Planning Commission recommends annexation, comp-plan change and rezoning for 7.3-acre Baker Trust site with three stipulations after resident opposition

The Venice Planning Commission on Nov. 17 recommended City Council approval of three linked actions for the Baker Trust Ewing property (annexation petition 25-06AN, comprehensive plan amendment 25-57CP and zoning map amendment 25-08RZ) by a 6-1 vote, but only after the applicant offered and the commission accepted three stipulations intended to reduce neighborhood impacts.

The 7.3-acre parcel at 2327 Ewing Drive sits in Joint Planning Agreement Area 2B (Subarea 2). Nicole Tremblay, senior planner, explained the annexation request would bring the parcel into the city's Northeast Venice neighborhood and that JPA and Florida statutes provide the planning framework. The applicant is seeking a future land use change to medium-density residential and implementing RMF-3 zoning, which under the JPA could allow up to 13 dwelling units per acre; staff noted the city’s transportation consultant identified no mobility issues at this phase.

Marty Black, agent for the contract purchaser, described site constraints — a pond/wet area and a 170-foot FPL transmission easement — and said those limit developable area, making an apartment complex unlikely and making townhouse/townhome products more likely. Black told commissioners he helped draft the original JPA and that water would be provided by the city while sewer would remain county-provided but treated at the city plant. He offered three stipulations to address neighbor concerns: a maximum building height of 35 feet, a minimum 300-foot separation of dwelling units from the northern property line to preserve the pond and buffer, and a cap of 60 total dwelling units on the property (roughly under 9 units/acre effective given the developable area).

Nearby residents and community leaders spoke repeatedly in opposition. Maureen Kelly (Palencia homeowner) said the proposed extension of Ewing Drive would cut off pedestrian access to a community-maintained wetland preserve and create noise, safety and habitat impacts; Deb Carter (Valencia ecology chair) warned the roadway would imperil sandhill cranes, alligators and other species; Michelle Davis (Valencia community association director) presented 196 verified petition signatures (of 203 homes) opposing the proposal and raised stormwater and compatibility concerns following Hurricane Ian. Sarah Gondella (Palencia Community Association president) said applicant materials omitted critical facts including that the pond is part of a connected preserve subject to Southwest Florida Water Management District rules and that recent clearing in the easement should be investigated.

Commissioners debated the tension between the JPA density allowances and the adjacent neighborhood's lower density (Palencia/Valencia PUDs range around 2.5 units/acre in places). Staff and the applicant both noted much of the 7.3 acres is constrained by the pond and easement and that any development must meet SWFWMD, county and city standards for stormwater and ROW permits. Commission discussion emphasized that the current votes are recommendations to City Council: annexation, comp plan and rezoning would be considered by council later, and site development details (access alignment, stormwater design, permits and conditional-use requests for attached units, if any) would be reviewed at the rezoning/site-plan stages.

Commissioners ultimately amended the comp plan motion to incorporate the three stipulations; they then recommended both the comp plan change and the rezoning with the same three stipulations to City Council, each vote 6-1. The record shows the commission required that stipulations also be reflected at the rezoning stage to bind future developers. Next: City Council will receive the recommendation; if council approves, detailed engineering, SWFWMD permitting, and a public site-plan/rezoning review will follow.