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Commission approves rezoning of old Lee School site for 102-unit apartment PUD; height draws objections
Summary
The commission rezoned roughly 4.87 acres previously occupied by Lee School for a planned unit development to allow a 102-unit multifamily project. Commissioners and planning staff debated building height and open-space tradeoffs; the ordinance passed by roll call.
The City Commission on Feb. 24 approved an ordinance rezoning about 4.87 acres of the former Lee School site to a small planned unit development to allow a 102-unit multifamily project.
City planning staff described the site boundaries (west of Lee Street, north of Herndon Street, east of Perkins Street and south of West Line Street) and the PUD’s key provisions: up to 102 multifamily units in a four-story building, a 50-foot setback from adjacent roads, 35% open space, a required 10,000-square-foot recreation area and site monumentation commemorating the former Lee School. The PUD contains a phasing clause that would revert zoning to a lower density if substantial commencement of work does not occur within 48 months.
Dan Miller, planning director, and the applicant’s representative outlined the property’s history: the school was vacated as a school in the early 2000s, rezoned several times, and years passed without a viable redevelopment. Planning staff and the applicant said prior rezoning efforts had not produced a developer and that demolition of the old school buildings was allowed by the Historic Preservation Board in 2024 to enable reuse of the parcel.
Commissioners debated whether the proposal’s four-story height fit the neighborhood. The planning commission had recommended a three-story limit in its motion; several city commissioners said a three-story building could accommodate roughly the same number of units but would affect the site footprint and open space. One commissioner who visited a comparable four-story project in Ocala said taller buildings could be a tool to limit outward sprawl and increase housing supply; others said four stories would be too tall and urged more green space.
After discussion the commission voted to approve the ordinance by roll call (transcript records the motion and subsequent roll call vote). The PUD’s design standards, parking to meet city code and other requirements remain conditions of approval; staff will monitor the 48-month substantial-commencement clause.
The action rezones the property for multifamily use; it does not itself authorize construction permits. The developer will need to comply with design standards shown in the PUD exhibits and submit any required site-plan and building-permit applications. Planning staff said the PUD restricts uses to multi-family residential and sets specific landscaping, fencing and lighting standards intended to limit impacts on adjacent neighborhoods.
