Board takes no action on Enclave rezoning request; matter to proceed to special magistrate

The county commission declined to act on a request to accelerate a new rezoning hearing for the Enclave (Old Golf Village) property. The request followed a denied rezoning last August and subsequent mediation that produced a revised, lower-intensity proposal: 36 townhomes instead of a prior 63-townhome plan.

Ryan Ross, assistant county attorney, explained the choice before the board was procedural: whether the owner should be allowed to seek a new rezoning hearing prior to the usual one-year waiting period after a denial. Applicant counsel Jason Gabriel said the revised plan reduced intensity and was intended for full review by PZA and other channels if the board would allow it to be scheduled sooner.

Multiple residents from nearby neighborhoods urged the board to deny any expedited hearing, citing existing traffic congestion, median restrictions that would force U-turns near a middle-school crossing and impacts on emergency access. Mike Laster, president of the Samara Lakes HOA, said rush-hour travel times were already extreme and that more units would worsen conditions.

The board took no motion; staff advised that inaction will move the dispute toward a hearing with a retired appellate judge (special magistrate) who previously mediated the case. The special magistrate process and any subsequent public hearings will follow the county's formal notice requirements.