Commissioners take first reading on Lake Asbury village‑center exemption and approve 20% cap on narrow lots in PUDs

The Board of County Commissioners heard two land‑use code items affecting Lake Asbury and broader PUD standards.

Item 17 (first reading) would amend the Land Development Code to exempt a 6.42‑acre Lake Asbury Village Center on Henley/Sandridge from the required mix‑of‑uses percentages that apply to larger village centers. Zoning Chief Mike Brown said the existing percentages would leave only about 1.92 acres available for residential uses on the parcel, making residential development inefficient. Frank Miller, the applicant, said the site is intended for a Dunkin’ and that enforcing the default percentages would make the project nonviable.

Residents and advisory‑committee members cautioned about "slippery slope" effects on other village centers and asked how percentages are calculated (village‑wide versus parcel‑by‑parcel). Staff emphasized the change would apply only to the identified, existing small village center and that any future village centers would still be subject to the normal mix unless the code is amended again.

Separately, item 18 implemented a board direction to limit lots narrower than 50 feet in PUDs outside of master plans to 20% of the total lots, mirroring the Lake Asbury master plan standard. Staff framed the change as a response to concerns raised in previous workshops about narrow‑lot subdivisions and emergency access, parking and recreation standards. Fire‑rescue advised that narrow streets and on‑street parking can impede apparatus access; staff said planned Article 3 and Article 8 code updates will address parking and recreation standards comprehensively.

After public comment and a full hearing, the board approved the 20% limit on narrow lots; the vote carried unanimously. Staff said the change will be incorporated into upcoming land‑development code updates and that WGI (the county’s code consultant) will review the broader Article 3 revisions next year.