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Commission approves Ridge Family Plaza subdivision and makes exception for alley access; developer and residents discuss traffic and drainage
Summary
The commission approved a 13-lot replat for Ridge Family Plaza and granted special exceptions related to alley use and small-scale subdivision language, with developers saying alley improvements and new stormwater infrastructure will benefit the block.
The Port St. Joe City Commission approved a replat and special-exception requests Jan. 21 for the Ridge Family Plaza development, a 13-lot subdivision that will incorporate a city-owned alley into the plat and add new stormwater infrastructure.
Ray Greer, the project representative, described two special-exception requests tied to the city’s Land Development Regulations (LDR): one to allow the alley to serve as more than secondary access and another to clarify ambiguous small-scale subdivision language. Greer said the LDR’s alley definition currently prohibits primary access and can conflict with contemporary neighborhood design; he told the commission the language will be revised in a later LDR cleanup project.
Greer said the replat expands an earlier 11-lot plan to 13 lots, will pave the alley, and route the area’s runoff into a newly installed stormwater pond. He told commissioners the alley works as a benefit beyond the project itself and will improve connections for the block.
Residents asked about the alley’s current terminus and whether the paving would create new through traffic. Walter Frans, a resident who spoke during public comment, asked why the project was back before the commission after a prior shopping-center proposal fell through and whether the development would affect access to nearby facilities. Greer replied the alley currently terminates at a ditch but provides access for warehouses behind the property; the approved work would pave and formalize that access.
Motion and vote: The commission accepted the planning board’s recommendation and approved the development order and exception requests. The motion was made by Mr. Hoffman and seconded by Mr. Kerrigan; commissioners voted unanimously.
Why it matters: The project converts a previously informal alleyway into a paved connection with stormwater controls and clarifies long-standing LDR definitions that city staff and applicants said have caused inconsistent interpretations.
Follow-up: Greer said the city will pursue an LDR cleanup to change the alley definition and to revise subdivision wording. The developer will also coordinate alley paving and stormwater construction with the city’s public works schedule.
