Venice Planning Commission Meeting – October 7, 2025

The Venice Planning Commission met at 1:30 PM on October 7, 2025, in Council Chambers at 401 West Venice Avenue, Venice, Florida. All seven members were present. The commission approved the September 2, 2025 meeting minutes, conducted six public hearings, and forwarded recommendations to the City Council on annexation, a Comprehensive Plan amendment, a zoning map amendment, a design alternative, and two Venice Crossing Car Wash petitions. Votes were unanimous except the car wash conditional use, which passed 6–1.

Consent Calendar

• Motion to approve the September 2, 2025 regular meeting minutes as presented; seconded and passed unanimously.

Public Comments & Testimony

• No general audience participation speakers were signed up outside the scheduled public hearings.
• For Curry Lane Townhomes, Richard "Dick" Rock, a Waterford resident for 36 years, supported retaining the invasive species border as a continuation of the buffer from the nearby Sophia project and said residents have a good working relationship with the developer.
• Jim Nolan, a Waterford resident for 21 years, supported the developer's request to relocate the fence and buffer plantings and retain as much vegetation as possible, saying a white vinyl fence with shrubs and small trees would detract from the natural aesthetic; he cited the unanimous City Council approval to retain non-native vegetation at the Sophia project as precedent.
• Nancy Viggiano, a Waterford resident for 22 years, supported keeping the existing vegetation for visual, wind, and sound protection, but also expressed concern that clearing the site and raising it by roughly one to two feet could affect drainage and stormwater absorption.
• For the Venice Crossing Car Wash, Steve Carr of the Central Venice Coalition said he was not opposing the car wash itself, but urged the commission to uphold the Comprehensive Plan, arguing rezoning and additional uses should be reserved for special, exceptional, or unique circumstances. He noted that two full-service car washes and four self-service car washes already exist within five miles of the site.

Public Hearings and Discussion Items

• 25-29AN – Flagship Medical Office Building (MOB) #2 Annexation (Legislative): Senior Planner Nicole Tremblay presented the request to annex approximately 5 acres at 2805 Curry Lane into the city. The property is in JPA Area 6, currently designated moderate density residential by Sarasota County and zoned Open Use Estate-1. Staff found compliance with state statutes, contiguity and compactness requirements, absence of an enclave, JPA inclusion, public right-of-way access, and a pre-annexation agreement executed July 8, 2025. No public speakers testified. The commission voted 7–0 to recommend City Council approval.

• 25-30CP – Flagship MOB #2 Comprehensive Plan Amendment (Legislative): Staff requested assignment of the City of Venice Institutional Professional future land use designation for the same property. The petition was processed as a small-scale amendment under Florida Statute Chapter 163. The applicant identified four urban-sprawl avoidance criteria, including directing economic growth without adverse natural-resource impacts and promoting efficient infrastructure. The commission voted 7–0 to recommend approval, with the motion finding consistency with the Comprehensive Plan and compliance with Chapter 163, Part II.

• 25-31RZ – Flagship MOB #2 Zoning Map Amendment (Quasi-Judicial): Staff requested the Office Professional Institutional (OPI) zoning district for the subject property. Staff noted the JPA caps intensity at 0.5 FAR, allowing a maximum of about 109,000 square feet; the district permits 35-foot height by right, 46-foot height with an exception, and 40% lot coverage, with no residential use. The proposed use would be medical office. The commission voted 7–0 to recommend City Council approval. No stipulation was attached, because the City Council will hear the Comprehensive Plan amendment before the zoning amendment.

• 25-37DA – Curry Lane Townhomes Design Alternatives (Quasi-Judicial): Planner Brittany Smith presented the request by the owner of the 10.18-acre property at 2905 Curry Lane to allow existing invasive/exotic landscape material to remain on site under Land Development Code Section 3.7.2.8.8. The type 2 buffer plantings would be relocated to the south end of the dog-park amenity, and invasive species would remain in about a 40-foot segment between the dog park and the south parcel line. After hearing supportive testimony from three Waterford residents, Commissioner Hale said he wanted this type of exception to remain an exception and not become "open season" for developers because the Comprehensive Plan calls for eventually eliminating invasive species. The commission voted 7–0 to approve the design alternative.

• 25-46RZ – Venice Crossing Car Wash Zoning Map Amendment (Quasi-Judicial): Planner Brittany Smith presented the request to rezone 1.15 acres at 2001 Laurel Road from Commercial General to Laurel West. The property is part of the 83-acre Venice Crossing commercial center preliminary plat approved in June 2025. Agent Jackson Boone said the rezoning is to the implementing zoning district for the Mixed-Use Corridor and that access to the parcel would be internal via Holstein, with no direct access to Laurel Road. Several commissioners, including Commissioner Hale, expressed concern about evaluating the application without seeing the whole development and about traffic and safety near Laurel Nokomis School. Boone and staff said a comprehensive transportation study was completed for the preliminary plat and that the city, county, school district, and FDOT have coordinated on the area. Public commenter Steve Carr recommended denying the rezoning, saying a car wash is not unique and the current CG zoning should remain. The commission voted 7–0 to recommend City Council approval.

• 25-47CU – Venice Crossing Car Wash Conditional Use (Quasi-Judicial): The companion request sought a conditional use to allow a car wash in the Laurel West district. The conditional use plan shows a 4,240-square-foot car wash tunnel building, a self-service/vacuum area, vehicle queuing lanes, and point-of-sale kiosks. Agent Jackson Boone described it as a modern car wash operation, noted that car washes were previously treated as commercial intensive uses, and said the proposed site is near the school's parking and tennis courts rather than classroom areas. The motion to approve included a stipulation that the approval would not be effective unless and until City Council approves zoning map amendment 25-46RZ. The commission approved the conditional use 6–1.

Key Outcomes

• Unanimously approved the September 2, 2025 meeting minutes.
• Recommended City Council approval of 25-29AN, 25-30CP, and 25-31RZ for the Flagship Medical Office Building #2 by votes of 7–0 each.
• Approved 25-37DA, the Curry Lane Townhomes design alternative, by a 7–0 vote.
• Recommended City Council approval of the Venice Crossing Car Wash rezoning 25-46RZ by a 7–0 vote.
• Approved the Venice Crossing Car Wash conditional use 25-47CU by a 6–1 vote, with a stipulation tying effectiveness to approval of the rezoning.

Staff and Commission Comments

• Planning and Zoning Director Roger Clark announced that the next Planning Commission meeting on October 21, 2025, will begin at 2:00 PM rather than 1:30 PM because of Student Government Day. He also noted the capital improvement schedule would be reviewed and invited members to watch students conduct a mock council meeting.