Zoning Amendment (Consent) - 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 sf Business Park and 107,660 sf Commercial/Retail Uses and Associated Infrastructure on Approximately 92.61 Acres Located in South West Pasco County.
What the county recorded
Staff recommendation
Approval with Conditions
DispositionApproved
Approved Staff’s recommendation with Mr. Girardi abstaining from the vote due to a conflict of interest.
The source document
The county’s agenda for Planning Commission, Apr 17, 2025
The published PDF, as served by the county. This item is one entry in it.
The county’s minutes for Planning Commission, Apr 17, 2025
The published PDF, as served by the county. This item is one entry in it.
This case, across meetings
PDE-25-7825 in full →PDE-25-7825 was taken up 2 times between Apr 17, 2025 and May 20, 2025 — this is appearance 1.
- Apr 17, 2025PlanningAPC11▶Approvedthis item
- May 20, 2025BoardP56▶Approved
What was said
Machine transcription of 34m of recording, with speaker names inferred from voice matching. 73% of 135 lines carry a name. It shows what was said, not what was decided, and both the words and the names can be wrong.
Okay, I believe that we're starting with Um number eleven, is that correct?
Yes, Mr. Chair. Item APC eleven is going first on the agenda today. Okay.
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.
We have two individuals signed up, Mr. Chair.
Okay.
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.
Very
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
Speaker, are we okay with believing staff's presentation of the item? Um staff has not presented.
You're right, David. I'm jumping the gun.
I mean the staff doesn't want to present. I don't
Okay.
Mr. Hobby's in a bit of a hurry today.
Yeah.
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.
Can everybody hear okay?
Yeah, a little bit um
A little louder.
The county map illustrates the site by the red arrow. This is Southwest Pasco County, Commissioner Starkey's district, and the South Market area.
Mm.
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?
No go ahead.
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.
Okay, thank you. Thank you very much.
Mr. Chairman, just to um clarify for the record, I will be abstaining from voting on this item due to my involvement. So
Thank you. So I noted.
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.
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?
We do have two individuals signed up. Uh the first individual is Molly Fisher.
Molly, if you come state your name and address and you've been sworn, I believe.
Yes, I've been sworn. Um good afternoon. My name is Molly Fisher. My address is [address removed].
Thank you.
Did I start?
Go ahead.
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.
Thank you. Any questions?
Any comments? No. Thank you. Who would be next?
Next individual we have signed up is Marie Chisolam. I'm sorry if I butchered that.
Okay. Again, apologies for the attack alarm. Um And I I came here out of curiosity because
before you go any further, we just need your full name and your
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.
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?
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
what were you perusing?
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
if your organization registered to be get notice?
Well the thing is we have an H O A.
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.
Well the thing is, you know, I'm just
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,
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.
I understand. But as a result of what that happened, the change to our code was that Registered HOAs could get notice.
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
because uh if you were the applicant or staff would have included you in the
in the
notice list.
Correct.
So We'll find out from staff of the applicant.
Well, I appreciate it. Again, thank you for listening. And you have a happy Easter.
Thank you.
Thank you
for coming.
Uh was there anyone else?
There's nobody else signed up, Mr. Chairman
Mariano.
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.
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.
Oh it is? Yes, sir. Okay. There you
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.
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
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.
Clerk. Could you address the comment that it's easy to convert Commercial uses in an MPUD to residential in Pasco County?
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,
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.