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Lake City planners outline mixed‑use zoning options to promote downtown housing and walkable districts
Summary
City planning staff reviewed large‑ and small‑scale mixed‑use zoning approaches, saying small‑scale suits downtown infill while large‑scale would require a new zoning class and open‑space and parking rules; the city’s 2020 comprehensive plan already supports mixed use.
Planning staff led a workshop Jan. 14 on mixed‑use zoning for Lake City, outlining large‑ and small‑scale approaches and urging code changes to encourage downtown housing that would support local businesses.
Mister Angelo, planning staff member, told the Planning & Zoning Board the city could permit mixed‑use developments that “blend the uses together” instead of separating commercial and residential by district. "A mixed‑use development also is a development is usually a vertical mixed use or a horizontal mixed use," Angelo said, describing vertical examples such as the Blanche Hotel and horizontal examples like a retail plaza fronting a subdivision.
The presentation said small‑scale mixed‑use developments are commonly under 10 acres, often rely on municipal open space rather than providing it on site, and tend to allow shared or reduced parking requirements. Large‑scale mixed use (10 acres or more) typically must dedicate open space — staff cited a common guideline of about 10% of site area — and plan for larger parking and circulation systems.
Mister Thomas, planner, said small‑scale mixed‑use is often suited to downtown redevelopment or infill, while large‑scale is more appropriate where acreage exists outside the core. "We planners tend to get jargon laden and and throw terms out there," Thomas said while explaining Euclidean zoning — the conventional model that separates uses — and contrasting it with mixed‑use approaches that promote pedestrian activity and downtown vitality.
The presenters listed typical design and policy considerations: permitted versus conditional uses, setbacks (buildings placed close to sidewalks in downtown models), off‑street parking standards, allowances for outdoor dining, and transportation strategies that prioritize walking, biking and microtransit. Angelo noted the city’s current Central Business District (CBD) code allows limited small‑scale mixed use but that the existing code dates from decades ago and is narrower than the models the staff recommended.
Board members asked how code changes would be implemented and whether the change would require multiple text amendments. Angelo said a large‑scale mixed‑use category could be added by a single text amendment that creates a new zoning class; staff would research whether separate categories for horizontal and vertical mixed use are needed. Thomas noted the city’s comprehensive plan already includes mixed use (adopted in 2020) and that the land‑development regulations (LDR) need to be updated for consistency.
Staff also identified possible locations for large‑scale development outside the downtown core, including roughly 400–500 acres near the airport to the southwest of the city, while saying downtown redevelopment will rely on infill, repurposing and municipal open space such as Wilson Park and the Darby Pavilion to meet recreation needs for small‑scale projects.
No formal code changes were adopted at the workshop. Staff said they will refine proposed code language, consider whether separate horizontal and vertical categories are needed, and return for further workshops and a future presentation to the City Council.
Votes at a glance: The Planning & Zoning Board adopted electronically distributed minutes for Nov. 12, 2024 (motion to adopt; second recorded; vote: aye by hand sign, no opposition).
