Planning Commission Meeting - July 1, 2025

The Venice Planning Commission met on July 1, 2025, at 1:30 PM in Council Chambers to consider two quasi-judicial public hearings: a site and development plan for two aircraft hangars at Venice Airport (24-49SP) and a variance request to waive architectural standards at 240 Base Avenue East (25-22VZ). The meeting began with approval of the June 17, 2025 minutes and concluded with comments from the Planning and Zoning Director and commission members.

Consent Calendar

• Approval of Minutes: The commission unanimously approved the minutes from the June 17, 2025 regular meeting.

Public Comments & Testimony (on the variance petition 25-22VZ)

• Lou Ann Wood (resident, 40 years): Expressed strong support, calling the project a "breath of fresh air" and beneficial for youth. She described the existing property as a "disaster" and urged approval.
• Peter Zay (neighboring resident): Raised concerns about the nature of the neighborhood (residential multifamily/single-family), questioned the proposed uses (robotics, drones, brew pub), and argued that the property's recent sale price difference could cover architectural compliance. He urged the board to uphold the intent of the historic precedent standards.
• Deborah Anderson (resident of Braza del Mar across the street): Opposed the variance, stating the neighborhood is not run-down and that residents take pride in their homes. She noted that the applicant failed to get a petition from her building, asserted that the historic architectural character is important to Venice, and questioned the compatibility of drone/brew pub uses with surrounding residences.
• Ray Gessel (Base Avenue resident): Expressed general support for improving the property but voiced concerns about the long-term maintenance and hurricane resilience of a metal building, citing dilapidated metal buildings already in the area. He requested a better design if possible.

Discussion Items

24-49SP: Venice Aircraft Hangars Phase 1 Site and Development Plan

• Staff Presentation: Senior Planner Nicole Tremblay presented the proposal to develop two airplane hangars on a 4.05-acre leased portion of the Venice Airport property (400 Airport Avenue East). The site is zoned Government with a Mixed-Use Airport future land use. The hangars would house existing planes, add five parking spaces and an internal walkway. Staff found the plan consistent with the Comprehensive Plan and Land Development Code, and no concurrency or mobility issues were identified since no new traffic would be generated.
• Applicant Presentation: Todd Amaden (Landmark Engineering) and representatives from Sky Built (general contractor) stated they had nothing to add to staff's thorough report and answered no commissioner questions.
• No public testimony was offered.
• Motion and Vote: Commissioner Jasper moved to approve, seconded by Chair Sherberg. The motion passed unanimously (7-0).

25-22VZ: 240 Base Avenue East Variance

• Staff Presentation: Nicole Tremblay explained the applicant seeks a variance from Section 87-2.3.6, which requires the Venice Historic Precedent (VHP) architectural style in the Airport Avenue zoning district. The 0.74-acre parcel currently has two buildings; the applicant proposes to demolish them and construct a new metal multi-purpose industrial building. Staff reminded the commission of the six variance criteria and noted the application is limited to the architectural standard relief; a future site and development plan would be required.
• Applicant Presentation: Attorney Jeffrey Boone (Boone Law Firm) and property owner Walt Kitonis presented. Kitonis described his background in defense contracting and his vision for a community facility housing uses such as robotics/drone testing, repair services, music space, and meeting space for clubs (e.g., Suncoast Reef Rovers). He argued that the VHP standard is onerous and prohibitive for a metal building, that the surrounding area is predominantly non-compliant (only 1 of 34 parcels in the district meets VHP), and that the historic precedent for this area is actually metal buildings from the former Army Air Base. He emphasized that the variance is the minimum necessary to allow reasonable use of the property and that the existing structures are deteriorated and an eyesore.
• Commission Questions: Commissioner Young questioned the characterization of the district, noting many nice homes and condos nearby. Attorney Boone clarified the district boundaries and reiterated that only one parcel comes close to VHP compliance. Commissioner Young also asked about cost differences; Boone said compliance would be prohibitively expensive. Commissioner Wilson (former founder of Suncoast Reef Rovers) asked if community uses would continue; Kitonis confirmed they would.
• Applicant Rebuttal: Boone addressed public comments, noting that brew pubs are already a permitted use in the district, that the property's existing non-conforming uses are protected, and that new metal buildings must meet current Florida building codes, making them more resilient than many older homes. He argued the variance meets all criteria and would improve the neighborhood.
• Staff had no additional comments.

Key Outcomes

• 24-49SP (Venice Aircraft Hangars): Approved 7-0.
• 25-22VZ (Variance at 240 Base Avenue East): Approved 6-1. Commissioner McKeon voted no, stating the variance does not go as far as the Comprehensive Plan intended for the area. All other commissioners expressed support, noting the improvement over the current blighted condition and the community benefit.
• Next Steps: The commission will recess until August 19, 2025. Planning and Zoning Director Roger Clark noted the Governor signed a bill extending the moratorium on local governments creating more burdensome LDRs through October 2027. The commission also discussed potential attendance at the Florida Planning Conference in Daytona Beach in September.