Pasco staff outline bicycle/pedestrian standards and propose open‑space zoning district

Pasco County planning staff told the Planning Commission on July 24 that they are drafting two separate land‑development code amendments: an update to bicycle and pedestrian facility standards and a new open‑space zoning district to cover conservation lands. The updates matter because clearer standards will streamline when sidewalks, trails or other pedestrian facilities are required along new development frontages, and a dedicated open‑space zoning district would provide a consistent regulatory home for conservation properties. Staff said the bicycle and pedestrian update will consolidate sidewalk and trail standards, provide consistent requirements across different street types and clarify when facilities are required — for example, on collector road frontages. The department indicated a target Planning Commission hearing of Sept. 4 for the bicycle/pedestrian amendment. On the open‑space zoning district, staff said Pasco County currently lacks a zoning district that maps directly to conservation areas and that a new Chapter 500 zoning district would fill that gap. Staff described an example involving county‑owned coastal property on the west side of the county whose expired master plan left its status ambiguous and said the new district could provide a test case for county‑owned conservation parcels. No ordinance was adopted at the meeting. Staff said they will circulate drafts and bring the amendments to the Planning Commission for formal review in September.