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Gulf County approves 25‑lot Port St. Joe subdivision with deed restrictions and hydrant
Summary
The Board of County Commissioners approved a preliminary plat for a 9.515‑acre parcel in Port St. Joe that will be divided into 25 residential lots, imposing deed restrictions banning RVs on Lots 13–22 and requiring the developer to install an additional fire hydrant; commissioners also used the discussion to consider broader LDR changes on accessory structures.
Gulf County commissioners voted unanimously to approve a preliminary plat for a 9.5152‑acre parcel on County Road 386 in Port St. Joe, allowing a 25‑lot residential subdivision with conditions the Planning and Development Review Board (PDRB) recommended.
Planning staff told the commission the parcel contains about 8.81 acres of uplands and a 0.7‑acre pond, and noted that city water is available but lots will use septic systems. The PDRB recommended approval by a 4–0 vote with two principal contingencies: deed restrictions prohibiting recreational vehicles on Lots 13–22 (the lots that would front County Road 386) and the installation of an additional fire hydrant so all lots are within 500 feet of a hydrant. Staff said the county’s land‑development rules require subdivision lots be accessed from a paved road.
Developer Christopher King told the board he did not oppose the PDRB conditions. “I would love to see it all the community, how this afford of some kind of affordable housing community,” King said, describing his intent to market smaller, lower‑cost homes rather than build an RV subdivision.
Commissioner Husband moved to approve the preliminary plat “as drawn considering the deed restrictions on Lots 13 through 22, Lot 12 accessing from North Long and the fire hydrant installation by the developer.” The motion was seconded and the board approved it 5–0.
The hearing also prompted a wider policy discussion. Commissioners and staff reviewed county standards — a 50‑foot maximum height limit (previously briefly raised to 60 feet), a three‑habitable‑floor cap in parts of the county, and a 30% impervious area cap — and debated how accessory structures and RV or “pole‑barn” subdivisions fit into the county’s land‑use framework. Several commissioners supported a targeted amendment to the Land Development Regulations (LDRs) that would prohibit issuance of an accessory‑structure permit until a primary residential structure exists on a lot, while allowing exemptions via the county’s Planned Development Processes (PDP/PUD) and grandfathering existing lots.
Commissioners directed staff and the county attorney to draft proposed language and return with options for public hearings. The board did not take a final policy vote on the accessory‑structure proposal at this meeting.
What happens next: the preliminary plat now moves forward under the conditions the commission approved; staff will draft any proposed LDR amendments for later consideration and public notice.
