Commission continues First Baptist Church rezoning and comp‑plan request amid resident concern; applicant given time to refine plan

The Dade City Commission continued consideration of a small‑scale comprehensive plan amendment and associated rezoning request for the First Baptist Church property on Church Avenue after lengthy public comment andquestions from commissioners about long‑term controls.

Applicant Steven Smith told the commission he intends to purchase the property and convert the existing 41,000‑square‑foot church building and a 3,000‑square‑foot house into a mix of uses he described as office space for his business, event and performance uses, and possibly bed‑and‑breakfast lodging. Smith said the sanctuary alone is roughly 5,000 square feet and that the church’s construction (thick concrete walls and floors) makes adaptive reuse feasible but costly; he said he had tried to close on the property the day of the meeting but a mortgage payoff and insurance timing delayed the transaction.

Why the decision was continued Commissioners and members of the public raised several…