Applicant urges Levy County to allow RV, boat and self‑storage in rural mixed‑use zoning; neighbors warn of countywide effects

Oswaldo Lorenzo Rodriguez, representing Lorenzo’s Paradise Marketing LLC, asked the Levy County Planning Commission on May 18 to amend the county Land Development Code to allow self‑storage, RV and boat storage as permitted uses in the Rural Mixed Use (RMU) district.

Rodriguez told commissioners his primary goal was to regularize storage for his 1.84‑acre parcel and provide “a secure professional storage option” for local RV and boat owners. “This amendment addresses a clear and growing need in Levy County for secure professional storage option,” he said.

Levy County planner Kelly Caudell summarized staff’s analysis, noting the amendment would require changes to Section 50‑700 (the general use table) and would allow the use countywide in every RMU node. Caudell cautioned that, unlike retail, “self storage, boat, and RV storage generates very little local employment or sales tax revenue” and that high‑visibility storage could harm the aesthetic character of residential mixed‑use areas. Staff recommended that the commission consider the RMU district’s intent in the county comprehensive plan and evaluate compatibility.

Commissioners asked whether the applicant intended the change only for his parcel or for all RMU‑zoned land; Rodriguez said he had been advised to file countywide but that his immediate intent was to use the change for his personal property. Commissioners and staff emphasized that, even if the use becomes permitted in RMU, future operators would still need building permits and any enclosed storage would be reviewed through the county permitting process.

Several residents spoke in opposition during the public‑comment period. Diane Gart said a neighboring mini‑storage has caused ongoing conflicts and visual‑barrier compliance problems and urged postponing broad text changes until the comprehensive‑plan update. “They are very disruptive in a residential neighborhood,” she said. Emily Casey urged the commission not to adopt piecemeal changes that could have countywide consequences: “We’re playing whack‑a‑mole here,” she said, describing recent similar applications.

Staff clarified that accessory recreational storage on parcels under five acres is limited unless a primary use exists and that accessory storage intended as a primary commercial use would require separate permitting or rezoning. No final action was taken on TA26‑03 this evening; the application remains under staff review and may return to the commission or be forwarded to the Board of County Commissioners for decision.