Commissioners open and close public hearing for UDO hotel parking setback amendment; planning board to negotiate language

Lee County commissioners held a public hearing Oct. 20 on a proposed amendment to the Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) that would allow hotel parking areas to be set as close as 20 feet from an adjoining residentially zoned property if the adjoining property is vacant and at least 20 acres in size; hotel buildings would still be required to remain 50 feet from residential property lines.

Planner Thomas Mears explained the amendment as a limited carve‑out to existing hotel development standards. He said the language had been approved by the City of Sanford and the Town of Broadway and that the amendment grew out of a specific developer oversight in Sanford; the 20‑acre threshold was intended to limit the geographic reach of the change.

Commissioners asked clarifying questions about whether the exception applied to parking only (not hotel buildings), how the 20‑acre threshold would operate in the county versus the city and whether septic requirements made the issue less likely to arise in unincorporated areas. No members of the public came forward to speak for or against the amendment; the hearing was opened and then closed without public testimony.

At the meeting the planning board was excused to continue its work, and staff indicated the planning board would revisit and negotiate the language as needed and bring a recommendation back to each jurisdiction for a future vote. No change to the ordinance was adopted at the October meeting.