Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Land Use Rezoning topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
New Port Richey council authorizes staff to pursue rezoning of Edgewater Gardens from MHP to R‑4 to encourage flood‑resilient redevelopment
Summary
After a land‑use presentation, the council authorized staff to draft a zoning modification to reclassify Edgewater Gardens from Mobile Home Park to R‑4 (coastal cottage), citing lot sizes, FEMA base‑flood elevations and a desire to reduce variances for homeowners wanting to rebuild higher after Hurricane Helene.
City planning staff presented the council with a detailed overview of Edgewater Gardens and recommended the city pursue rezoning from Mobile Home Park (MHP) to R‑4 (coastal cottage) to facilitate redevelopment that meets FEMA elevation requirements.
Planner Mr. Hall described the area west of US‑19 as an island‑like peninsula of 99 existing lots (most roughly 40x80 feet) and noted that many parcels fall within FEMA AE flood zones (AE10/AE11). He said the current MHP zoning effectively requires rebuilding mobile homes or extensive variances for stick‑built single‑family homes, but that the R‑4 category—already used in places annexed into the city—would allow smaller lot sizes, architectural standards and parking under raised structures to meet flood‑elevation requirements.
Hall told council that if an owner wished to redevelop under the existing code they would likely need multiple variances, whereas R‑4 would allow single‑family homes to be built with fewer variances and with the living floors elevated above base flood elevation. Council members asked how many lots would need variances under R‑3 versus R‑4; Hall said he had not run exact numbers but estimated “a very minimal handful” (likely less than 10%) would require variances under R‑4.
After public comment was opened and no speakers appeared specifically on the rezoning item, the council voted to authorize the city manager to engage staff to prepare the zoning modification and take it through required public hearings, the Land Development Review Board (LDRB), and associated notifications. The motion authorizes staff to draft an ordinance and continue the formal review process; no rezoning ordinance was adopted at the meeting.
