Planning board recommends approval of Highland Trails Phase 2 preliminary plan after neighbor negotiations

The Dade City Planning Board voted to recommend approval of the Highland Trails Phase 2 preliminary plan after staff, the applicant and nearby property owners reached limited agreements on trail and utility connectivity.

City planning staff told the board the proposal, located between Clinton Avenue to the south and Morningside Drive to the north, “creates 513 home sites and includes bike trails, bike paths, retention ponds, and then the natural wetlands area,” and that the plan meets the requirements of the PD ordinance and the city’s land‑development regulations.

That overview came from Catherine Ralston, the city’s Community and Economic Development director, who told the board the project’s future land use is Low Density Residential (LDR) and the zoning is a PD (H1). Ralston said the developer has provided the bike trails required by the PD and that staff’s recommendation was to move forward with approval.

Why it matters: the preliminary plan establishes the layout and expected infrastructure for a large, multi‑phase subdivision. Approval at this stage is a recommendation to the city commission and does not by itself authorize construction; the applicant must still complete construction documents, third‑party reviews and any county or state permitting before building can begin.

Key details and unresolved items

- Utilities and right‑of‑way: An adjacent landowner asked the board to…