Planning commission urges moratorium on new Connected City rezonings and site plans while rules are reviewed

The Pasco County Planning Commission on a recommendation voted to urge the Board of County Commissioners to impose a temporary moratorium on new rezonings and site‑plan approvals within the Connected City Special Planning Area (SPA) while the county reviews land‑development rules and implementation steps for the SPA.

Why it matters: residents and commissioners questioned whether Connected City’s aspirational goals — including a “large district park” in the community hub, cultural amenities and a consistent approach to mixed‑use — have been realized. Several speakers and commissioners described a gap between the Connected City comprehensive plan text and what residents now see on the ground: subdivisions, limited public parks, and differing developer commitments.

Commission debate: Commissioners and staff walked through the history of park planning and funding for Connected City. County staff, consultants and a former county consultant explained that commissioners previously committed Connected City impact fee funding to a larger regional park (referred to in the hearing as the VOPH Superpark) outside of the Connected City footprint; staff said the funding decision was deliberate to secure a larger facility and to fund construction where land had been acquired. Residents countered that the comp plan language is misleading if a park is outside the community hub and urged a local park.

Implementation questions: Commissioners and the public also pressed staff on whether Connected City policies were translated into enforceable land‑development code standards. Staff acknowledged gaps between aspirational SPA objectives and the underlying zoning and said that some of the missing amenities (for example, cultural centers) had been partly addressed through library planning and other, separate projects.

The motion: Commissioner John Moody moved that the Planning Commission recommend a moratorium on new rezonings and site‑plan approvals in the Connected City SPA until the county modernizes the land‑development code to better reflect Connected City goals. The commission recorded the recommendation in its minutes and asked staff to present the recommendation to the county administrator and Board of County Commissioners.

Vote and next steps: The commission recorded a roll‑call recommendation on the moratorium and asked staff to carry the recommendation to the Board of County Commissioners for consideration. Staff said they will discuss presentation approach with the county administrator and continue to coordinate internal review of the Connected City regulations and park funding.