Commission approves revised Generation at Venice plan with build‑to‑rent housing

The Planning Commission approved a site and development plan amendment for Generations at Venice, a 348‑unit residential development proposed on about 30 acres off Knights Trail Road.

Senior planner Nicole Tremblay summarized staff’s review: the parcel is zoned RMF‑4 in the mixed‑use corridor future land use, and the proposed development would yield about 11.7 dwelling units per acre (within the neighborhood’s allowed maximum of 13 units per acre). Tremblay said earlier approvals exist for this site, including a 2023 site plan amendment that remains valid, and concluded the current amendment contains sufficient information for the commission to act. The technical review committee identified no compliance issues and found concurrency and transportation impacts acceptable based on an existing approved transportation review.

Agent Jackson Boone told the commission the amendment keeps the previously approved unit total (348) but revises the product type from larger garden‑style apartment buildings to a “build‑to‑rent” attached‑villa product. Boone described build‑to‑rent units as lower, townhouse‑like buildings with in‑unit or structured parking and a design intended to feel more like a home than a traditional garden apartment. Architectural materials noted in the filing include fiber‑cement, board‑and‑batten siding, shingle and metal roofing; the development includes amenity features such as a clubhouse, pool, dog park, pickleball courts, gated entry and internal sidewalks.

Residents from the adjacent Toscana Isles community raised stormwater and drainage concerns during public comment. Paula Steiner, who identified herself as chair of Toscana Isles’ outside‑community committee, said runoff flows through Toscana Isles lakes and a weir into the proposed parcel’s north end; she urged the developer and future property owner to maintain wetlands and drainage areas to prevent prolonged ponding and to avoid backflow into Toscana Isles. Resident Dennis Koral asked that the applicant clear the overgrown drainage corridor along the northern boundary and develop a maintenance plan. Jackson Boone replied that property owners share responsibility to maintain drainage systems and said the applicant would strive to maintain its system to avoid downstream impacts. City staff and the project civil engineer noted stormwater design has been reviewed by applicable agencies and that on‑site systems route water westward into a ditch that continues under I‑75.

Why it matters: the amendment keeps the site’s previously approved intensity while changing housing type; neighboring residents focused on drainage and maintenance because portions of the site correspond to existing stormwater flow paths that affect adjacent neighborhoods.

Action: Commissioner Bill moved to approve site and development plan petition 25‑03SP “based on review of the application materials, the staff report and testimony provided during the public hearing”; after a second, the commission voted 7–0 to approve the amendment.

Next steps: The applicant will pursue site plan and permitting for the build‑to‑rent product; stormwater and utility improvements will require further permit review and any needed utility master plan updates at the time of site‑plan submittal.