VENICE — The owners of a 39.6-acre parcel at the southeast corner of Border and Auburn roads and north of Fox Lea Farm are bringing a proposal for a 105-home planned-unit development before the Venice Planning Commission Tuesday for a conference.
Now known as Murphy Oaks, the planned development covers many of the concerns raised in 2017, when developers sought to build the 118-home subdivision, “The Preserves of Venice.”
The Preserves received the approval of the Venice Planning Commission in May, with the developer offering several stipulations designed to protect the ongoing operation of Fox Lea Farm, an equestrian training and show facility that is the third-largest generator of sports tourism in Sarasota County.
Even then, the planners had issues with the fact that the development was presented to them in three parts — a zoning map amendment, conditional use permit and preliminary plat, along with 16 stipulations — instead of a planned unit development with a binding concept plan.
The Venice City Council had the same concerns in June, when a quasi-judicial hearing was continued to Oct. 10.
At that hearing, attorney David Smolker, representing developer Herbert Lawson of Windham Development, withdrew the application and Lawson promised to resubmit as a planned development.
Tuesday’s meeting is for guidance and not a public hearing.
The basics of the application appears to satisfy many of the concerns of Fox Lea, as well as buffering concerns of residents of the nearby Sawgrass and Waterford developments, who are also worried about increased traffic on Auburn Road and noise from Interstate 75, once the tract, which borders I-75, is developed.
The plan leaves more than 50 percent of the property as open space, and would be developed at a density of 2.66 units per acre.
The application carries with it 19 stipulations, many of which address concerns of the compatibility of the development with Fox Lea, as well as an attempt to ensure that the residents do not adversely impact the well-being of the horses and patrons at the equestrian center.
Some of those stipulations include:
• Prohibitions against burning debris during construction, as well as the burning of trash by homeowners.
• Filing a notice of proximity both to I-75 and the potentially noisy equestrian center in official records of Sarasota County, with documents to be signed at purchase and included in homeowners association documents.
• Height restrictions along the border with Fox Lea Farm to the south and Auburn Road to the west of one story or 25-feet in height for all structures. The maximum height of all structures in the development could exceed 35-feet.
• A prohibition against the use of fireworks, as well as notice to all who purchase homes in the subdivision, because of the potential harm for the horses.
• A similar prohibition against the use of drones that would fly over Fox Lea without advanced written permission from the equestrian center.
• A buffer along Auburn Road must reach 90 percent opacity within three years of the start of construction.