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Planning board recommends narrower townhome lot and side-yard standards for Murdoch Village PD
Summary
Charlotte County Planning and Zoning Board unanimously recommended that the Board of County Commissioners approve a major modification to the Murdoch Village planned development to reduce townhome minimum lot width and side-yard setback; staff said density and heights will not change. BCC adoption hearing is scheduled for Oct. 28, 2025.
The Charlotte County Planning and Zoning Board voted unanimously to recommend that the Board of County Commissioners approve a major modification to the Murdoch Village planned development that would reduce minimum townhome lot width from 20 feet to 16 feet and reduce a building street-side yard setback from 15 feet to 10 feet.
Jay Shell, Community Development Department staff, told the board the application (PD-25-08) is a major modification to Ordinance No. 2025-007 and that the BCC adoption hearing is scheduled for Oct. 28, 2025. Shell said the change affects only dimensional standards for the townhome product and does not change density, height, or other development rights previously approved for the site.
The site is located in the Middle County area south of U.S. 41 and north of State Road 776 in the Port Charlotte/Port Shaw area and lies within the Murdoch Village Community Redevelopment Area. Shell said the site totals roughly 154.93 acres and that previous approvals for Murdoch Village included development rights for 670 residential units, about 250,000 square feet of regional commercial uses and roughly 150,000 square feet of additional commercial uses plus an approximately 150-key hotel component.
Shell told the board the requested change is intended to standardize dimensional standards for townhomes across the western and middle portions of the Westport portion of Murdoch Village and that staff believes the proposed standards are consistent with the county comprehensive plan and should not negatively affect surrounding neighborhoods. Linda Stewart, a certified planner with Morris Engineering speaking for the applicant, accepted Shell as an expert witness and concurred with staff's presentation.
The board closed the public comment period, then voted to forward application PD-25-08 to the Board of County Commissioners with a recommendation of approval based on the staff findings and analysis and the evidence and testimony presented at the public hearing. The motion carried unanimously among the five board members present.
The item will next be considered at the BCC adoption hearing on Oct. 28, 2025. Materials in the record noted that no changes to density or building heights were proposed as part of this modification.
