they
make their bet bread and butter.
Kathryn StarkeyChair
So I I've seen so we've acquired um That's right. place I don't remember his name on Miles Stretch who was operating a used car lot illegally. to put in a vinyl fence between him and the houses behind him. and and then he put landscaping on it. He's not maintaining it. It's full of mould, it's dirty. So I I don't know what happens when you pressure wash a vinyl fence. Someone put vinyl fencing around Um the I think around long leaf at the b at the front and it's
just falling apart. And but I think it's very hard to pressure wash vinyl fences. And so how do you repaint them? Um over time they just have to
Unidentified speakerVoice B
over time they just have to replace the the panels themselves over time.
Kathryn StarkeyChair
So um someone in the the development world had suggested we instead of requiring concrete or brick, which I think you mentioned cracks, um it was suggested that maybe Uh the way Metro just did the fence in front of Longleaf it was poured panels. which seemed to la to last very well between some posts.
Yeah, I guess. Um you You know, I I don't know how my fellow this is how I feel. I don't know how my fellow board members feel about vinyl fences and commercial and industrial applications.
Unidentified speakerVoice B
If if I might, Commissioner, I mean th I I would just say right now.
Kathryn StarkeyChair
You're only putting it right there behind those houses. Right, that's right.
Unidentified speakerVoice B
But we're we're exceeding the code. Already with our plannings and our and our landscaping there.
There are applications where we need the ability to have the vinyl fencing in because the precast stuff is so expensive if you're doing it over a large expanse. It's generally because I just had to price this at my house. I think it's three or four times as expensive as vinyl fencing, generally.
Kathryn StarkeyChair
Did we increase the amount of industrial square footage that they're putting in there from the original?
Unidentified speakerVoice B
Well it was it was a Euclidean district, so it's tough to say, but I mean we're doing five hundred thousand square feet.
Kathryn StarkeyChair
And what were they asking for originally? The original.
Unidentified speakerVoice B
Uh it was completely it was a Euclidean district and our application is to over five hundred thousand square feet.
Seth WeightmanSecond Vice Chair
Okay, I just No the the original uh heavy industrial
Unidentified speakerVoice B
uh Yeah it did again in a Euclidean district you don't have it doesn't say for instance the number of square feet.
Kathryn StarkeyChair
I just think it increased from the my first meeting with them. Well that's just how I feel. Maybe one day we'll talk about it when we go water fences, Commissioner Mariano.
Jack MarianoVice Chair
Look, what about instead of a vinyl because you're gonna do heavy landscaping? So a typical vinyl fence is good to buffer a view shut that's going in there. But if you're gonna do heavy landscaping there, What what would what would the what would think of like say uh arc just like a metal fence going vertically? Decorative metal going up and down.
Unidentified speakerVoice B
I don't I don't I don't know enough about that. But let me let me I let me say this. I'm happy to chat with you, Commissioner Starkey, and and talk about this uh you know as we go through site plan permitting, but right now I I feel like we're going above the code and I I think that's a good idea.
Kathryn StarkeyChair
I
don't
even know if you need a fence. D is someone saying you have to have a fence?
Unidentified speakerVoice B
We we've offered that to the neighbors and I've talked to a couple of them on the on the you know either at the meeting or on the phone and I I don't wanna take out what I've already told them I was gonna have as a minimum but I'd be happy to chat with you all but I would need to get with a client our engineer and work through what our landscape plans are.
Kathryn StarkeyChair
Okay, so that's question one. Um the second question is that I was just looking at some of your beautiful projects around the country. Yeah. And um Uh I just have a little issue with the flat roof, flat facade. and and looking here I have seen in other Saint John's properties where they put some awnings to just break up the monotony. I'm I'm actually kinda surprised we uh the Zar code allow just the flat f roof and Big long
flat buildings. We don't have any more architectural
Unidentified speakerVoice B
So generally, Commissioner, that applies to Big Box, which is designed for retail buildings. However, you raise a good issue, and we already have a meeting set up with Mr. Engel and his staff after, you know, assuming that the MPUD would get approved to talk about some of that architectural design, because David already raised it. I think maybe he got comments from you on it.
Kathryn StarkeyChair
Yeah, and well we we see what happened at Sun Lake and
Unidentified speakerVoice B
I I would tell you. Speaking with our client on these particular types of buildings, my understanding that breaking up the roof line in in that way it it literally There are uh architectural and foundational issues that it creates and my understanding is that it was gonna increase the cost of some of the phase one buildings by as much as three or four hundred thousand. And just to do that because it creates the way our buildings specifically are set up, there are issues
that translate all the way down to the foundation and doing that. But again, that's why we want to meet with your staff as more of a technical.
Kathryn StarkeyChair
I've seen some from the other guys coming in where they're doing that and they're doing awnings. But at the very least, it'd like to be able to do that.
Unidentified speakerVoice B
And then um so I notice we worked hard on Yeah. We're um are we gonna see that eventually?
Oh yeah. I mean it's gonna w we're gonna have again, we're gonna have meetings with staff. We've gotta get the M P U D approved first. Staff will see
Unidentified speakerVoice G
it.
Unidentified speakerVoice B
Yeah, staff will see it. And we'll be happy I mean, Commissioner Oakley on it. You're you're gonna see it. We know you're keenly interested in it.
Kathryn StarkeyChair
Yeah, we we spent a lot of time working on that same way.
Unidentified speakerVoice B
For sure.
Kathryn StarkeyChair
And um
Unidentified speakerVoice B
But just so you know, I mean all the comments that I believe you had about, you know, two sided buildings and so forth, that's all in our MPUD conditions. Okay. Staff already implemented all that.
Kathryn StarkeyChair
Okay, then one last thing. Um Uh so I see where you guys, you know, have the road stubb out where we hope that we hope No guarantee that we can get it right through because that'll keep people Allow people to go back and forth between the developments and um Mitchell Boulevard say without having to get on fifty four. So that's what we want. Right. Um But I do wonder if um If until that happens, if The the Sun Coast Trail comes right to
the edge of this property and I was just looking at it on the map. Um can we uh work with Duke to to just connect to the trail somewhere else on this property? Wha what what's gonna be along your western
Unidentified speakerVoice B
edge?
the cost of taking the multi use path to the Starkey Trail in the location and there are other areas that may be closer. This was one of the furthest spots and we're providing you the funding on it. So if you're
Kathryn StarkeyChair
if it works out that they will give us approval right away if we do it somewhere else, because it's right there. It's right on your border.
Unidentified speakerVoice B
Yeah, if I mean that'd
Kathryn StarkeyChair
be great.
Unidentified speakerVoice B
We you'd have extra money to build it. We're we're giving you the money.
Kathryn StarkeyChair
All right. I just I just don't know what what if you if anything you plan to put
Unidentified speakerVoice B
along the Western edge. We have no objection. I mean again the the way Saint John looks at this uh Saint John properties they they're looking for amenities for the people who work on site. So that'll be a great one. Nothing but an amenity. Okay.
Kathryn StarkeyChair
Okay. Okay. I've got
to do that.
This is uh public hearing. Uh does anyone else want to speak to this? Maybe we addressed all your questions if you're here.
Kathryn StarkeyChair
I have no one signed up and no one on WebEx for this item.
Kathryn StarkeyChair
Lisa, did you want to say anything?
Kathryn StarkeyChair
I can't tell
Kathryn StarkeyChair
if your hand's up, so No, I'm good. Thank you. Okay, is there anyone on anyone online that wishes to address this? No one is on WebEx. Take a motion.
Jack MarianoVice Chair
Madam Chair.
Kathryn StarkeyChair
Yeah.
Jack MarianoVice Chair
I just want to say I think it's gonna be a great project. It's a great quality company. Happy they're coming here and I'm I'm I'm Happy working with Clark that you've talked to the residents to find it the one I'm sure making them happy is is a big em priority so that's great too. So without a move approval.
Kathryn StarkeyChair
And I I've seen that client list and you can go online and look at it. It's it's it's fantastic. We want them all here. Um Roll cover vote.
Kathryn StarkeyChair
District One, Commissioner Oakley.
District two, Commissioner Weightman. District four, Commissioner Yeager. Aye. District five, Commissioner Mariano. Aye. District three, Chairman Starkey. Aye.