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Board approves minor Westport townhome standard changes and streamlines subdivision approvals
Summary
Charlotte County commissioners approved a zoning modification to align townhome lot and setback standards within the Westport development and adopted revisions to county subdivision regulations to reflect recent state law changes and move more approvals to administrative review.
The Charlotte County Board of County Commissioners adopted two land-use measures Oct. 28: a zoning change to align Westport townhome development standards and a set of subdivision-code amendments intended to speed and modernize plat approvals.
Westport townhomes: The board approved a major modification to the Westport planned-development zoning that reduces minimum townhome lot width from 20 feet to 16 feet and reduces the minimum side yard along Budding Road from 15 feet to 10 feet. The change makes the new phase consistent with earlier Westport approvals. The ordinance passed 4-1, with Commissioner Constance dissenting.
Subdivision regulations: The board also adopted amendments to Chapter 3-7 (Subdivision Regulations) to implement earlier board direction and conform to recent state statutory changes (including Senate Bill 784 and section 177.071 of the Florida Statutes). The revisions transfer several procedural steps to administrative review, replace several board or planning-board signature steps with a community-development director signatory, and delete obsolete planning-board approval language. Staff said the changes are intended to streamline plat processing and reflect the county's move to administrative review for many subdivision approvals. The subdivision-code changes were adopted unanimously.
Why it matters: The Westport change affects building and lot design within a large, mixed-use redevelopment area and was part of a broader agreement that included affordable housing and off-site infrastructure commitments. The subdivision-code amendments change who signs final plats, and move some decisions from public hearings to administrative action, reducing the number of hearings required for certain plat-related approvals.
Next steps: The Westport zoning ordinance will be incorporated into the county zoning atlas and project development documents; revisions to the subdivision regulations take effect as part of the county code update.
Ending: Commissioners said they expect the subdivision reforms to improve permitting timelines and reduce duplicative hearings; staff will continue to bring major development agreements to the board for review where appropriate.
