Planning panel approves Highway 17 commercial PCD with height and signage limits

The Clay County Planning Commission on July 7 approved a Planned Commercial Development application for a 2.45‑acre parcel at Highway 17 and County Road 209 that will allow a small commercial center including two additional buildings beside an existing restaurant.

Staff said the revised written statement and site plan narrowed permitted uses from broader BB‑5 commercial‑recreation allowances to smaller‑scale retail, small offices, a possible drive‑through coffee shop and conditional uses listed for service stations and medical marijuana (as conditional use). The proposal adds landscape buffering, lighting limits (zero foot‑candles at property lines, automatic shutoff for pole lights around 10 p.m.) and restrictions that outdoor retail display not be outside overnight.

Commissioners pressed the applicant and staff for clearer language in the written statement about maximum building counts and heights, utility responsibilities, and signage. Commissioner Puckaver and others said the draft text referenced the county code generically for a height standard and asked for a precise feet limit. Commissioners also expressed concern about an existing tall pole sign on the site and the potential for additional signage in the narrow legs of that structure.

Applicant Kelly Hartwig told the commission the design had been reduced in intensity since earlier versions: uses were tightened, outside storage clarified as limited retail display, and landscape and fencing details added. Hartwig said the entrance shift off County Road 209 reflected traffic improvements and county engineer recommendations. She said the applicant had added a six‑foot vinyl fence with masonry columns spaced roughly every 100 feet to address residential buffering and agreed the tall sign could be reworked to a monument sign if required.

Commissioner Puckaver moved a staff motion with two amendments: specify a maximum building height of 35 feet and require removal of the existing tall pole sign, replacing it with a monument sign. The motion was seconded and approved by voice vote.

The commission’s approval is a recommendation to the Clay County Board of County Commissioners, which will consider final action at an upcoming BCC meeting. The applicant and staff said the PCD language will be corrected to remove ambiguous references to the county code and to reflect the agreed 35‑foot height cap and signage requirement.