Local Planning Agency approves Chauncey Bay Ranch PUD allowing 40-foot homes near Rim Canal

The Martin County Local Planning Agency on Feb. 20 recommended approval of a planned unit development zoning agreement and master final site plan for the Chauncey Bay Ranch project, a proposed nine‑lot single‑family subdivision on about 18.2 acres on the west side of Southwest Connors Highway near the Rim Canal.

Staff presented the application as a rezoning request from the existing RE2A (rural estate density) zoning district to a Planned Unit Development so the project can meet the comprehensive plan’s rural‑density maximum building height of 40 feet. Brian Elam, principal planner with the Growth Management Department, told the board the proposal would result in nine two‑acre lots (about 0.49 units per acre), exceed minimum open‑space requirements by about 25 percent, and include a request for a certificate of public facilities reservation.

The applicant, Matthew Barnes, senior project manager with WGI, said the PUD seeks the 10‑foot increase from the RE2A zoning limit of 30 feet to the 40‑foot maximum allowed by the Rural Density future land‑use category so future houses can see over…