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Planning commission recommends denial of MD Distribution rezoning request on State Road 207 after debate over industrial zoning
Summary
The commission recommended denial of a proposed rezoning from Commercial Retail (C-2) to Industrial Light (IL) for a 2.83-acre property at 186 State Road 207; commissioners split on whether a C-4 designation with a special-use permit would better control corridor industrialization.
The Putnam County Planning Commission on April 8, 2025 recommended denial of a rezoning request from MD Distribution LLC (agent: Crystal Crenshaw) to change a 2.83-acre parcel at 186 State Road 207 from Commercial Retail (C-2) to Industrial Light (IL).
Michael Graves, Planning and Development Services, presented REZ 25-00002 and said staff recommended approval to align zoning with the property’s current use: “they machine and manufacture metal into roof parts,” which is not allowed in Commercial Retail (C-2). Graves told commissioners the site is in FEMA Flood Zone X, has a commercial future land use, and that Industrial Light zoning would be the most direct path to bring the existing manufacturing activity into compliance.
The item prompted extended discussion. Commissioners and members of the public pressed staff and the applicant about permit history, impervious area and site improvements, setbacks and buffer requirements that would change under Industrial Light zoning, and alternative paths to compliance—specifically whether Commercial 4 (C-4) with a special-use permit (SUP) or a planned unit development would be preferable to a straight rezone to Industrial Light.
Applicant’s agent Crystal Crenshaw described the property’s history: most buildings were “grandfathered” when the current owner purchased the property, she said, and an additional manufacturing building was constructed around 2009. She told the commission Saint Johns River Water Management had inspected the site in relation to a 2020 permit and had issued a letter of approval.
Staff and several commissioners noted differences in regulatory paths: Industrial Light zoning would allow the existing manufacturing use by right (and therefore provide a clearer path to compliance and expansion), while keeping the property as commercial and pursuing a C-4 designation would require a SUP and would not guarantee approval. Some commissioners argued a C-4 plus SUP better preserves corridor vision and allows more public input; others said a rezoning to Industrial Light is the quickest, clearest path to bring a longstanding nonconforming use into compliance.
After debate, a motion to deny (recommend denial to the Board of County Commissioners) carried on a roll call. The commission’s denial is advisory and will be forwarded to the Board of County Commissioners for its April 22, 2025 meeting.
“We’re trying to allow this business that has existed on this property for the past 20 years ... to be in a zoning district that is compatible with their desired business,” Graves said during the presentation, explaining staff’s rationale for recommending Industrial Light.
