Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Land Use topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Citrus County PDC approves accessory dwelling on 44-acre parcel with 2,500-sq.-ft. cap
Summary
The Citrus County Planning and Development Commission approved a conditional use to allow an accessory dwelling on a 44-acre parcel, amending staff conditions to set a not-to-exceed living-area limit of 2,500 square feet; the permit followed staff findings of consistency with the county Comprehensive Plan and Land Development Code.
The Citrus County Planning and Development Commission on April 17 approved application CU-2025-1, a conditional-use request to allow an accessory dwelling unit (ADU) on a parcel of 10 acres or more, with a condition limiting the ADU to no more than 2,500 square feet of living area.
The commission’s vote followed staff presentation and brief public comment from a neighboring resident. Melissa Morris, a county planner, told the board the application "meets all of our comp plan LDC requirements and it is compatible with the surrounding area," and that the county’s recent Land Development Code revision authorizes larger ADUs on large parcels. Morris noted the applicant’s site plan and said the proposed ADU pad and the primary residence are shown on the plans; a rendering that included patios and garages was recorded at 2,052 square feet (that figure included non-living-area elements), while the applicant requested roughly 1,450 square feet of living area.
Applicant Robert Eden said the request was "simply just asking for a variance to increase the size an accessory dwelling from 850 to 1,450" so the applicant’s parents could live on the property with their son. During public comment, resident John Bucheister, who said he lives across the street from the site, asked whether the application was for one house or many and raised concerns about water and roadway capacity; commissioners and staff replied the application covered a single ADU on a 44-acre parcel.
Commission discussion focused on how to align the staff condition with the applicant’s request and with the Land Development Code. Staff explained the updated LDC allows up to 2,500 square feet of living area for parcels of 10 acres or more; the applicant’s testimony requested about 1,450 square feet. The commission amended the proposed condition to set an upper limit of "not to exceed 2,500 in living area" for this approval, noting that applicants who later propose a larger living area would need to return with revised plans.
Commissioner David Bramlett moved to approve, saying the commission found CU-2025-1 consistent with the Citrus County Comprehensive Plan and Land Development Code and that approval with amended conditions would not adversely affect the public interest; Commissioner Jeanette Collins seconded. The motion passed on a 6-0 vote.
Votes at a glance: the board approved the minutes (see record) earlier in the meeting and later approved CU-2025-1 with conditions as amended; the conditional-use approval was moved by Commissioner David Bramlett and seconded by Commissioner Jeanette Collins, and the recorded tally was 6-0.
The commission’s approval includes the amended condition limiting the ADU’s living area to 2,500 square feet and other routine conditions in the staff report. The staff packet and site plans were entered into the public record. No variances to other development standards were recorded in the meeting minutes. The commission noted the parcel’s size and the recent LDC change as the reason larger ADUs are now being requested and permitted under conditional use rules.
The commission then moved to the next items on the agenda.
