City of Minneola Planning & Zoning Commission — May 5, 2025

Meeting Overview

Type: Regular Meeting Quorum: Yes (4 of 5 members present) Duration: ~121 minutes (6:30 PM – 8:31 PM)

Attendance

• Present: Chairman Oscar Trujillo, Commissioner Nathan Focht, Commissioner Joanna O'Halloran, Commissioner Denise Calderon
• Absent: Commissioner William McCoy
• Staff Present: Jennifer Cotch (City Attorney), Joyce Heffington (CRA Administrator/Acting City Planner)
• Also Present: Councilor Debbie Flinn, Eric Raasch (Inspire Placemaking Collective, Contract Planner), Mark Johnson (City Manager)

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Agenda Items

Swearing In of Members and Election of Officers

• Type: Other
• Action: Officers elected
• Vote: 4-0 (both elections)
• Notable Discussion: City Attorney Cotch administered the swearing-in. Commissioner Focht nominated Commissioner Trujillo as Chair (seconded by Calderon, approved 4-0). Commissioner Trujillo nominated Commissioner Focht as Co-Chair (seconded by Calderon, approved 4-0).

Item 1: Approval of March 3, 2025 Meeting Minutes

• Type: Other
• Action: Approved
• Vote: 4-0
• Notable Discussion: No changes requested. (Note: minutes text references "March 3, 2024" but contextually this is the March 3, 2025 minutes.)

Item 2: Resolution 2025-08 Conditional Use Permit (Church in B-1 Zone)

• Type: Conditional Use Permit
• Case Number: Resolution 2025-08
• Location: B-1 zoned commercial property in Minneola
• Applicant: Robert Larsen (property owner); Pastor Ramiro Colon (tenant — church operator)
• Request: Temporary conditional use permit to allow a church (House of Worship) to operate in a B-1 commercial zone while the city updates B-1 use code to allow Houses of Worship as special exceptions
• Current Zoning: B-1 (General Commercial)
• Staff Recommendation: Approve with conditions
• Action: Approved
• Vote: 4-0
• Conditions: Applicants must reapply when the special exception code update is approved; must be completed before BTR renewal in September
• Notable Discussion: Joyce Heffington explained the B-1 code is being updated to allow Houses of Worship as special exceptions since the city has limited property zoned for this use. This is a bridge permit while the code update is processed. Commissioner Focht asked about long-term viability — property owner Larsen confirmed he wants long-term tenancy. Pastor Colon stated he wants a small community church, not a mega church. Focht reminded him that surrounding businesses serve alcohol and were established first. Kevin Carey raised a Google Maps address discrepancy — Commissioner Calderon confirmed it was a Google error, not a real issue. Carey also questioned whether Section 2 parts A and B of the resolution contradict each other; Cotch and Heffington acknowledged the issue and will correct it.

Item 3: Resolution 2025-07 Variances (Pointe Grande Phase 2 Townhomes — Live Local Act)

• Type: Variance
• Case Number: Resolution 2025-07
• Location: Pointe Grande development area (adjacent to Sullivan Rd)
• Applicant: Represented by Tara Tedrow (Lowndes Law); Kevin White (project engineer); developer Onx
• Request: Four variances for income-based townhome phase under the Live Local Act: (1) allow 6 and 8 units per building (code allows 4); (2) allow flat roofs (code prohibits); (3) allow 10-foot front yard setback (code requires 25 feet); (4) allow dead-end alley to serve rear-loaded units (code prohibits)
• Current Zoning: [within approved Live Local Act development]
• Proposed Development: 178 townhomes (reduced from originally approved 768 apartment units, three stories)
• Staff Recommendation: Approve — no objections to any of the four variances
• Action: Approved
• Vote: 3-1 (O'Halloran opposed)
• Conditions: Several items to be confirmed before Council: rooftop patio percentages, window materials, confirmation that rooftop patio design is interchangeable
• Notable Discussion: Tara Tedrow emphasized the project was originally approved for 768 apartments at three stories — the 178 townhomes represent a significant density reduction driven by public feedback. The developer Onx uses modular construction (units assembled in ~30 days). Commissioner Calderon challenged the hardship justification, noting the developers knew city code when planning. Tedrow cited the topography and water flow as site constraints. Commissioner Focht asked what happens without the 10-foot setback — White said the developer would need to walk away. Trujillo pushed for larger driveways to accommodate bigger vehicles and raised concerns about guest parking sufficiency (~80 spaces for 178 units). He also wanted HOA rules to prohibit short-term rentals (minimum 12-month leases). Commissioner Focht confirmed Sullivan Rd access is emergency-only with a gate to prevent cut-through traffic. Carey Simon (Victoria Dr, Clermont) expressed concern about Sullivan Rd becoming a cut-through. David Yeager supported the project as better than the original 768-unit apartment proposal. Kevin Carey raised drainage concerns and suggested rotating rooftops to face away from Sullivan Rd. Commissioner O'Halloran was the lone dissent, voting against the variances.

Item 4: Ordinance 2025-09 Vacation Rentals

• Type: Ordinance
• Request: New ordinance to regulate vacation rentals (Airbnb, VRBO, etc.) through licensing, inspection, and enforcement mechanisms. Provides city enforcement authority for parking, noise, and other nuisance complaints; allows denial of rental license after repeated violations
• Staff Recommendation: Approve
• Action: Approved with recommended revisions
• Vote: 4-0
• Conditions: Board recommended revisions before Council: (1) consider ADUs, room rentals, and campers; (2) review solid waste rules to ensure fairness to all citizens; (3) reconsider the 12-month calendar year for violation tracking (align with BTR October–September schedule)
• Notable Discussion: This item delivered on the AirBNB concerns raised by the Szkwarkos at the March meeting. Commissioner Trujillo acknowledged the short-term rental trend. City Attorney Cotch noted Florida state statute prevents cities from regulating duration or frequency of stays. Commissioner Focht raised multiple practical questions: how the ordinance handles campers, ADUs, and single-room rentals; whether fees are designed to discourage rentals; whether existing solid waste rules overlap. Focht noted Minneola has approximately 20 VRBO/Airbnb properties and expressed he does not want to see them go away — penalties should be attention-getting, not prohibitive. Karina Suarez (Fox Trail Ave) said she rents one room via Airbnb with no issues. Carlos Boez (Palm Forest Ln) operates 3 Airbnbs in Minneola and lives next door to all — no issues in four years. He noted Airbnb recently banned one-day rentals to prevent party houses. Commissioner Focht flagged the two-person-per-bedroom limit as needing reconsideration. Rental licenses run October to September, so violation tracking needs alignment.

Item 5: Conceptual Site Plan — Public Safety Facility (Fire Station)

• Type: Site Plan
• Location: North Hancock Road
• Applicant: City of Minneola
• Request: Conceptual site plan review for new fire station
• Staff Recommendation: Informational/conceptual review
• Action: Reviewed (conceptual — no formal vote required)
• Notable Discussion: Eric Raasch presented the conceptual site plan. Commissioner Trujillo asked about training facility potential given vacant property in front. Commissioner Focht asked about the traffic light at the intersection — Raasch would need to check. City Manager Mark Johnson confirmed the traffic signal request has been submitted to Lake County. No public comments.

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Public Hearings Summary

• Number of speakers: 4 (Kevin Carey on CUP and variances; Carey Simons on Pointe Grande; David Yeager on Pointe Grande; Karina Suarez and Carlos Boez on vacation rentals)
• General sentiment: Mixed — support for development with specific concerns about density, traffic, and enforcement
• Key concerns:
  • Sullivan Rd cut-through traffic from Pointe Grande development
  • Parking adequacy for 178-unit townhome community (~80 guest spaces)
  • Rooftop orientation facing existing residential on Sullivan Rd
  • Vacation rental regulation balancing enforcement with not discouraging responsible operators
  • Short-term rental duration preempted by state statute — limits local control
  • Fire station traffic signal coordination with Lake County

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Key Signals

• Live Local Act reshaping Minneola's housing landscape: Pointe Grande Phase 2 (178 townhomes, income-based, Onx modular construction) joins Phase 1 as the second major Live Local Act project advancing in Minneola. The reduction from 768 apartments to 178 townhomes shows community pressure successfully moderating density, but the 3-1 vote with O'Halloran's dissent signals the board is not fully unified on the variances needed to make workforce housing pencil out.

• Vacation rental ordinance reflects statewide regulatory tension: Florida's preemption of local control over rental duration and frequency forces Minneola into a licensing-and-enforcement approach rather than outright regulation. With approximately 20 active short-term rentals and the board explicitly wanting to preserve them while managing nuisance impacts, Minneola is threading the needle that every Florida municipality faces.

• Commission leadership stabilized: Trujillo elected Chair, Focht elected Co-Chair. This formalizes the dynamic that has been operating informally — Trujillo running meetings, Focht as the most active questioner and policy analyst. Expect continuity in the board's approach to development review.

• Church in commercial zone highlights Minneola's limited institutional land: The temporary CUP for a church in a B-1 zone, necessitated by the city having insufficient land zoned for Houses of Worship, reveals a land use planning gap. The code update to allow Houses of Worship as special exceptions in commercial zones is a pragmatic fix but also signals the broader challenge of a rapidly growing city without enough non-residential land use diversity.

• New fire station on North Hancock Road signals infrastructure investment: The conceptual site plan for a new public safety facility, combined with the traffic signal request to Lake County, indicates Minneola is investing in core public safety infrastructure to match residential growth. The fire station location on North Hancock Road serves the expanding northern development corridor.

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Raw Notes

First meeting with newly sworn-in commissioners and elected officers. Chairman Trujillo presided. Commissioner McCoy absent (not excused by motion in the minutes). Councilor Debbie Flinn had no Council business to report. City Manager Mark Johnson attended for the fire station item specifically. Meeting adjourned at 8:31 PM — the longest of the three early-2025 meetings, driven by the Pointe Grande variance and vacation rental ordinance discussions.