City of Leesburg Planning Commission — February 20, 2025

Meeting Overview

Type: Regular Meeting Quorum: Yes (6 of 9 members present) Duration: ~50 minutes (4:35 PM - 5:25 PM)

Attendance

• Present: Ted Bowersox (presiding), John O'Kelley, Stewart Kaplan, Ze'Shieca Carter, Nathaniel Sanders, Ken Simeone
• Absent: Tim Sennett (Chairman), Frazier Marshall
• Staff Present: Dan Miller (Planning & Zoning Director), Dianne Yekel (Senior Planner), Max Van Allen (Planner), Melissa Medders (Planner), Jennifer Cotch (City Attorney)

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Agenda Items

Item 1 (Old Business): Venice at Lake Harris — Small Scale Comprehensive Plan Amendment

• Type: Comp Plan Amendment
• Case Number: SSCP-24-382
• Location: East of US Highway 27 and north of Magnolia Avenue
• Applicant: Venice at Lake Harris
• Request: Change future land use of 8.77 acres from Lake County Urban Low to City of Leesburg Low Density Residential.
• Acreage: 8.77
• Action: Postponed to March 20, 2025 (per applicant request)
• Notable Discussion: Third postponement (originally on December 19 agenda, postponed to February, now to March).

Item 2 (Old Business): Venice at Lake Harris — Small Planned Unit Development

• Type: PUD (Small)
• Case Number: SPUD-24-383
• Location: East of US Highway 27 and north of Magnolia Avenue
• Applicant: Venice at Lake Harris
• Request: Rezone 8.77 acres from Lake County C-1 and R-6 to City of Leesburg SPUD.
• Acreage: 8.77
• Action: Postponed to March 20, 2025 (per applicant request)

Item 3 (New Business): Old Mill Subdivision — Small Scale Comprehensive Plan Amendment

• Type: Comp Plan Amendment
• Case Number: SSCP-24-420
• Location: East of Radio Road and north of US Highway 441
• Applicant: Old Mill Subdivision (Attorney Logan Opsahl)
• Request: Change future land use of 37.48 acres from Lake County Urban Low Density to City of Leesburg Estate Residential.
• Current Zoning: Lake County Urban Low Density (FLU) / Lake County A (Agriculture) and R-6 (Urban Residential)
• Proposed Zoning: City of Leesburg Estate Residential (FLU)
• Acreage: 37.48
• Staff Recommendation: N/A (postponed before hearing)
• Action: Postponed to March 20, 2025 (per applicant request)
• Vote: 6-0
• Notable Discussion: Community meeting scheduled for March 5. Attorney Opsahl requested postponement to allow community engagement first.

Item 4 (New Business): Old Mill Subdivision — Planned Unit Development

• Type: PUD
• Case Number: PUD-24-421
• Location: East of Radio Road and north of US Highway 441
• Applicant: Old Mill Subdivision
• Request: Rezone 37.48 acres from Lake County Agriculture and R-6 to City of Leesburg PUD.
• Current Zoning: Lake County A (Agriculture) and R-6 (Urban Residential)
• Proposed Zoning: City of Leesburg PUD
• Acreage: 37.48
• Staff Recommendation: N/A (postponed before hearing)
• Action: Postponed to March 20, 2025 (per applicant request)
• Vote: 6-0

Item 5 (New Business): West Main Recreation CUP — Conditional Use Permit

• Type: CUP
• Case Number: CUP-25-441
• Location: South of West Main Street, west of Richey Road
• Applicant: West Main Recreation (related to existing bowling center)
• Request: Conditional Use Permit for development of recreational space and educational programming in C-3 (Highway Commercial) zoning on 3.20 acres.
• Current Zoning: C-3 (Highway Commercial)
• Acreage: 3.20
• Staff Recommendation: Approve
• Action: Approved
• Vote: 6-0
• Conditions: Gate eliminated (unless needed) and 5-foot landscape buffer added between properties (to address neighboring bowling center's parking concerns)
• Notable Discussion: Indoor recreation and meeting center. Lawrence Ross, Senior VP of Operations for AMC (bowling center), expressed concern about shared parking lot — people going to events would stream through his lot, endangering senior citizen customers. Commissioner Carter suggested speed table as good-neighbor solution. Staff noted code requires 5-foot landscape buffer between properties. Main entrance off Richey Road. No other public opposition. Lake County Public Works noted future Complete Streets project on West Main/Richey Roads — turn lanes may be needed at site plan review stage.

Item 6 (New Business): Two Boats Investments LLC — Small Scale Comprehensive Plan Amendment

• Type: Comp Plan Amendment
• Case Number: SSCP-25-426
• Location: East of US Highway 27, south of Howard Road
• Applicant: Doug Wade (Two Boats Investments LLC)
• Request: Change future land use of 1.22 acres from Lake County Urban Low to City of Leesburg General Commercial for surveying business office and warehouse.
• Current Zoning: Lake County Urban Low (FLU) / Lake County C-1 (Neighborhood Commercial)
• Proposed Zoning: City of Leesburg General Commercial (FLU)
• Acreage: 1.22
• Staff Recommendation: Approve
• Action: Approved
• Vote: 6-0
• Notable Discussion: Small annexation — surveying business relocating from Lady Lake. 3,000 sq ft warehouse to store work trucks plus remodel of existing office building. Existing tenants on month-to-month leases will vacate. No public opposition. Near US-27 commercial corridor — compatible with surroundings.

Item 7 (New Business): Two Boats Investments LLC — Rezoning

• Type: Rezoning
• Case Number: RZ-25-427
• Location: East of US Highway 27, south of Howard Road
• Applicant: Doug Wade (Two Boats Investments LLC)
• Request: Rezone 1.22 acres from Lake County C-1 (Neighborhood Commercial) to City of Leesburg C-3 (Highway Commercial).
• Current Zoning: Lake County C-1 (Neighborhood Commercial)
• Proposed Zoning: City of Leesburg C-3 (Highway Commercial)
• Acreage: 1.22
• Staff Recommendation: Approve
• Action: Approved
• Vote: 6-0
• Notable Discussion: Companion case to SSCP-25-426. Straight rezoning — C-3 compatible with adjacent commercial corridor along US-27.

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Public Hearings Summary

• Number of speakers: 2 (Lawrence Ross from bowling center on West Main Recreation; Doug Wade on Two Boats)
• General sentiment: Minimal opposition; parking concern on recreation center resolved with conditions
• Key concerns:
  • Shared parking lot and customer safety at bowling center adjacent to new recreation facility
  • Future Complete Streets project impacts on West Main/Richey Roads

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Key Signals

• Light agenda signals development pipeline shift: Only two substantive cases were actually heard (West Main Recreation CUP and Two Boats Investments) — everything else was postponed. Four cases postponed in a single meeting indicates either applicant hesitation or strategic timing to align with community engagement.
• Old Mill Subdivision (37.48 acres on US-441) entering pipeline: A significant residential development on the 441 corridor near Radio Road is scheduling community meetings before the Planning Commission hearing — a lesson learned from the Brighurst and Cronin-Dewey Robbins denials. Applicants are now front-loading community engagement.
• Venice at Lake Harris on third postponement: Originally December 2024, now pushed to March 2025. Extended delays may signal applicant rethinking project scope or waiting for more favorable conditions.
• Chairman Sennett absent — Bowersox presides: With Sennett and Marshall both absent, the presiding officer was Bowersox (most senior present). The board continues to function smoothly with rotating leadership, though the Chairman/Vice-Chairman election still has not occurred.
• Complete Streets project on West Main as infrastructure signal: Lake County Public Works flagging the Complete Streets widening and landscaping project on West Main/Richey Roads shows infrastructure investment moving alongside development. Turn lane requirements being deferred to site plan review.

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Raw Notes

• January 23 minutes approved 6-0.
• 2045 Comprehensive Plan copies handed out to commissioners as discussion item.
• Next scheduled meeting: March 20, 2025.
• Chairman/Vice-Chairman election still pending (was supposed to happen in February or March).
• No Darin Akkerman listed in attendance (neither present nor absent in minutes) — likely oversight; only 6 members voting indicates his absence.