Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Land Use Pud topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Levy County adopts revised Black Prong PUD ordinance after multi‑hour hearing
Summary
After extensive testimony and edits on the dais, the Levy County Commission approved Ordinance 2025‑8 amending the Black Prong planned unit development to clarify allowable lodging types, cap habitable barn space, limit RV sites, and extend the PUD approval timeline. Supporters cited jobs and tourism; opponents raised groundwater and sprawl concerns.
The Levy County Board of County Commissioners on May 20 adopted Ordinance 2025‑8, a revision to the Black Prong planned unit development (PUD) that trustees and the applicant said will preserve the site’s natural character while clarifying the uses allowed within the existing 90‑acre development.
Representatives for the applicant — Jerry Edenlock of NDI and owner Reid Nagel — told commissioners the amendments consolidate previously approved special-use permits into a single zoning map, retain the previously approved unit counts, and aim to reduce vehicle intrusion on the property. "The PUD amendment that is before you today is consistent with your comprehensive plan and the land development regulations of Levy County," Edenlock said during his presentation.
The ordinance the board approved on the dais incorporates several specific edits negotiated in the meeting: enumerated unit counts and types (12 park‑model park trailers, two transient RV sites, 36 modular units capped at 700 square feet each, and eight site‑built single‑family units for a total of 58 allowable units under the PUD), clarified standards for RV and park‑model units by referencing Florida statutory definitions where county code does not conflict, a square‑foot cap for habitable conversions within barn structures (applicant and staff settled on language equating to up to 18,090 square feet or roughly 67% of the barn envelope), and a clarified footprint for the on‑site inn with dimensional limits and storage beneath the building.
Owner Reid Nagel described Black Prong as a longstanding local business that brings tourism dollars and jobs to Levy County and said the changes are intended to improve guest experience while protecting surrounding Goethe State Forest. "This is about preserving the beauty of Black Prong and removing vehicles from the property," Nagel said in his remarks, adding the project team has surveyed the site and worked with landscape architects and wetland scientists.
Supporters — including Black Prong managers and employees — emphasized local hiring and tourism revenue. "It provides meaningful employment for our staff, and it helps bring important tourism dollars to Levy County," Michelle Marquardt, general manager at Black Prong, told the board.
Opponents and several members of the public urged caution. Diane Gart, a nearby resident who addressed the board during the public hearing, reminded commissioners that the county planning board recommended denial and said the proposal "did not represent growth from the center out," warning it could invite sprawl. Other commenters raised concerns about groundwater and aquifer recharge near the Goethe State Forest and asked for rigorous permitting and water‑quality protections.
Planning staff and the applicant told the board that the project has obtained, or will obtain, required permits from the Suwannee River Water Management District and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers where applicable; staff stressed that building permits and site plans will continue to be reviewed to ensure compliance with county code and state permits.
Commissioners discussed the precise ordinance language on the record and reached consensus on the enumerated unit counts and the statutory reference for RV/modular unit governance. Staff agreed to revise the draft ordinance on the overhead to reflect the agreed language and to include clarified square‑foot caps and the lodging footprint before finalizing the adopted document. On a voice vote after the on‑the‑dais edits, the board approved the ordinance as presented at the meeting.
The ordinance revises the zoning map by overlaying a PUD district on property identified in the record as 450 SE County Road 337, Bronson, FL, preserves the PUD’s existing entitlements and unit totals, establishes caps and design standards for conversions and lodging, and extends the PUD approval term consistent with the language approved by the commission. The clerk and county attorney will finalize the ordinance text reflecting the edits approved by the board.
The board’s action concluded a multi‑hour quasi‑judicial hearing that included applicant presentations, technical questions from staff and commissioners, and numerous public comments on both sides of the proposal.
