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Ocean View council rezones Windmill Drive parcel to R2, requires 15‑ft vegetative buffer
Summary
After public comment from Avon Park residents, Ocean View Town Council approved rezoning a 24,916‑sq‑ft parcel on Windmill Drive from R1 to R2, unanimously adopting planning staff conditions that require a 15‑foot vegetative buffer (Green Giant arborvitae or similar, 6–8 ft at planting) if more than one dwelling is built.
Ocean View — The Town Council voted unanimously to amend the zoning designation for a 24,916‑square‑foot parcel at 32451 Windmill Drive from R1 single‑family to R2 two‑family residential, adding conditions intended to protect the adjacent Avon Park neighborhood.
Planning staff briefed the council that the approval will be conditioned to require a vegetative buffer if the property is developed with more than one dwelling unit. Planning staff recommended the buffer run the full width of the rear property line, be 15 feet wide (consistent with town screening requirements), specify plant species and a minimum planting height, permit a fence only if installed along the interior of the buffer, and require an easement and recorded maintenance agreement to preserve the buffer.
Several Avon Park residents urged the council to reject the rezoning. "The only party that stands to benefit from this variance is the developer," said Mark Seawwalk, president of the Avon Park board of directors, arguing the five‑foot reduction in side setback would materially reduce privacy, affect drainage and lower property values. Megan Evans, who said her home borders the parcel, told the council that reducing the side setback by five feet would significantly shrink the usable space adjacent to her property and she opposed the change.
Zoe Cummings, representing SMC Enterprises, said runoff and buffer concerns will be addressed during permitting and argued that changing the zoning classification does not, by itself, create new runoff problems. She added that surrounding neighborhoods already include semi‑detached units and asked the council to consider that context.
Council members discussed lot dimensions and compatibility with the comprehensive plan; several members said the parcel is shown on the future land‑use map as supporting a mix of residential types. Before the vote council agreed to adopt the staff recommendations specifying plantings and requiring that any fence be inside the vegetative buffer. The council specified Green Giant arborvitae or a similar species at 6–8 feet tall across the rear of the parcel and agreed to no fence in the buffer.
The ordinance passed by a 4–0 vote. The council recorded the approval as a second reading and asked planning staff to ensure the buffer details appear on the final development and recorded plans.
