The Plant City City Commission approved the request to rezone property that will be used as residential space, on Monday.
The property will be located off James L. Redman Parkway, just south of Sparkman Road and north of Trapnell Road. It is within the Mixed-Use Gateway district which was analyzed by the city commission at a workshop, held on March 14.
During that evening, the city commission addressed concerns and offered suggestions for the plan.
The rezoned property is approximately 45 acres with 68% of it set aside for residential use and 32% for civic/park use that will be along Redman Parkway. The park alone will make up 14 acres of land and the residential area making up approximately 31 acres.
The plan also calls for 150 single-family homes with no more than 55 being townhomes.
Robyn Baker, the senior planner for the Plant City Planning and Zoning Department, was present to explain what the developer was proposing.
“All the single family is located on the eastern side of the property with townhomes for the most part on the north side with one building a little closer to James L. Redman, with the best of the area along James L. Redman being that 14-acre park,” she said.
The park will also have a natural wetland with scenic trails around the area. There will be 60-foot-wide lots along the eastern border of the site in order to keep smaller lots within the site. The northern and eastern borders will have an enhanced buffer and fencing. Existing trees that run along Redman Parkway within the park area will be preserved.
It was also requested for there to be a reduced side yard setback of five feet for single family detached homes less than 60 feet. And permitting up to 30% of the built homes to be less than 60 feet wide.
“Basically what they’re proposing for any lot that is 60 or above, they will have the 10-foot side yard setbacks for any lot less than 60, but they’re requesting for five feet,” Baker said.
A transportation study was conducted, and it was determined that the following improvements should be made, if approved by Hillsborough County:
• Retiming the lights at James L. Redman Parkway’s intersections with Alexander Street and Highway 60
• Adding left and right turn lanes at the entrance of the site
The study was based on a mixed use of commercial and residential properties which is much more intense than the current proposal.
An update to the analysis may be required at the time of the plat or construction plan, to determine if the improvements are still warranted.
“When this particular study was conducted, the two uses that were being proposed were commercial and residential, and they will have to revisit the study at a later date, if approved to determine what exactly would be required at the project entrance, now that they reduced those trips greatly by switching to a park use,” Baker said.
The developer also requested for a Miami curb in lieu of the F type curb where there are individual driveways.
Each home will be built with cultured stone, natural stone, lap siding, and brick. Also coach style ornamental lights or shutters on the primary street facing windows. And two houses next to, and directly across from each other are required to not have the same architecture.
An example of this would be a house with a more prominent, triangular shaped roof, including two floors as opposed to one, or one with larger windows.
On Feb. 23, the Plant City Planning Board made a recommendation to push the request forward to the city commission with a vote of 7-0.
The city commission approval was unanimous with a vote of 5-0.