Board approves Ordinance 609 PUD for Butler Bay Road despite concerns about narrow setbacks and recordkeeping

The Port St. Joe Plant Belt View Board voted April 10 to approve Ordinance 609, a planned unit development (PUD) for Butler Bay Road that would replat a five‑lot section into a separate six‑acre residential pod and allow separate standards for adjacent commercial uses.

During discussion staff described the project as part of the larger Vientu Beach plan. A staff speaker explained the request "to pull out 5 lots" from the existing PUD and create a residential section governed by its own standards. Clay Murphy, the project representative, described the plan as primarily residential in the five‑lot area and said the houses would be sited landward of a 50‑foot residential setback while a proposed seawall would sit within 30 feet of that line.

A board member expressed concern about narrow side setbacks, saying, "Only concern I've got is the setback," and asked whether the planned 5‑foot side setbacks provided sufficient separation. Staff clarified typical front setbacks would be 15–20 feet and confirmed that side setbacks as small as 5 feet are used in some zones.

Staff also cautioned that adding a PUD creates another layer of regulatory documents that must be tracked in the city records. As one staff member put it: "I think the biggest thing is just that it creates another layer of regulation we have to go back and find." Board members and staff recommended recording PUD ordinance numbers on the zoning map to make future lookup easier for staff and the public.

A motion to approve Ordinance 609 was made, seconded and carried; an abstention was recorded during the vote. The board did not add additional conditions regarding setbacks or seawall location during the meeting and directed staff to proceed with the procedural steps required to record the ordinance.