Online exclusive

Development planned off Charles Harvey Memorial Highway

Posted 6/5/23

Plans to develop land along Charles Harvey Memorial Highway are on the agenda for the June 8 county commission meeting ...

You must be a member to read this story.

Join our family of readers for as little as $5 per month and support local, unbiased journalism.


Already have an account? Log in to continue. Otherwise, follow the link below to join.

Please log in to continue

Log in
I am anchor
Online exclusive

Development planned off Charles Harvey Memorial Highway

Posted

OKEECHOBEE – Plans to develop land along Charles Harvey Memorial Highway are on the agenda for the June 8 meeting of the Okeechobee County Commission.

According to the county staff report, the property under consideration is about 317 acres in area and is located on either side of the Charles Harvey Memorial Highway (SE 28th Street). This site was part of a larger Planned Development (PD) that never materialized. Approximately 90 acres of the subject property is located north of Harvey Highway and the remaining 227 acres is on the south side. The applicant is proposing a mixed use development consisting of residential dwellings, retail space, civic spaces that could include a school or church, an assisted living facility, and over 150 acres of open space.

The residential dwellings would include detached single family dwellings along with attached housing such as apartments or townhouse condominiums. Midtown Village at build out will have approximately 609 residential dwellings and up to 27 acres of commercial development along the
west edge of the development and on two areas that have frontage on US Highway 441 SE.

The Planned Development zoning district was established to allow for and promote a variety of uses in a single comprehensive development plan, such as that submitted with this application. The subject property was rezoned to Planned Development (PD) about 17 years ago to accommodate the proposed Freshwater development. The current project does not include two parcels with a total of about 160 acres that were part of the Freshwater project, but otherwise is very similar to the Planned Development previously approved for the property. The Freshwater Planned Development covered about 470 acres and included 1,200 residential dwellings, 25 acres of commercial development, and another 8 acres for a marina and supporting commercial uses.

The property borders or is near to a number of zoning districts and uses that are permissible within the county. Along the northern boundary of the property is Taylor Creek, and across Taylor Creek is the Blue Heron residential subdivision in the City of Okeechobee.

To the east on the north side of Harvey Highway are a church, a vacant 10-acre tract zoned Residential General (RG), a 12-acre tract on which a residence is located, and then several of the Taylor Creek Isles subdivisions. The Taylor Creek Isles subdivisions are primarilyzoned Residential Mobile Home (RMH) or Residential Mixed (RM) and are developed with manufactured homes and site built homes.

To the south, mostly along US Highway 441 SE, are a mix of uses, including the mobile home community of Oasis Village, several vacant tracts including a couple of tracts that have been rezoned for multi-familydevelopment, a few single familyresidences, and various commercial uses including
a bank, motel, boat sales and service, a veterinary office, other service and retail businesses, and RV and mobile home parks. To the southwest is a sprawling RV community with a golf course.

To the west is a vacant tract that was part of the Freshwater Planned Development, several mobile home and recreational vehicle parks, and the PalmCreek single family residential subdivision on the north side of Harvey Highway.

A little further to the west, along Highway 441 South, are a number of highly developed commercial areas occupied by large retail stores, two flea markets, automobile dealerships and service centers, and various smaller retail and service establishments.

The applicant is requesting a change in zoning to Planned Development (PD). As established in the Land Use Consistency Matrix in Section 11.02.01 of the land development regulations, the Planned Development (PD) zoning district is consistent with the Urban Residential Mixed Use future land use classification. The requested change in zoning is consistent with the adopted comprehensive plan.

This site was part of a larger Planned Development (PD) that never materialized that allowed up to 1,200 residential dwelling units, about 25 acres for commercial development, and another 8 acres for a marina and supporting commercial services.

The meeting, which starts at 9 a.m. will be held in the Historic Okeechobee County Courthouse, 304 N.W. Second Street. The meeting will start at 9 a.m.

Harvey Memorial highway, Okeechobee, development

Comments

x