City of Venice Planning Commission Meeting - September 15, 2026

The Planning Commission of the City of Venice, Florida, met on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, at 1:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers at Venice City Hall, 401 West Venice Avenue. The agenda included approval of the September 1, 2026, minutes, a consultant presentation on the Parks Master Plan, and four public hearings: a sign variance, an annexation, a comprehensive plan amendment, and a zoning map amendment. The commission approved the consent minutes, recommended approval of three land-use petitions to City Council, and denied the sign variance.

Consent Calendar

• Minutes of the September 1, 2026, regular meeting were approved as presented by motion without discussion.

Public Comments & Testimony

• No members of the public signed up to speak during audience participation. For each quasi-judicial hearing, the commission confirmed that no audience participation was signed up before closing the public portion of the hearing.

Parks Master Plan Consultant Presentation

• Staff and the commission heard from the parks director of GAI Consultants, Community Solutions Group, on the city's Parks Master Plan update, the first such planning effort for Venice in some time. The presentation described a two-part analytical approach: an amenity inventory of all city parks and a 'parks DNA' assessment of design and ambiance, including layout, function, shade, and user experience.
• The public engagement strategy includes approximately 120 yard signs with QR codes placed at park access points, business cards with QR codes at city facilities, a resident survey that remains open throughout the process, and two public workshops on October 27, 2026: an evening workshop from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at Community Hall and a lunchtime workshop.
• The consultant noted that political and funding dynamics in Florida could affect city funding and emphasized that the plan must be realistic and supported by residents, account for residents crossing jurisdictional boundaries to use parks, and coordinate with Sarasota County Parks.
• Commissioner discussion included how residents describe the park system, including the abundance of 'pocket parks' and green space, and the observation that land is unlikely to get cheaper, suggesting the city should look for high-density residential areas unserved by HOA, city, or county parks.

Public Hearings

PAM Health Venice Signs Variance (26-34VZ) - Continued from September 1, 2026

• The applicant, CPREIF 2639 Curry Lane LLC, represented by Titan Sign Company (agent Cathy Song in the agenda; 'Kathy Song' in the transcript), requested a variance for one additional identification sign on the north side of the PAM Health Rehabilitation Hospital at 2639 Curry Lane, approximately 440 feet from Curry Lane. The applicant cited only 10 square feet of sign area remaining under city code and poor visibility for drivers on the periphery loop approaching from the Sarasota hospital. The site already has a 125-foot wall sign on its southern facade facing Curry Lane, and the roughly 48,600-square-foot building has only one identification sign on Curry Lane. The agent stated that other hospitals have 20 to 30 identification signs at their locations.
• Staff and commissioners questioned the proposal, which they described as a 7-foot-by-44-plus-foot sign facing away from the building entrance. They observed that meaningful wayfinding would be better served by supplemental signage along Pinebrook Road or Curry Lane, and they expressed concern that the variance would set a precedent for larger signs without a demonstrated hardship.
• The commission denied the variance, finding the petition did not meet the variance criteria. The vote tally was not specified in the transcript.

Annexation (26-14AN)

• Senior Planner Nicole Tremblay presented a city-initiated annexation of property owned by Calvary Bible Church. City Council directed staff to identify properties within city limits lacking appropriate city zoning; the agent is the City of Venice. No changes to the existing use or site are proposed, and no new buildings are planned at this time, but city zoning would be required if the owner pursued changes. The OPI zone setbacks are 20 feet front, 10 feet side, and 15 feet rear.
• The commission, sitting as the Local Planning Agency, found the petition consistent with the comprehensive plan and in accordance with Florida Statutes Chapter 171, and recommended approval to City Council.

Comprehensive Plan Amendment (26-15CP)

• The commission, sitting as the Local Planning Agency, found the petition consistent with the comprehensive plan and in compliance with Florida Statutes, Chapter 163, Part 2, and recommended approval to City Council. No audience participation was signed up.

Mahon Drive Enclave Zoning Map Amendment (26-16RZ)

• Quasi-judicial petition presented by staff planner Nicole Tremblay. The commission recommended approval of zoning map amendment petition 26-16RZ to City Council.

Comments by Planning Commission Members

• The commission's next meeting is scheduled for October 6, 2026. A commissioner thanked the consultants for the Parks Master Plan presentation and noted that the consultants are working with the Citizen Advisory Board and will present the same information to City Council on September 22, 2026.
• The same commissioner clarified that approximately 120 yard signs, rather than the initially estimated 40, will be placed at park access points, with QR-code business cards at city facilities, and reminded the public of the two October 27, 2026, workshops, including the evening workshop from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at Community Hall.

Key Outcomes

• Approved the September 1, 2026, regular meeting minutes as presented.
• Denied the PAM Health sign variance (26-34VZ), finding the petition did not meet the variance criteria.
• Recommended approval of annexation petition 26-14AN to City Council.
• Recommended approval of comprehensive plan amendment 26-15CP to City Council.
• Recommended approval of Mahon Drive Enclave zoning map amendment 26-16RZ to City Council.
• Parks Master Plan: resident survey remains open; public workshops scheduled for October 27, 2026; City Council presentation set for September 22, 2026.