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Board flags townhouse standards, asks staff to consult developer on minimum width and lot rules
Summary
Planning staff and board members discussed inconsistencies in township/townhouse standards—specifically lack of minimum lot width and impractical minimum lot-area formulas—and asked staff to meet with an interested developer and return with draft changes or PUD options.
The Planning and Zone Board discussed the town’s minimum development standards for townhouses and condominiums and asked staff to consult with a developer who inquired about a potential townhouse project.
Planner Smith told the board that the town’s current rules set a minimum lot area formula (6,000 square feet for the first townhouse unit and 5,360 square feet for each additional unit) and a gross density cap of eight units per acre but do not establish a minimum lot width for townhouse lots. He said that omission makes practical townhouse development difficult because interior townhouse units typically require narrow lot widths and zero side-yard setbacks.
Board members noted other municipal standards (Jacksonville, Jacksonville Beach) that specify narrower minimum lot widths for townhouse interior and end units (examples shown in staff materials) and cited West Landing as a local example of a functioning townhouse development that met standards. A developer inquiry prompted the discussion; staff said the site in question is roughly 2.1 acres in RG-1 zoning and that, under current rules, the maximum gross density would limit the project to roughly 16–19 units depending on layout.
The board asked staff to invite the developer to present a concept plan and to return with options including: (1) code edits to add a clear minimum lot width and adjusted lot-area calculations for fee-simple townhouses; (2) advice on whether a PUD or variance route is more appropriate for infill townhouse developments; and (3) recommended design standards (garage/drive access, lot orientation) to avoid back-to-back units without rear access.
