After almost a year of planning, the city commission approved the creation of two new future land use categories that will allow for continued agricultural uses and low-density residential development options in the Plant City Comprehensive Plan.
Those categories are: Agricultural/Residential-1 (A/R-1, allowing one dwelling unit per gross acre) and Agricultural/Residential-2 (A/R-2, allowing two units per gross acre), which are similar to most lands that abut Plant City in unincorporated Hillsborough County. These plan categories will allow the consideration of farmsteads, ranches, churches, public uses such as parks, large-lot single-family home sites and uses related to agricultural production. In addition, A/R-1 allows for the consideration of non-residential structures up to 30,000 square feet or a .25 floor area ratio (FAR), whichever is less. This increases to 60,000 square feet or a .25 FAR, whichever is less, under A/R-2.
Before the change, Plant City’s least dense future land use plan category was Residential-4, which allows for a suburban development pattern with up to four dwelling units per gross acre.
Planning Commission staff sought input from other partner agencies, including Environmental Protection Commission, Southwest Florida Water Management District and Hillsborough County.
Retired planner Mark Hudson made the presentation to the commission and spoke in favor of the new categories. “As parcels voluntarily annex into the municipality from unincorporated Hillsborough County, it may be appropriate, at least in the short-term, to recognize an agricultural or low-density residential development pattern in some of those areas as opposed to more dense or intense plan categories, such as Residential-4 or Industrial,” he said. “In some instances they will provide for a smoother transition for these areas.”
The new plan categories may allow for additional time to plan and construct needed public infrastructure before more intense residential, commercial or industrial uses are proposed and appropriately accommodated and served by Plant City. They may also discourage the premature and speculative conversion of these parcels to more intense land use plan categories when annexing into Plant City.
“As we continue to annex agricultural lands, it’s a spot for them to come into the city,” said Mayor Kilton.
It was also suggested the new plan categories be used judiciously, since they tend to require more services in comparison to the revenue they generate for the municipality and if widely used could negatively impact the capital and operating budgets of Plant City.
After no comment from the public, the motion passed with a vote of five to zero. For more information contact the Planning & Zoning Department at 813-659-4258.