Port Richey adopts 'Cody River Landing' future-land-use category and adds property-rights element

Mayor John Eric Hoover presiding, the Port Richey City Council on the evening of the meeting adopted a set of comprehensive-plan changes that create a new “Cody River Landing” future land use category and change the future land use designation for three parcels; the council also adopted a property‑rights element required by state law. Tammy Vrana, an on‑call city planner with Vrana Consulting, presented the items and reviewed state agency comments received December 30.

The text amendment (ordinance 24‑704) adds the Cody River Landing future land use category to the City of Port Richey comprehensive plan (Ordinance 88‑382, as amended). The ordinance language specifies up to 40 units per acre and a 2.0 floor‑area ratio for that category and, by council action, now includes the land‑use strategy map as part of the ordinance as Exhibit A. Tammy Vrana told the council, "The purpose of the public meeting is to review the proposed text amendment to the comprehensive plan, to consider the state agency comments, to provide opportunity and consider public comments, and to take final action on the ordinance number 24‑705 and, of course, to comply with all legal requirements." Public comment was solicited for each item and no members of the public signed up to speak.

Two of the three map amendment requests affect parcels at 5419 Treadway Drive and 7944 Bayview Street; a separate small‑scale amendment affects a parcel at 8095 U.S. Highway 19. Each map amendment (ordinances 24‑705 and 24‑706) changes the parcel’s future land use designation from Commercial Mixed Use to the Cody River Landing category. City staff noted that because these are small‑scale map amendments they did not require additional state review. The council approved each ordinance by voice vote; the meeting record shows each motion carried after members signified "aye."

The council also adopted ordinance 24‑708 to add a property‑rights element to the comprehensive plan "as required by and in conformity with section 163.31776i, Florida statute," according to the ordinance text read into the record. Council members said the item had previously received first reading on Nov. 26 and there was no applicant; staff presented the ordinance and no public speakers were registered.

Council remarks after the votes praised the lengthy public and staff engagement on the items. Mayor John Eric Hoover said the package of changes was "really transformational for the city of Port Richey," thanked staff and the public for their participation and said he looked forward to future projects that may arise from the changes.

State review comments and next steps: Tammy Vrana reported the state report contained comments (objections, recommendations and comments format), not objections that required changes; one state comment recommended adopting the land‑use strategy map into the ordinance text (which the council attached as Exhibit A). Vrana also noted that potential mitigation measures for hurricane evacuation clearance times and shelter space would be addressed later at rezoning or site‑plan review, and that policies in the proposed conservation and coastal management element address evacuation clearance time level‑of‑service standards.

Votes at a glance — each ordinance was approved by voice vote with no recorded oppositions and no public speakers signed up: • Ordinance 24‑704 (Comprehensive plan text amendment — add Cody River Landing category; up to 40 units/acre; 2.0 FAR) — outcome: approved. • Ordinance 24‑705 (Future land use map amendment — parcels at 5419 Treadway Drive and 7944 Bayview Street; change from Commercial Mixed Use to Cody River Landing) — outcome: approved. • Ordinance 24‑706 (Future land use map amendment — parcel at 8095 U.S. Highway 19; change from Commercial Mixed Use to Cody River Landing) — outcome: approved. • Ordinance 24‑708 (Add property‑rights element to comprehensive plan per section 163.31776i, Florida statute) — outcome: approved.

What the council did not decide: Adoption of the comprehensive plan text and map amendments does not itself rezone property or approve site plans. Council and staff made clear that any required rezoning, development agreements or site‑plan reviews will occur in subsequent proceedings and could include additional studies or mitigation measures (for example, evacuation clearance time and shelter space) at those later stages. No funding decisions or development approvals were made at this meeting.

The meeting also included brief ceremonial and administrative items; council members acknowledged the recent death of longtime former council member Bill Colombo and said they will observe a moment of silence at the next meeting.