At a glance

The LUZ Committee convened at 5:00 PM and adjourned at 5:25 PM on May 19, 2026 — a 25-minute session — with all seven members present.¹ The committee approved three items outright (all unanimous), continued two contested land-use matters to later cycles, and deferred the bulk of its calendar. The road-frontage waiver at 0 Boots Ln (2026-0310) drew the most public opposition, with four speakers against and one in support before the hearing was continued to 6/2/26.² A 2045 Comprehensive Plan text amendment to identify a "Target Growth Area" for resilient and attainable housing (2026-0311), introduced by CMs Carlucci, Amaro, Peluso, Miller and Johnson, was deferred without a public hearing.³ No roll-call dissents were recorded on any item.

Newsworthy items

Item 7: 2026-0273 — JEA Southside Blvd rezoning (RR-Acre to PBF-1)

• Recommended: Planning Department and Planning Commission approved.
• Decided: PASSED — public hearing opened and closed; approved.
• Vote: 7-0, unanimous. Aye: Carlucci, Diamond, Freeman, White, Gaffney Jr., Arias and Johnson.⁴
• Confidence: High.

JEA sought to rezone 11.88± acres at 7599 Southside Blvd from RR-Acre to PBF-1 (public buildings and facilities). The item is in District 11 (Arias) and received both Planning Department and Planning Commission approval.⁵⁶ The hearing opened and closed without public speakers. Motion to approve was made by Arias, seconded by Gaffney Jr., and passed unanimously.⁷ No opposition was recorded in the minutes.

Item 9: 2026-0275 — Babylon Restaurant Lounge & Bar zoning exception (Baymeadows Rd)

• Recommended: Planning Department approved.
• Decided: PASSED — zoning exception approved for retail sale and service of all alcoholic beverages, including outside sales, in conjunction with a restaurant.
• Vote: 7-0, unanimous. Aye: Carlucci, Diamond, Freeman, White, Gaffney Jr., Arias and Johnson.⁸
• Flags: public-comment-heavy (one recorded speaker in support).
• Confidence: High.

The exception at 8602 Baymeadows Rd covers the retail sale and service of all alcoholic beverages in conjunction with a restaurant, including outside sales and services, for Babylon Restaurant Lounge & Bar, LLC, in a CCG-1 district in District 11 (Arias).⁹¹⁰ Ali Salman spoke in support. Motion was made by Gaffney Jr., seconded by Arias.¹¹ Planning Department signed off; no opposition was recorded.

Item 10: 2026-0276 — Sign waiver, 6680 Powers Ave (setback 10 ft → 0 ft)

• Recommended: Planning Department approved.
• Decided: PASSED — sign waiver approved reducing minimum setback from 10 ft to 0 ft in CCG-2.
• Vote: 6-0: Carlucci, Diamond, Freeman, White, Gaffney Jr. and Johnson. Arias not recorded in the aye list.¹²
• Flags: public-comment-heavy (one speaker in support).
• Confidence: Medium — minutes record only six ayes; reason for Arias's absence from this vote is not explained.

FL National Investments, LLC sought to reduce the minimum sign setback from 10 ft to 0 ft in CCG-2 at 6680 Powers Ave, between Toledo Rd and University Blvd, in District 5 (J. Carlucci).¹³¹⁴ Applicant representative Anabel Soucey spoke in support; motion was made by Gaffney Jr., seconded by Johnson.¹⁵ Notably only six ayes are recorded despite seven members being present, though no nay or abstention is noted.

Item 29: 2026-0307 — Sign waiver, 7575 Melvin Rd (setback 10 ft → 6 ft)

• Recommended: Planning Department approved.
• Decided: PASSED — sign waiver approved reducing minimum setback from western property line from 10 ft to 6 ft in CN.
• Vote: 7-0, unanimous. Aye: Carlucci, Diamond, Freeman, White, Gaffney Jr., Arias and Johnson.¹⁶
• Confidence: High.

7575 Melvin Rd, LLC requested to reduce the minimum setback from the western property line from 10 ft to 6 ft in CN at the corner of Melvin Rd and Ricker Rd, in District 9 (Clark-Murray).¹⁷¹⁸ Motion by Johnson, seconded by Gaffney Jr. Anabel Soucey spoke in support.¹⁹ Straightforward Planning Department-approved item with no opposition.

Item 30: 2026-0308 — Sign waiver, 5406 Timuquana Rd (setback 10 ft → 0 ft)

• Recommended: Planning Department approved.
• Decided: PASSED — sign waiver approved reducing minimum setback from 10 ft to 0 ft in CCG-1.
• Vote: 7-0, unanimous. Aye: Carlucci, Diamond, Freeman, White, Gaffney Jr., Arias and Johnson.²⁰
• Confidence: High.

Sai Baba 7 LLC sought to reduce the minimum sign setback from 10 ft to 0 ft in CCG-1 at 5406 Timuquana Rd, between Catoma St and Brent St, in District 14 (Johnson).²¹²² Motion by Diamond, seconded by Gaffney Jr. Anabel Soucey appeared in support.²³

Item 32: 2026-0310 — Road frontage waiver, 0 Boots Ln (80 ft → 0 ft)

• Recommended: Planning Department approved.
• Decided: DEFERRED — public hearing opened and continued to 6/2/26 at request of CM White.
• Vote: No roll call recorded.
• Flags: public-comment-heavy, deferred-again.
• Confidence: Medium — outcome and reason for continuance documented; no vote recorded.

Merlin Bega requested to reduce the minimum road frontage requirements from 80 ft to 0 ft in RR-Acre at 0 Boots Ln, between Fish Rd and Boots Ln, in District 12 (White).²⁴²⁵ The public hearing drew five speakers: Xhenora Jano in support; Jamie Crawford, Richard-Michael Smith, Megan Graeyany, and Robert Rihehart in opposition.²⁶ The agenda notes the continuance was at the request of CM White.²⁷ The 4-to-1 speaker ratio against is the most contested public comment of the meeting.

Item 33: 2026-0311 — 2026B Comp Plan text amendment (Target Growth Area / attainable housing)

• Recommended: No committee or staff recommendation recorded.
• Decided: DEFERRED — no public hearing held; pushed to 6/2/26 cycle.
• Vote: No roll call recorded.
• Confidence: Low — minutes record only "DEFER"; no debate documented.

The ordinance would adopt a 2026B Series Text Amendment to the FLUE, Definitions, and FLUM Series of the 2045 Comprehensive Plan to identify a Target Growth Area to promote resilient and attainable housing, for transmittal to the state for review. It was introduced by CMs Carlucci, Amaro, Peluso, Miller and Johnson.²⁸ The broad multi-member sponsorship and housing-policy substance make this a story to watch when the public hearing opens at LUZ on 6/2/26.

Item 34: 2026-0345 — Purdie appeal of Planning Commission (1604 Margaret St restaurant)

• Recommended: No committee or staff recommendation recorded.
• Decided: DEFERRED — public hearing opened and continued to 6/2/26.
• Vote: No roll call recorded.
• Flags: public-comment-heavy.
• Confidence: Medium.

The resolution concerns an appeal by Joann Purdie of Planning Commission orders approving Zoning Exception E-26-07 (restaurant with outside sales and service) and Administrative Deviation AD-26-12 (reducing required parking from 13 to 3 spaces, narrowing drive aisle width from 13 ft to 10 ft, and eliminating a 5 ft landscape buffer along Margaret St) for a property at 1604 Margaret St.²⁹³⁰ Ashley Emans appeared in opposition.³¹ The agenda notes the continuance was at the applicant's request.³² The parking and buffer reductions are significant; the appeal is the rare quasi-judicial posture in this docket.

Consent agenda

No consent block was recorded for this meeting.

Skipped

Not covered: the Council Rule 4.505 disruption-of-meeting boilerplate (pages 1–2 of both documents), page/student-page attendance notation, and the standard ADA/accessibility notice. The 30-plus items that received only "DEFER" or "READ 2ND & REREFER" with no public speakers and no hearing action (items 1–2, 5–6, 11–28, 35–36, and 37–48) are omitted as procedural rollovers with nothing decided. The meeting lasted just 25 minutes total.³³

References