Planning and Zoning Board

Agenda

AGENDA

Planning and Zoning Board

PUBLIC HEARING/REGULAR MEETING

November 5, 2026, at 6:00 PM

COMMISSION CHAMBERS, 412 WEST ORANGE STREET, ROOM 102, WAUCHULA, FL 33873

BOARD MEMBERS STAFF

____________________________________________________________________________________________

Chairman Cody Gullatt Todd Miller, Community Development Director

Vice-Chairman Lesley S. Bateman Jorden Eisenstein, Planner II

Roger Conley

Michael Burch

Daniel Cisneros

Nicholas Woods

Glenn Bergens

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

1.

CALL TO ORDER

2.

PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE, FOLLOWED BY THE INVOCATION

3.

APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA

-Motion to approve the agenda as presented

4.

NOTICE OF PUBLICATION

5.

MINUTES FOR APPROVAL

A.

P/Z Board Regular Meeting/Public Hearing Minutes for October 1, 2026.

-Motion to approve minutes as presented.

6.

NOTICE OF BOARD EX-PARTE COMMUNICATION

7.

PLANNING AND ZONING BOARD GENERAL RULES OF PROCEDURE

8.

APPOINTMENTS

A.

Agenda No. 27-01 - Jorden Eisenstein, Planner II: Lou E. Belvins, as property owner, is requesting approval of a variance to reduce the Side setbacks from 7' to 5' and Rear setback from 20' to 15' to accommodate a replacment single-family residence, located in the R-3 (Multi-family Residential) zoning district and Town Center Future Land Use category.

RECOMMENDED ACTION: Staff recommend the P/Z Board to recommend APPROVAL to the BOCC.

9.

AGENDA Planning and Zoning Board PUBLIC HEARING/REGULAR MEETING November 5, 2026, at 6:00 PM COMMISSION CHAMBERS, 412 WEST ORANGE STREET, ROOM 102, WAUCHULA, FL 33873 1

1. CALL TO ORDER 2. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE, FOLLOWED BY THE INVOCATION 3. APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA 4. NOTICE OF PUBLICATION 5. MINUTES FOR APPROVAL A. P/Z Board Regular Meeting/Public Hearing Minutes for October 1, 2026. 6. NOTICE OF BOARD EX-PARTE COMMUNICATION 7. PLANNING AND ZONING BOARD GENERAL RULES OF PROCEDURE 8. APPOINTMENTS A. Agenda No. 27-01 - Jorden Eisenstein, Planner II: Lou E. Belvins, as property owner, is requesting approval of a variance to reduce the Side setbacks from 7’ to 5’ and Rear setback from 20’ to 15’ to accommodate a replacment single-family residence, located in the R-3 (Multi-family Residential) zoning district and Town Center Future Land Use category. 9. ADJOURNMENT BOARD MEMBERS STAFF ____________________________________________________________________________________________ Chairman Cody Gullatt Todd Miller, Community Development Director Vice-Chairman Lesley S. Bateman Jorden Eisenstein, Planner II Roger Conley Michael Burch Daniel Cisneros Nicholas Woods Glenn Bergens _______________________________________________________________________________________________ -Motion to approve the agenda as presented -Motion to approve minutes as presented. RECOMMENDED ACTION: Staff recommend the P/Z Board to recommend APPROVAL to the BOCC. 2

Item Cover Page DATE: November 5, 2026 SUBMITTED BY: Jorden Eisenstein, Community Development Department ITEM TYPE: Minutes for Approval AGENDA SECTION: MINUTES FOR APPROVAL SUBJECT: P/Z Board Regular Meeting/Public Hearing Minutes for October 1, 2026. SUGGESTED ACTION: -Motion to approve minutes as presented. AGENDA ITEM NO. 5.A PLANNING AND ZONING BOARD AGENDA ITEM REPORT ATTACHMENTS: 10.01.2026 P&Z Minutes.docx 3

MINUTES Hardee County Planning and Zoning Board REGULAR MEETING/PUBLIC HEARING October 1, 2026, at 6:00 PM COMMISSION CHAMBERS 412 W. ORANGE STREET, ROOM 102, WAUCHULA, FL 33873 4

Hardee County Planning and Zoning Board September 3, 2026 Page 2 of 9 1. CALL TO ORDER Attendee Name Title Status Cody Gullatt Chairman Present Roger Conley Board Member Present Daniel Cisneros Board Member Absent Micheal Burch Board Member Present Lesley Bateman Vice-Chair Present Glenn Bergens Board Member Absent Nick Woods Board Member Present Jorden Eisenstein Planner 1 Present Todd Miller Community Development Director Present 1. Chairman Gullatt called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m. 2. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE, FOLLOWED BY THE INVOCATION 3. APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA -Motion to approve agenda by Burch, second by Conley -Motion carries 5/0 4. NOTICE OF PUBLICATION Jorden Eisenstein announced: The meeting was advertised in The Herald Advocate on September 17, 2026, and courtesy notices were mailed out to property owners within 300ft of the subject parcel. 5. MINUTES FOR APPROVAL A. P/Z Regular Meeting/Public Hearing Minutes for September 3, 2026. - Motion to approve minutes as presented by Conley, second by Bateman - Motion carries 5/0 6. NOTICE OF BOARD EX-PARTE COMMUNICATION - Chairman Gullatt received a call from Sergio Jimenez who asked if there were any questions or concerns on the Bostick Road item. 7. PLANNING AND ZONING BOARD GENERAL RULES OF PROCEDURE 8. APPOINTMENTS A. Agenda No. 26-59 as Ordinance No. 2027-01 – Todd Miller, Community Development Director: - The Hardee County Industrial Development Authority, as property owner(s), is requesting to amend the Future Land Use Map of the Hardee County Comprehensive Plan to change the future land use designation of approximately 53.0 +/- acres from Agriculture (AGR) to Residential Mixed Use (RMX). 5

Hardee County Planning and Zoning Board September 3, 2026 Page 3 of 9 B. Agenda No. 26-58 as Ordinance No. 2027-02- Todd Miller, Community Development Division Director: The Hardee County Industrial Development Authority, as property owner(s), is requesting to rezone approximately 82.89 +/- acres from Farm Residential (F-R) to Planned Unit Development (PUD) with a Master Plan consisting of a 111 single-family residential lots together with internal roadways, stormwater management systems and recreational tracts in the Agriculture and Residential Mixed Use Future Land Use category. Todd Miller, Community Development Director, enters the Staff Report for Agenda No. 26-59 and Agenda No. 26-58 into the record. Chairman Gullatt called for questions from board members: - Vice Chair Bateman: When was the Torrey Oaks overlay established?  Todd Miller: I believe that was 2024, the year after we adopted the update to the Unified Land Development Code - Vice Chair Bateman: For the record, what was the purpose of that?  Todd Miller: With the recognition that we were bringing utilities into that area and that we were seeing more development in the area we wanted to make sure we had some control over how development would move forward. That was the purpose of the overlay establishment. Austin Evans, LM Properties and Chad Brooker, Traditions Engineering, enter presentation into the record. Chairman Gullatt called for questions from board members: - Chairman Gullatt: Where is the boat and RV storage located?  Austin Evans: That will be down on the Northwest corner. There’s a small pond and there’s a large lot next to it. We’re going to fence in an area, and it will be something where the residents can park a boat, RV, trailer in a designated area without parking it on the street, in driveways, and front yards. It will help with the community’s appearance but also give people an option to park that stuff on site without having to go find a storage center.  Chad Brooker: More specifically, it’s in the back of the property not up against the public roadway so it’s not an eyesore. That was the thought with that location. - Chairman Gullatt: Will it be county or developer responsibility for Hanusch Road to be paved up to the entrance?  Chad Brooker: It’s the developer’s cost and responsibility. Hanusch Road is partially paved. It’s not in good condition but part of what is going to be required is a further evaluation of if it needs to be milled and repaved fully. - Board Member Conley: Who makes the decision about paving Hanusch Road?  Chad Brooker: Your county engineer. Typically, that stuff doesn’t come into play until we submit detailed construction plans. Right now, we are in the zoning stage but that’s the next step. - Board Member Conley: What is the width of Bostick Road? 18 feet? 9 feet on each side of the stripe? 6

Hardee County Planning and Zoning Board September 3, 2026 Page 4 of 9  Chad Brooker: It varies - Board Member Conley: Is there a definite plan for taking care of the highways to accommodate the extra cars per day?  Chad Brooker: Hanusch improvements have been worked out. We have had several meetings with the county staff and there will be some level of improvement to Hanusch. It will not remain as is. The traffic study that’s been reviewed by the county engineer has shown that the level of service in the proposed and existing condition is satisfactory and that no additional turns lanes or things like that are required. - Board Member Burch: How are Bostick Road and Hanusch Road being approved as satisfactory in existing conditions? Those of us who have driven Bostick Road know that it is very narrow in some places so I’m puzzled as to how they can say that it is fine for building 111 homes.  Chad Brooker: The traffic engineer evaluates the different conditions. Both the existing condition and the proposed condition. They take physical counts of background traffic. They will go out with a count strip, or they will have someone sitting out there during peak hours with a clicker. They count the trips over about a 2-week period to come up with what the existing traffic is. It’s then placed into an analysis model, and it shows the existing condition. Then they place a level of service on that. There are different levels of service for roadways ranging from A through F. I believe we are operating at a B in both the existing and proposed condition. Then they add in the proposed trips from the development and the existing trips and have that operate in the model to show everything changes, what changes to the point that it’s unsatisfactory where something needs to be added. All of that is within a mile radius of the property. We’re not specifically talking about the three roadways. It goes through all the different intersections that are in that radius which are a lot. I think it fell just short of Highway 17, which is why they asked us to add that later. They add peak hour trips, average daily trips and passerby trips which are analyzed to come up with their conclusion. Their conclusion was that in the existing and proposed condition we’re still operating at a level of service that is satisfactory to the county and FDOT and does not warrant additional improvements.  Todd Miller: If I could add a point of clarification, the traffic impact analysis that Mr. Brooker is talking about is primarily focused on the number of trips generated. I think some of what you’re asking about is road conditions and I believe that has also been discussed with the county engineer. That is something that will be evaluated as we move further. Right now, we have to get beyond a comprehensive plan and rezoning to get to that stage. The traffic analysis looks at number of lanes, are there turn lanes, is there a need for turn lanes, is it too much traffic for the road. Keep in mind while it may be 200 or more trips per day, it’s not all coming at the same time. There are peak hours and there is traffic throughout the day so what the analysis showed by the engineer was that it would still operate at an acceptable level of service with the proposed development. You would not need to add turn lanes, additional lanes or any type of roadway improvements to expand capacity for the development. - Board Member Burch: Are the existing sewer lines capable of handling that many homes?  Chad Brooker: It is. We coordinated capacity with the county and there is ample capacity. - Board Member Burch: Who are the builders for the homes and are they local companies? 7

Hardee County Planning and Zoning Board September 3, 2026 Page 5 of 9  Austin Evan: There are two builders. Southern Homes, which is our sister company that’s based in Lakeland. They currently build in Polk, Highlands, and have built a few houses in Hardee. Also, Rhino Homes that is owned by Sergio Jimenez. They are based in Wauchula. - Board Member Burch: Is this something that you could open up to local builders? With 111 homes it would be nice to help our contractors in Hardee County. I’m wondering why there is only one builder that is local?  Austin Evans: It’s difficult sometimes when we create communities like this. We like to have some level of control in the HOA and architecture and stuff like that to kind of have a synergy. We met with several builders. Sergio is the one that we have worked with before. We have purchased lots from him and built next to him in other locations. He is also a subcontractor who does roofing among other things. We felt like he was the perfect partner to build with based on his quality but also his connections with his subcontractors and other outside subcontractors. Since we are spending a lot of money to put this community in we would like to keep it with the two builders. - Vice Chair Bateman: Does this fit the need for housing that is not low-income housing? How many years do you feel like it will take to fill the demand for 111 homes?  Austin Evans: It does fit the housing shortage need that is not affordable or subsidized housing. It’s affordable in the sense that the starting prices on the smaller home lots will be entry level price point in the mid $200s up to the upper $400s for the higher end. The market is a little slower now than we would like but our goal is 20-25 homes a year. We’re hoping to have all the homes built in 5-6 years. - Chairman Gullatt: Are there different phases?  Austin Evans: Yes, we plan to build it in three phases. The idea is to build homes as the demand is there. - Chairman Gullatt: Is there going to be a pool or community center?  Austin Evans: No pool. The idea for the central green area that would be accessible would be a community pavilion with a playground and some green space. Some things we have done before are concrete permanent cornhole boards, benches, and things like that. Kind of a community gathering spot with a walking trail around the pond. - Board Member Conley: Can you give us a timeline on phases?  Austin Evans: The first phase is 45 lots so hopefully two years market dependent. It could be longer. I would say two to three years for the first phase. The next two phases are about 33 lots each so each of those would be one to two years. Chairman Gullatt called for Public Comments:  Dan Duke - Opposed  Abby Duke - Opposed  Kelly Leonov - Opposed  Greg Leonov - Opposed  Tami Rhodes - Opposed  Robert Taylor - Opposed  Travis Maldonado – In support of 8

Hardee County Planning and Zoning Board September 3, 2026 Page 6 of 9 - Board Member Conley: How many phases in the application process must be gone through before it’s final?  Todd Miller: Right now, we are looking at the comprehensive plan amendment and the rezoning. Your recommendations for these applications will carry forward to the BOCC. If they approve the rezoning and the comprehensive plan amendment, then the applicant would be eligible to apply for the Site Development Plan. That would be the first step in the process of planning. There’s the Site Development Plan, the Site Construction Plan and then finally would be the Final Plat which would divide out the individual lots. The primary thing for you all would be if the board approves these two applications, the Site Development Plan would come back to this board for review and approval. - Board Member Conley: Is anyone from the IDA here that could give us their viewpoint on this?  Sarah Evers: I live on Bostick Road in the Torrey Oaks community. There seems to be quite a bit of discussion regarding the status of both Hanusch and Bostick Road. As someone who lives in that community, I appreciate the conversation that was had tonight regarding the need for improvements to the area. I think Mr. Miller made a great point earlier in the conversation that where we are tonight is a starting point. I think from the IDA standpoint and representing the developer in this and the property owner we have the opportunity to sit down with the county and have some of these discussions on how we best move forward with developments. Not just on Bostick and Hanusch but in that entire area. What does that look like as this growth overlay has been placed in this area? What does that mean for the future of this community. That obviously means addressing road improvements in the future. I like to talk about proportionate share. Proportionate share is something that we need to look very seriously at having conversations with the county about. When we’re talking about one developer coming in and putting in a development in an area, having one developer share the burden and responsibility for those road improvements is probably not best practice for the county. If I were them sitting across the table with developers coming in, we can collectively sit down and figure out how we best address this one development in the Bostick Road area but lay the groundwork for future developments in our county and how we share that cost and burden with the developers that are coming in. - Chairman Gullatt: I understand that the IDA owns the property and that Southern Homes and Rhino Construction are going to build the homes. Can you give us an idea of how that process will work?  Sarah Evers: We issued an RFQ to seek out a developer to take this project from horizontal to vertical construction. The IDA issued that RFQ seeking out a developer that could take on the entirety of this project. We had two responses to the RFQ and in response to a question earlier from Mr. Burch who asked about additional home builders coming in everyone had an opportunity to respond to the RFQ. Southern Homes was one of the respondents and that was ultimately who the IDA chose to move forward with. After we decided to move forward with Southern Home and LM Properties for the development, we entered into a developer’s agreement. In that developer’s agreement will be the purchase option for the property. We are doing an incentive with the developer where they are going to be purchasing the property from us. Once they complete the milestones in that project then we will reimburse them the purchase price of that property. We have a very detailed developer’s agreement that includes deed restrictions and HOAs. Chairman Gullatt called for a motion regarding the Hardee County Industrial Development Authority, as property owner(s), is requesting to amend the Future Land Use Map of the Hardee County Comprehensive Plan to change the future land use designation of approximately 53.0 +/- acres from Agriculture (AGR) to Residential Mixed Use (RMX). 9

Hardee County Planning and Zoning Board September 3, 2026 Page 7 of 9 Motion to recommend approval by Vice Chair Bateman and second by Board Member Woods for Agenda No. 26-59 as Ordinance 2027-01, from The Hardee County Industrial Development Authority, to amend the Future Land Use Map of the Hardee County Comprehensive Plan to change the future land use designation of approximately 53.0 +/- acres from Agriculture (AGR) to Residential Mixed Use (RMX). Motion carries 3/2 Chairman Gullatt called for a motion regarding the Hardee County Industrial Development Authority, as property owner(s), is requesting to rezone approximately 82.89 +/- acres from Farm Residential (F-R) to Planned Unit Development (PUD) with a Master Plan consisting of a 111 single-family residential lots together with internal roadways, stormwater management systems and recreational tracts in the Agriculture and Residential Mixed Use Future Land Use category. Motion to recommend approval by Vice Chair Bateman and second by Board Member Woods for Agenda No. 26-58 as Ordinance 2027-02, from The Hardee County Industrial Development Authority, to rezone approximately 82.89 +/- acres from Farm Residential (F-R) to Planned Unit Development (PUD) with the Master Site Plan consisting of a 111 single-family lot subdivision together with internal roadways, stormwater management systems and recreational, with staff’s recommended conditions. Motion carries 3/2 Chairman Gullatt called for a motion regarding a letter to be sent to the BOCC for discussion items on Agenda No. 26-59 and Agenda No. 26-58. Motion to draft a recommended letter to the BOCC with the following discussion items: roadway conditions, stormwater retention, old oak tree, wildlife preservation, and the canal made by Board Member Woods and second by Board Member Conley. Motion carries 5/0 C. Agenda No. 26-66 as Ordinance No. 2027-03 – Jorden Eisenstein, Planner I: Mosaic Fertilizer LLC, as property owner(s), is requesting to remove approximately 1,499 +/- acres from the Phosphate Mining Overlay, known as Map #2, of the Hardee County Comprehensive Future Land Use Map Series. Jorden Eisenstein, Planner I, enters the Staff Report into the record. Chairman Gullatt called for questions from board members: - Board Member Burch: In looking at the map, we’re getting rid of the section that is in red and there is more off to the East by the Peace River. Why is the little section being left on the East side?  Russell Schweiss, Mosaic: The parcels in red are parcels that we own. The area to the East of that red by the Peace River we do not own. We can’t put in an application to remove that. Chairman Gullatt called for Public Comments: - none 10

Hardee County Planning and Zoning Board September 3, 2026 Page 8 of 9 Chairman Gullatt called for a motion regarding Mosaic Fertilizer LLC, as property owner(s), is requesting to remove approximately 1,499 +/- acres from the Phosphate Mining Overlay, known as Map #2, of the Hardee County Comprehensive Future Land Use Map Series. Motion to recommend approval by Board Member Burch and second by Board Member Conley for Agenda No. 26-66 as Ordinance No. 2027-03, to remove approximately 1,499 +/- acres from the Phosphate Mining Overlay, known as Map #2, of the Hardee County Comprehensive Future Land Use Map Series. Motion carries 5/0 D. Agenda No. 26-70 – Jorden Eisenstein, Planner I: Jose Avalos, as property owner, is requesting approval of a variance to reduce the Front setback from 30’ to 16’ to accommodate a single-family residence, located in the R-2 (Residential) zoning district and Highway Mixed Use Future Land Use category. Jorden Eisenstein, Planner I, enters the Staff Report into the record. Chairman Gullatt called for questions from board members: - Board Member Conley: Was that a vacant lot that they started building on not realizing the setbacks?  Todd Miller: The previous survey went to the property lines but with the right of way being well beyond the property lines there is an unusual circumstance that makes a hardship for the applicant to be able to meet the required setback and still get a respectable home on there with sufficient backyard, well, and septic. I can’t recall whether this property has Bowling Green utilities or not. Regardless, it is a tight fit and with the unusual circumstances we are recommending approval. - Vice Chair Burch: Did they discover this after the building permit and site development were given?  Todd Miller: Yes, initial construction started but it wasn’t until we recognized as the foundation went in that this was significantly closer and something was off. That’s when we researched and noticed this unusual circumstance. - Chairman Gullatt: Do you foresee any issues going forward if they go to utilize their 60’ right-of-way and it’s 3’ off the porch?  Todd Miller: It’s outside of the 60’ right-of-way. The house would be a little closer to the 60’ if it got expanded to that but I feel confident that we aren’t going to see Chester go to a full 60’. That would be an unusual circumstance itself. Chairman Gullatt called for Public Comments: - none 11

Hardee County Planning and Zoning Board September 3, 2026 Page 9 of 9 Chairman Gullatt called for a motion regarding Jose Avalos, as property owner, is requesting approval of a variance to reduce the Front setback from 30' to 16' to accommodate a single-family residence, located in the R-2 (Residential) zoning district and Highway Mixed Use Future Land Use category. Motion to approve by Board Member Woods and second by Board Member Conley for Agenda No. 26-70, a variance to reduce the Front setback from 30’ to 16’ to accommodate a single-family residence, located in the R-2 (Residential) zoning district and Highway Mixed Use Future Land Use category. Motion carries 5/0 9. ADJOURNMENT Motion to adjourn by Board Member Conley, second by Vice Chair Bateman. Motion carries 5/0 With no further business, the meeting adjourned at 8:02 p.m. X Gullatt Cody, Chairman Planning and Zoning Board 12

Item Cover Page DATE: November 5, 2026 SUBMITTED BY: Jorden Eisenstein, Community Development Department ITEM TYPE: Appointment AGENDA SECTION: APPOINTMENTS SUBJECT: Agenda No. 27-01 - Jorden Eisenstein, Planner II: Lou E. Belvins, as property owner, is requesting approval of a variance to reduce the Side setbacks from 7’ to 5’ and Rear setback from 20’ to 15’ to accommodate a replacment single-family residence, located in the R- 3 (Multi-family Residential) zoning district and Town Center Future Land Use category. SUGGESTED ACTION: RECOMMENDED ACTION: Staff recommend the P/Z Board to recommend APPROVAL to the BOCC. AGENDA ITEM NO. 8.A PLANNING