In a near-unanimous vote May 27, Charlotte County commissioners approved three zoning amendments for Benderson Development LLC’s 653-acre property in Port Charlotte, clearing the way for a future Buc-ee’s gas station and convenience store.
Benderson’s project, located near Interstate 75 and Harborview Road, allows for 3,859 units, of which 245 are single-family and 3,614 are multifamily units. The development would also have 50,000 square feet of office space, 655,000 square feet of commercial development and 350 hotel rooms. Removed from earlier plans was a proposed public marina with 260 wet boat slips, 192 dry storage boat slips and 20 boat slips for single-family homes.
The project, formerly known as the Harborview Project, was first proposed in 1992 and purchased by Benderson in 2009.
Buc-ee’s, known for its large footprint and wide variety of food and merchandise, will anchor the commercial section of the development, called West Village. North and East Villages will include housing and green space. No Buc-ee’s currently exist in Southwest Florida.
The project also has an equivalency matrix, allowing for flexibility, county Principal Planner Jie Shao said.
Multifamily units could be converted to single-family units because there are limited single-family units, she said.
Also, residential units can be converted to nonresidential, and one category of nonresidential can be converted to another nonresidential category, but the developer cannot convert commercial to residential use whose number is capped.
Becca Bond, transportation director for Kimley-Horn, told commissioners the matrix equivalency will be used for Buc-ee’s.
“One vehicle fueling pump is equivalent to approximately 20 multifamily dwelling units. So, what we are recognizing is that for one fueling pump, if this were to be approved, we would have to trade off 20 of those multifamily dwelling units to cover that to make sure that we don’t increase traffic that’s generated by this DRI.”
Buc-ee’s is much larger than a typical gas station with between 80 to 120 pumps and a convenience store selling merchandise, food, sundries and signature snacks.
Commissioner Stephen R. Deutsch opposed two of the zoning amendments. Shao explained that the zoning amendments represent a new, revised plan by the developer.
The open space for preservation and recreational uses was increased to 226.55 acres, and 61.21 acres were set aside for scrub jay and gopher tortoise habitat to be preserved in perpetuity.
The development is north of the Peace River, south of Madras Court and Mauritania Road, east of Danforth Drive and west of Discovery Drive. It is near the Deep Creek and Harbour Heights communities.
Among concerns residents expressed were traffic congestion, habitat loss, light and noise pollution and harm to the marshland and to the Peace River.
Pauline Klein said many use I-75 to evacuate ahead of hurricanes and the added population from the villages would make it difficult to leave the area due to the number of cars on the roadways.
Riley Newitts, of Harbour Heights, said he was concerned about the scrub jay — a Florida native species. A Benderson official said that under Florida law, a developer can remove up to 50% of scrub jay habitat. Benderson has already agreed to pay $3 million for scrub jay mitigation.
Resident Trevor Harris said there will be more 911 calls and first responders will take longer to get to their destination due to increased traffic.
Others mentioned the possibility of spilled gasoline from Buc-ee’s washing away into the Peace River during heavy rainfall and storms. The river is a habitat for the endangered small tooth sawfish and for juvenile species, such as tarpon.
Charlotte County resident Tim Ritchie said pollution runoff from the development will further endanger the Peace River. He offered to take commissioners on a boat ride up the river to see the ecosystem and the life it supports.
Commission Chair Joe Tiseo said he wants to see more meaningful commitments to affordable housing. While the development includes such units, he said the income qualifications are too high.
Benderson officials said various road improvements, including a roundabout, will be paid for by the firm.
The developer has been in talks with Charlotte County Public Schools officials due to the land’s proximity to Deep Creek Elementary School. Benderson plans to build a loop to the school from Rio de Janiera Boulevard in Deep Creek so drivers won’t have to use Harborview Road to drop off students.
