Venice Planning Commission Meeting – April 7, 2026

The Venice Planning Commission met on Tuesday, April 7, 2026, at 1:30 PM in Council Chambers. The commission approved the previous meeting's minutes, elected a new chair and vice chair, conducted a public hearing on a variance for a fence at 1205 Tarpon Center Drive, and adopted updated rules of procedure.

Consent Calendar

• Approved the minutes of the March 17, 2026 meeting unanimously.

Election of Chair and Vice Chair

• Bill Wilson was nominated and unanimously elected as Chair.
• Kit McEwen was nominated and unanimously elected as Vice Chair.

Public Hearing: Variance 26-06VZ – 1205 Tarpon Center Drive

• Staff Presentation: Senior Planner Nicole Tremblay presented the variance request from Sea Villas LLC (agent Luke Beerman, Freedom Fence Builders) to construct a fence seaward of the Gulf Beach setback line. The existing fence was destroyed by hurricanes. The proposed fence is intended for safety and security, enclosing the beachside area of the condominium property. Staff analysis found the request met all seven variance criteria.
• Applicant/Agent: Luke Beerman provided clarifying photos and a corrected site plan, confirming the fence would be six feet total height (including on top of an existing wall) and not extend beyond the property's historical footprint.
• Public Testimony: Kim Hearing, a year-round owner and resident at Sea Villas, spoke in support, describing the community's history, hurricane damage, unanimous owner approval, and significant trespassing problems (74 trespassers counted from March 1–17, 2026, including verbal abuse and threats to elderly residents). Stephen Herring, a resident, corroborated the trespassing issues and noted that police had been called multiple times.
• No opposition was voiced during the hearing.

New Business: Rules and Procedures for Planning Commission

• Planning and Zoning Director Roger Clark presented proposed updates to the commission's rules of procedure, last revised in 2022. Key changes included: requiring the chair to be physically present to preside, aligning quasi-judicial time limits with city council procedures, and adopting gender-neutral language (e.g., "chair" instead of "chairman"). The commission discussed the flexibility to adjust time limits if needed. The motion to adopt the revised rules passed unanimously.

Comments by Planning and Zoning Department

• Staff noted the next meeting is April 21, 2026, with four applications (preliminary plat, site plan, and a site plan with design alternative).
• An update on the CBO (Seaboard) master plan is tentatively scheduled for the first meeting in June.
• Legislative updates: some state bills may be easing; staff will continue monitoring.
• Welcomed new members Nick Flairloggy and Anna Fresca to the board.

Key Outcomes

• Variance 26-06VZ: Approved unanimously (7-0) to allow a fence seaward of the Gulf Beach setback line at 1205 Tarpon Center Drive.
• Rules of Procedure: Adopted unanimously as presented with edits.
• The meeting adjourned after commissioner comments and a brief discussion about the Laurel Road development (no active application filed).