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Planning Commission Meeting Minutes
January 20th, 2026 at 6:00 PM
I. Call to Order-Mayor Monson
II. Roll Call- Carlos Maldonado
Commission Members Present: Mayor Monson, Clyde Bracknell, Dr. Randy
Stovall, Ellen Taylor.
Members Absent: David Armstrong, Dr. Christa Remington, Tracy Sullivan,
Beth Aker, Thomas Vanater.
III. Invocation-Mayor Monson
IV. Pledge of Allegiance-Mayor Monson
1. Consent Items
1.1 Planning Commission Meeting Minutes Approval From October 21st,
2025
The minutes were motioned for approval by all the board members
2. Planning Items
2.1 Zephyr Knoll FLU (Future Land Use) Classification: Public hearing to
review and consider a City-Initiated Comprehensive Plan text amendment
to establish the Zephyr Knoll Mixed-Use Subarea future land use category and
supporting goals, objectives, and policies.
The item was introduced by the city comprehensive plan consultant Tammy
Vrana. This is a public hearing for a proposed Zephyr Knoll mixed-use subarea
future land use category comprehensive plan text amendment. This had
previously been reviewed via a workshop with numerous board
members participating. The area that would benefit from this change would
be the area from Kossik Rd North to the northern boundary of the proposed
hotel sites. This would affect both sides of 301 and the non-developed area
within the area. This comprehensive plan would also require a state
transmittal. A possible senate bill could also come into play and affect the
changes. Tammy Varana presented a power point and it touched based on the
public hearing purpose. Purpose is to review the
proposed comprehensive plan text amendment. It would affect
City of Zephyrhills
5335 8th Street | Zephyrhills, FL 33542 | 813.780.0000 |
ci.zephyrhills.fl.us

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2 objectives LU-1-5 and LU-1-6: Zephyr Knoll mixed-use subarea future land use
category. Todays meeting the board will vote and take it to City Council. The
visioning workshop shared vision plans are to emphasize mixed-use
development rather than standalone residential uses within the planning area,
direction more intensive development away from adjacent single-
family neighborhoods, improvement of street connectivity and limiting direct
access points to U.S 301 through the use of parallel or backroads, integrating
parks, greenspace, and stormwater features that leverage existing topography
and creating a more walkable neighborhood scale activity that support local
services and employment while remaining compatible with surrounding areas.
The text amendment proposed changes where objective FLU-1-5 growth
management and sprawl avoidance- discourage growth and development
patterns that will contribute to urban sprawl, while reinforcing the city’s
preferred urban form by direction growth to designated areas planned for
urban development and public investment. Policies- it shall be the city’s policy
to: FLU 1.5.1 regional coordination at a minimum, staff shall meet annually with
the city of Dade City and Pasco County to advance shared initiatives that
discourage urban sprawl, promote efficient growth patterns and support
coordinated infrastructure and service planning. FLU 1.5.2 Growth Monitoring
review the future land use map annually to assess land development
patterns evaluate the continued appropriateness of assigned future land
use designations and ensure that land use trends remain aligned with the
city’s preferred urban form, infrastructure capacity, and long-term growth
vision. Topic that was covered was the Zephyrhills place types having mixed
use centers/corridors. The mixed-use centers/corridors place type establishes a
vision for compact, walkable activity hubs that integrate retail, office,
residential, hospitably, recreational, and civic uses. These areas function as
focal points of daily life and destination-oriented activity, supporting a
connected pattern of urban development that enhances economic vitality,
housing choice, and community livability. Key factors mentioned that mixed-
use centers and corridors are intended to evolve over time through
redevelopment of underutilized properties or phased development guide by
coordinated planning and infrastructure investment. Mixed-use centers have
primary uses such as retail shopping and personal services, restaurants, cafes
and entertainment venues, offices and professional services, hotels and visitor
accommodations etc. Supporting uses are civic and community gathering
spaces, pocket parks and plazas, multi-use greenway trails and trailheads,
public art, etc. This use also encourages to accommodate small businesses co-
working spaces, live-work units or adaptive reuse over time. A slide
showing different types of examples defining features of mixed-use
corridors/centers showing ones with pedestrian friendly uses, connected
City of Zephyrhills
5335 8th Street | Zephyrhills, FL 33542 | 813.780.0000 |
ci.zephyrhills.fl.us

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pathways with commercial, preserved and enhanced natural vegetation with
buffering. A map showing FLU-7 Future lan use plan 2035 was displayed
showing the area titled RU residential urban category with key points noting
higher density single family and multi-family residential, compatible
retail/office, density 7.5.0-14 DU/acre, Max nonresidential: 0.5 FAR, Max
impervious surface ratio of 80%. Map of MU mixed use category was shown
next with key points show: more intensive residential office and retail,
balanced land use mix, multi-modal mobility, max density:0.0-14 DU/acre, Max
nonresidential:1.0 FAR, Max impervious surface ratio of 80%. The next steps for
the text amendment to move forward are; City Council 1st adoption public
hearing & direction to staff to transmit to State, State Agency Review,
City council 2nd adoption public hearing and the 21-day appeal period. After
the presentation a discussion was held. Comments from the board were why
not start the process sooner incase any change of plans, Tammy stated this
would give any future applicants options, this new category won’t be used
until October 1st 2027. This category could become active at the choice of the
property owner. Senate bill 180 is also a key factor that will require more review
while this gets adopted. Some changes were proposed to be made such as
take out the discretionary map amendment and instead do a city-wide future
land use map amendment for all the properties and have some language
when this becomes fully in affect and what happens in the interim. Comments
from the Mayor asked about village center overlay compared to this proposed
comp plan and the density of 14 being able to turn to 18 and comparison to the
live local act. Other concerns were new developments coming in and being
able to have an affordable housing option along with live local regulations. A
small topic on future storm water management, utility extensions and
stormwater was mentioned and will require more review with any new
developments moving forward. Last comments were about the adoption final
steps and possible taking up to 3-6 months for the adoption. The council
presentation will require more information on the live local act and
180. Also will need to remove the village center overlay to take away 18 density
that was being proposed. Recommendation was to approve to reconfigure
for a city-initiated future land use map amendment for the entire area that was
discussed.
Recommendation: The motion was approved unanimously by all board
members.
City of Zephyrhills
5335 8th Street | Zephyrhills, FL 33542 | 813.780.0000 |
ci.zephyrhills.fl.us