Stakeholder Meeting #3 Summary

A stakeholder meeting was held on November 16, 2022 with Citrus County staff, including Parks and Recreation, Land Development, Water and Sewer Utilities, Public Schools, and GIS. Discussion topics included appropriate uses, facilities, and infrastructure around the interchange and along the corridor.

County resources needed in the area include active recreational space, public transit and trail amenities, a staging area, and a multi-purpose shelter. The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) is planned to give excess lands around the Suncoast Parkway interchange that could be used for the County services. The County also lacks active recreation space, such as a football complex, that would require at least 40 acres.

Housing variety is needed within the area, as most housing is large lot, single-family residential. We are coordinating with the Housing Department to gain more specifics on appropriate locations, quantities, and housing types. Industrial uses may appropriate between the Suncoast alignment and the Duke Utility Easement, which serve as buffers to adjacent properties. The extension of County water and sewer systems are required to serve this area.

Water and sewer along the CR 486 corridor are sufficient to serve future development. Additional secondary roadway connections, including an extension of Maylen Avenue to CR 486 and Sanction Road to CR 491, would better serve growth in the area and help reduce traffic on CR 486 by providing alternative routes. The County water and sewer systems could also be extended with the roadways to serve additional areas between CR 486, CR 491, and SR 44. We are working with County Engineering (Roadways) Department to determine if there’s an opportunity for the roadway extensions. We are also working the Stormwater Management Department to determine opportunities for master-planned Stormwater Management Facilities (SMF) to allow more efficient utility of lands in strategic areas.

Alternative modes of transportation, including public transit and multi-use trails, are encouraged within the County. There is a need for additional amenities and infrastructure to support these modes, such as dog watering stations, benches, and shade structures. An enhanced crosswalk or overpass on CR 486 at the YMCA and future school would allow safe travel for pedestrians and bicyclists using the multi-use path on the south side of CR 486.

The IMA recommendations may include incentives to allow additional permitted uses, more density (units per acre), or more intensity (non-residential square feet) in exchange for providing affording units or enhanced landscaping, such as roadway and perimeter buffers. If incentives were recommended, it is imperative that the incentives are not at the expense of compatibility with adjacent properties and the area. County staff suggests the appropriate approach would be to create a new Future Land Use (FLU) category that a landowner could apply for versus an overlay district that would apply to all lands within a define boundary. The new FLU category would be implemented by a Planned Unit Development (PUD) zoning district.

Aesthetics should be a main focus of the IMA recommendations. County Land Development Code (LDC) currently requires substantial landscape buffers along the corridor for uses such as large-scale non-residential developments. These buffers enhance the viewshed for travelers along the corridor. Additional landscaping within the buffers could be required for incentivized development based on their use-type and location.

A stakeholder meeting was held on November 16, 2022 with Citrus County staff, including Parks and Recreation, Land Development, Water and Sewer Utilities, Public Schools, and GIS. Discussion topics included appropriate uses, facilities, and infrastructure around the interchange and along the corridor.

County resources needed in the area include active recreational space, public transit and trail amenities, a staging area, and a multi-purpose shelter. The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) is planned to give excess lands around the Suncoast Parkway interchange that could be used for the County services. The County also lacks active recreation space, such as a football complex, that would require at least 40 acres.

Housing variety is needed within the area, as most housing is large lot, single-family residential. We are coordinating with the Housing Department to gain more specifics on appropriate locations, quantities, and housing types. Industrial uses may appropriate between the Suncoast alignment and the Duke Utility Easement, which serve as buffers to adjacent properties. The extension of County water and sewer systems are required to serve this area.

Water and sewer along the CR 486 corridor are sufficient to serve future development. Additional secondary roadway connections, including an extension of Maylen Avenue to CR 486 and Sanction Road to CR 491, would better serve growth in the area and help reduce traffic on CR 486 by providing alternative routes. The County water and sewer systems could also be extended with the roadways to serve additional areas between CR 486, CR 491, and SR 44. We are working with County Engineering (Roadways) Department to determine if there’s an opportunity for the roadway extensions. We are also working the Stormwater Management Department to determine opportunities for master-planned Stormwater Management Facilities (SMF) to allow more efficient utility of lands in strategic areas.

Alternative modes of transportation, including public transit and multi-use trails, are encouraged within the County. There is a need for additional amenities and infrastructure to support these modes, such as dog watering stations, benches, and shade structures. An enhanced crosswalk or overpass on CR 486 at the YMCA and future school would allow safe travel for pedestrians and bicyclists using the multi-use path on the south side of CR 486.

The IMA recommendations may include incentives to allow additional permitted uses, more density (units per acre), or more intensity (non-residential square feet) in exchange for providing affording units or enhanced landscaping, such as roadway and perimeter buffers. If incentives were recommended, it is imperative that the incentives are not at the expense of compatibility with adjacent properties and the area. County staff suggests the appropriate approach would be to create a new Future Land Use (FLU) category that a landowner could apply for versus an overlay district that would apply to all lands within a define boundary. The new FLU category would be implemented by a Planned Unit Development (PUD) zoning district.

Aesthetics should be a main focus of the IMA recommendations. County Land Development Code (LDC) currently requires substantial landscape buffers along the corridor for uses such as large-scale non-residential developments. These buffers enhance the viewshed for travelers along the corridor. Additional landscaping within the buffers could be required for incentivized development based on their use-type and location.

Page last updated: 19 Dec 2022, 09:12 PM