Columbia County commissioners approve rezonings, subdivisions and budget moves; set Live Local Act hearing for Feb. 20

The Columbia County Board of County Commissioners on an evening meeting approved a series of zoning changes and minor subdivisions, authorized funding submissions to the Florida Department of Transportation, approved several budget amendments and contracts, and set a Feb. 20 public hearing on whether to opt out of the Live Local Act's property tax exemption.

The board approved three related land-use items affecting residential density. Commissioners adopted Ordinance 2025-1 (application Z25241002), which rezoned a parcel currently carrying two zoning designations to a single residential mobile-home-park designation; Ordinance 2025-02, rezoning a Moore Road parcel from AG-3 (agricultural) to rural residential to allow 1-acre lots instead of 5-acre lots; and Ordinance 2025-03, a companion future land use map amendment changing a parcel from residential medium to residential low. The Moore Road parcel discussed at the hearing was described in the packet as about 60 acres; county staff said the rural-residential option would allow 1-acre lots if subdivided.

The board also approved a series of minor subdivision and replat requests: SD 24-0801 (Commander Court area), SD 24-1101 (Turkey Run subdivision replat combining three platted parcels into one), and SD 24-1203 (Lake Jeffrey Road subdividing two parcels into three). Each item moved through a public hearing with no speakers opposing and was approved by motion and second with the board voting in favor.

On transportation and maintenance, staff asked the board to submit three candidate projects to FDOT for the county's competitive five-year program (SCRAP/SIS/TAP): County Road 18 (Fort White area), County Road 250/‘‘Gum Swamp Road’’ and a Cannon…