Planning board backs rezoning for 160‑acre Countryway 2 development, hears 12‑year buildout plan

The Planning and Zoning Board on May 4 recommended approval of LDR24‑26, a rezoning petition to change roughly 160 acres from agricultural to Planned Residential Development (PRD) for a project called Countryway 2.

Miss Yeder of Community Development explained the item had previously undergone a large‑scale future land‑use amendment and was routed to state reviewers because it exceeded the 50‑acre threshold. Jared Deanbach, an AICP planner representing the applicant, said the PD would limit density below the maximum allowed by the prior land‑use change, preserve tree lines, and create an interconnected local roadway network. He described a phased approach spanning roughly a dozen years and said infrastructure and traffic work were coordinated with the Florida Department of Transportation during the study process.

Residents asked detailed questions about construction timing, buffer widths and the road network. Steve Hogan, a Countryway 1 resident, asked when phase one would begin; staff and the applicant estimated engineering and infrastructure work could push a realistic start to late 2027 or early 2028, with multi‑year home‑building across phases potentially extending into the 2030s. On buffering, petition materials call for a 25‑foot landscaped buffer in many locations, with thicker vegetative buffering and stormwater basins where tree lines are preserved. The applicant said tiny homes are a possible later‑phase option but are not guaranteed.

The applicant also said it will dedicate a 60‑foot right‑of‑way along the property’s eastern edge to allow future connections to 15th Avenue and to disperse traffic. Staff added a condition that the main connecting roadway be dedicated by phase four or earlier if other developers accelerate construction.

After questioning by board members and staff clarifications about phasing and required dedications, the board voted to approve the rezoning finding it consistent with the comprehensive plan and land development regulations. The petition advances to the City Commission for final action and for negotiation of any required development agreement.