Live Oak council approves rezoning of 704 Duval St. NE to allow small-scale multifamily use

The City of Live Oak City Council approved final reading of Ordinance 1531 to rezone 704 Duval Street NE from single-family residential to residential-office zoning during a council meeting. City development staff recommended approval, and the Planning and Zoning Board had unanimously recommended the change at its March 31 meeting.

George Curtis, development manager for the City of Live Oak, told the council, “Staff finds the request consistent with [the] comprehensive plan and land development regulations. Approval is recommended.” Curtis also explained the requested residential-office classification allows small-scale multifamily uses but that subdivision and building approvals depend on lot size, setbacks and other code requirements.

Applicant Leticia Robinson, who identified herself as a Realtor, said the project will focus on affordable, rent-to-own housing. “Our plans are to bring more affordable homes to the area and build up the community,” Robinson said. She told the council she expects to place two single-family structures on the parcel and lease them under long-term contracts, but said she was still determining whether the units would be sold separately.

Council members pressed staff on whether the property could be split into two lots and whether the units would be single-family homes or a duplex. Curtis said the parcel is one property of record; even with the rezoning, division into two sellable lots would require review for minimum lot width and area, setbacks, ingress and egress, and other building-code requirements. He said the building-permit process would determine whether two individually sellable homes could be built. Curtis noted the minimum unit size in the requested zoning could be as small as about 500 square feet, but final permit approvals depend on submitted plans.

No members of the public testified against the request during the hearing. After staff and applicant presentations and questions, a council member moved for final reading of Ordinance 1531; the motion passed on a voice vote. The record showed four council members present and voting in favor.

Discussion versus decision: the council’s approval was a formal final-reading action to change the official zoning map. Council discussion focused on development constraints that remain despite rezoning — notably lot division, setbacks and permit review — and staff repeatedly said those code and permitting checks would determine what is actually buildable or sellable on the parcel.

Next steps: with the ordinance adopted, the applicant may proceed to apply for building permits and, if desired, for lot-split or subdivision approvals; those applications will be reviewed by city staff under existing Land Development Regulations.