Developer pivots: Port Richey staff preview conceptual plan for waterfront 19-property site, proposes ~104 townhomes

Port Richey 2D City staff on Tuesday presented council with conceptual renderings and a status update for redevelopment of a waterfront assemblage that includes the former Gill Dog property and an adjacent 19-property parcel.

Staff said the developer has pivoted from an earlier concept featuring a larger apartment building to a plan focused on townhome-style units. "This is the 19 property...this build big building that they had before is now replaced with townhome development," a staff presenter told council, adding the concept totals about 104 units in preliminary drawings and emphasizes two- and three-bedroom floorplans rather than high-rise construction.

Staff explained the pivot allows the developer to move faster by seeking private financing rather than longer HUD timelines. The presentation included conceptual overhead views, proposed gathering spaces and a retention lake feature; staff stressed the materials were renderings only and any formal plans must go through planning, zoning and PUD processes if the developer seeks density above baseline limits.

Council and staff discussed density thresholds and negotiation levers. Staff summarized existing rules: 15 units per acre in the Waterfront Overlay District, 18 units per acre outside the WOD, and the possibility of up to 40 units per acre for projects meeting PUD requirements on parcels of five acres or more. Council members said architecture, parking, common areas and public amenities are negotiable components if council considers higher density in the future.

What happens next: staff advised that formal plan submissions and PUD applications will trigger planning-and-zoning review and public notices; council signaled it will consider form-based code or design standards after reviewing firm developer submittals rather than pre-emptively directing form-based design rules.