The Charlotte County Planning and Zoning Board unanimously recommended that the Board of County Commissioners approve four related amendments to the Babcock Ranch Master Development Order (MDO) and Increment Development Orders (IDOs) to reflect a required five‑year master traffic study update and adjustments to development rights and exhibits.

Staff presentation: Community Development staff summarized the proposed changes, saying the amendments update the MDO and increments 1–3 to reflect the results of a 2024 master traffic study (using FDOT District 1 modeling out to a 2045 horizon year), incorporate the land‑use equivalency matrix into the MDO and increment exhibits, and reallocate residential and nonresidential development rights among increments to match current project buildout patterns. Staff said public notices were mailed within 1,000 feet and that the properties lie east of State Road 31 and total approximately 13,630 acres across the DRI.

Key technical changes: Staff and the applicant highlighted transportation and demand‑rights adjustments including:

- Updating the analysis horizon year from 2040 to 2045 and revising Exhibit F (roadway impacts and improvements) and other transportation exhibits (Exhibits G, J, K) per the traffic study.
- Projected community capture rate adjusted from 66% to 67% by 2045 in the traffic model.
- The calculated accumulated pro‑rata share for increments 1–3 decreased from about 50,000,000 to roughly 43,000,000 (units discussed in the study) due to adopted FDOT service volume changes and modeling updates.

Demand‑rights reallocation: Staff summarized alterations to residential and nonresidential allocations by increment. Examples provided by staff include (staff provided these changes as proposed adjustments to the existing approved maximum demand rights in the comprehensive plan):

- Increment 1: residential demand rights reduced by 263 units; retail decreased by about 119,771 sq ft; office increased ~546,500 sq ft; industrial added 250,000 sq ft; government/civic and hospital bed allocations adjusted.
- Increment 2: residential demand rights reduced by 345 units; nonresidential retail increased by ~606,771 sq ft; industrial increased by 100,000 sq ft; assisted living beds decreased by 61.
- Increment 3: residential demand rights increased by 608 units; retail increased by ~443,000 sq ft; office increased by ~10,000 sq ft.

Staff also noted updates to vegetation/wetland conditions to recognize that U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Section 404 permits may be modified, and that certain police and fire facility conditions have been satisfied — staff said Charlotte County Fire Station 9 and the Charlotte County Sheriff’s District 5 facility had ribbon‑cutting ceremonies earlier in May 2025 and are now operating.

Applicant remarks and public comment: Rob Burns, representing the applicant/developer team, described steady on‑site progress since the original DRI approval and called the changes a realignment of previously approved rights to reflect actual development: “It’s just absolutely amazing. The changes that have occurred out there,” Burns said. Public commenters asked where industrial uses would be placed relative to Tucker’s Cove neighborhood; staff and applicant representatives offered to meet after the hearing for location‑specific questions.

Board action: The board made and carried separate motions to forward each of the four applications (the master DRI amendment and the three increment IDO amendments) to the Board of County Commissioners with recommendations of approval, citing the staff report dated 10/07/2025 and the county comprehensive plan.

Votes at a glance

- Motions: Forward LAD‑25‑01 (MDO amendment) and LAD‑25‑04, LAD‑25‑05, LAD‑25‑06 (increment IDO amendments) to the Board of County Commissioners with recommendations of approval. Outcomes: All forwarded to BCC (recommendations of approval).