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Kissimmee advisory board recommends airport-industrial land-use and zoning change near Shingle Creek over residents’ objections
Summary
The Kissimmee Planning Advisory Board voted to recommend a future land-use map amendment and a zoning change to airport-industrial for roughly 5.223 acres adjacent to Shingle Creek, despite resident testimony raising environmental and traffic concerns; the future-land-use vote was 3–1.
The Kissimmee Planning Advisory Board voted to recommend changing the future land-use designation and the zoning for about 5.223 acres near the airport and Shingle Creek, approving both measures after public comment and board discussion.
City planning staff told the board the parcels — currently vacant or occupied by single-family homes — fit within the city’s strategy to expand the industrial center in the southwest quadrant near the airport and that the proposed airport-industrial zoning would be governed by the Conservation Overlay District and subject to conservation impact reporting at site plan review. “Staff has found that this is compliant with the comprehensive plan and with the land development code and is requesting approval,” the staff member said.
Opponents argued the change would harm residents and wildlife. Staff read an email from Deanna Elliott representing nearby Buckley Drive residents that warned airport-industrial zoning ‘‘would significantly alter’’ the neighborhood and requested ‘‘a full environmental impact report’’ before any approval. Resident Darryl Elliott told the board his street is a single-lane dirt road with about eight one-acre lots and urged denial: “I just urge you to deny this because of the environmental effect that would have the quality of life, not only to us as owners, but also to the wildlife that lives in this area,” he said.
Board members debated whether the parcels’ adjacency to existing airport-industrial land outweighed shoreline and conservation policies for Shingle Creek. Alex (committee member) raised those shorelines and setback policies and noted the Conservation Overlay District’s protections, asking how likely an industrial use could comply with restrictions. “It feels like there’s tons of restrictions on this property already,” Alex said, pointing to shoreline preservation and a 150-foot setback discussed during the meeting.
After deliberation the board voted to recommend the future land-use change by a 3–1 margin, with Alex recorded as the dissenting vote. The board then approved the corresponding zoning map amendment to Airport Industrial by voice vote. The staff presentation and the record repeatedly referenced city comprehensive-plan consistency and the land-development code as the basis for the recommendations.
The written record includes the letter from Deanna Elliott and multiple public comments describing traffic, wildlife and access concerns; staff noted that future site plans would be reviewed for conservation impacts and setbacks. The Planning Advisory Board’s votes constitute a formal recommendation to move these proposals forward in the city’s review process.
