Lake City planning board conditionally approves rezoning and Cookout site plan; forwards mixed-use and height changes to council

The Lake City Planning & Zoning Board on the evening convened to consider several land‑use items, conditionally approving a rezoning and a site plan while recommending text changes to the city council.

Staff recommended and the board conditionally approved rezoning application Z2503, brought by Carol Chadwick PE as agent for Florida First Coast Investment Corp. The approval requires consolidation of five parcels into a single tax parcel located on Bay Avenue and other staff conditions intended to preserve adjacent residential neighborhoods, staff said. "The parcels must be consolidated under a single ownership and combined into one tax parcel, which will be located on Bay Avenue, the designated collector road," a board member read into the record as the condition. The motion passed on a roll‑call vote.

The board also granted conditional approval to site plan SPR25-11 for a Cookout restaurant, contingent on the Florida Department of Transportation approving a Highway 90 entrance. Michael Hicks, the applicant's agent and engineer, said Cookout has an option to purchase the property and confirmed the company supports the staff‑recommended condition. Hicks said the existing building on the parcel would be demolished and replaced by a roughly 1,660‑square‑foot, drive‑through‑only Cookout. Staff explained DOT had raised concerns about the proposed direct entrance and recommended closing an entrance and using access via the movie‑theater drive, but the applicant does not have an easement through the theater entrance and will pursue permitting with DOT.

On city‑initiated text amendments, the board voted to recommend adoption of LDR25-03, creating two mixed‑use zoning districts (MU‑1 for commercial/residential and MU‑2 for industrial/residential). Staff said the proposal includes a density guideline of about 40 dwelling units per acre and minimum nonresidential lot sizes; it also permits alcoholic beverage establishments in MU‑1 while treating microbreweries as a special exception. Staff characterized mixed‑use zoning as a tool to encourage walkable, bikeable development and potential economic growth.

The board also approved resolution PZ LPA LDR25-04 to amend building‑height and lot‑size rules in the Land Development Regulations. Staff recommended raising maximum heights in many nonresidential districts to 85 feet (about seven stories) while preserving a 35‑foot limit when new development is contiguous to residential zoning unless buffering is provided; staff cited coordination with fire and building officials on safe access for emergency apparatus.

Separately, the board discussed LDR25-02, a proposed administrative approval process for certain site plans and projects qualifying under the Live Local Act. Members voiced concern that larger administrative thresholds (20,000 square feet or 40,000 square feet of impervious area) could move significant projects out of public hearing without meaningful notice, and asked staff to research how the change would interact with historic‑preservation rules and other boards' responsibilities. The board reached consensus to table LDR25-02 and asked staff to return with a workshop recommending the smaller 7,500‑square‑foot threshold or a residential‑contiguity carve‑out.

The board also voted to move its regular start time from 5:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., to align with city council and improve attendance. The Board of Adjustments and Historic Preservation Agency subsequently approved their minutes and likewise voted to move to 6:00 p.m.

What happens next: The board's recommendations (LDR text changes and approvals framed as resolutions) will be forwarded to the City Council for final action; staff will return to the board with follow‑up information on LDR25-02 and historic‑preservation impacts.