Next week’s commission meeting is sure to draw a crowd as commissioners will finally hear from the Varrea Planned Development District about conceptual modifications.
Varrea, which was originally approved by the City Commission in 2007 as the Cone Farms Community Unit District, was subsequently modified in 2011 and 2015. Much like North Park Isle, it is years in the making and the community has often wondered if it would ever be completed.
It appears the time is close at hand.
The plan is for Varrea to become a massive community on the other side of I-4 near the southwest corner of Charlie Taylor and East Knights Griffin roads. Over the years, commissioners have heard complaints from neighboring residents of flooding issues, traffic concerns and the threat to wildlife by the influx of motor vehicles on the rural backroads.
Currently, the Varrea Planned Development District is approved as an approximately 1,008-acre large-scale mixed-use development located entirely within the area encompassed by the Northeast Plant City Area Master Plan.
This development is currently approved for 2,640 single and multi-family dwelling units, 345,000 square feet of commercial and 50,000 square feet of office uses “to be developed within the requirements of a Traditional Neighborhood Development (TND).”
The public hearing, which will be held during the commission meeting at 7:30 p.m. Monday, will first have a presentation from the applicant proposing five modifications to the PD. After the applicant presents, the public will have the chance to chime in with thoughts, support or concerns.
The modifications, according to the City of Plant City, are as follows:
To modify the development pattern from the TND standards and develop the PD under our PD standards while utilizing the reduced setbacks opportunity available to those developments larger than 350 acres that provide at least 30% open space with 10% of the open space being usable open space.
To change the roadway layout and access points to accommodate the new proposed development pattern.
To expand the Mixed Use Area 1 (northeast area of PD) as per proposed PC/CPA 20-03 Comprehensive Plan Amendment.
To add a proposed school site to the plan.
To propose the smallest single family detached lot be 40 feet wide, but placing a limit on the number of 40 foot wide lots to 582 which is 30% of the proposed maximum of 1,940 single family detached and attached units.
Unlike the North Park Isle hearing, which took place a little more than two weeks ago, these proposed changes do not address the number of residential units or the non-residential square footage that is currently approved.
If you wish to attend the public hearing in person, you may do so by heading to the City Commission Chamber of the Nettie Berry Draughon Municipal Building, 302 W. Reynolds St., at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 14. Once the hearing is over, commissioners will consider whether to approve the ordinance.
Keep in mind physical attendance to the meeting is limited due to COVID-19 precautions and social distancing guidelines. Public seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. Everyone attending the meeting must sign in, answer questions regarding potential exposure to COVID-19 within the past 14 days, submit to a temperature screening and must wear a face covering or other cloth or material covering the nose and mouth. They must also comply with social distancing guidelines once within the building. If you do not comply, you may be removed from the meeting and anyone with a temperature of 100.4 degrees or higher will be asked to leave.
However, you can still watch the public hearing from the safety of your own home by streaming the entire city commission meeting at the City of Plant City Government’s YouTube page.