Venice, FL. Wal-Mart Plan Appealed…Again

Wal-Mart site plan appealed [Venice Gondolier (Fla.)]

Another Venice Planning Commission decision is being appealed.

Attorneys for Renaissance Retail Center developers filed an appeal last week of the Venice Planning Commission’s denial of a Wal-Mart site plan.

The site plan was considered on Nov. 6, after the applicant submitted a revised plan with new architectural renderings.

Commissioners felt the site plan didn’t go far enough in addressing their concerns about the lack of green space, too many parking spaces, lack of pedestrian interconnectivity, architectural style and other issues.

In his letter notifying the city of the appeal, Mark Barnebey of Kirk Pinkerton in Sarasota said the applicant requested a continuance of the hearing in order to gather more comments from the planning commission to revise the project.

The request was denied.

Overstepping

Barnebey will argue the proposed retail center is a permitted use in the commercial-general zoning district, a designation allowed under the property’s land-use designation, and that the commission overstepped its authority by denying the site plan.

“The project is not planned development, there are no special exceptions being requested and there are no variances being requested,” Barnebey wrote.

“The only inquiry is whether the project meets the requirements of the city’s land development code.

“This project does meet all of the city’s requirements,” Barnebey wrote.

The planning commission already OK’d phase 1A of the four-phase project, which calls for a four-story hotel and retail space on the western 15 acres along Knights Trail Road.

The original plan was to build 20 acres of mixed-use commercial retail and office space, including a movie theater complex and restaurants, next to 50 acres with homes and condos with up to 731 units, creating a village.

A depressed housing market led to a major change in the original concept plan approved by the planning commission. Instead of building more than 700 residential units, the developer submitted a site plan depicting only 200 units and eliminating a large central park to make way for a retail center anchored by Wal-Mart.

More appealing

City council will hear an appeal on a different topic on Dec. 11.

That’s when Jacksonville businessman Stephen Milo and his representatives will make their case before city council in favor of allowing short-term rentals in residential neighborhoods.

City staff and others filed the appeal when the planning commission overturned an administrative order filed by Planning and Zoning Director Tom Slaughter denying short term rentals in residential neighborhoods.