Engineer Richard J. Matassa of A Civil Design Group LLC addressed the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) at the regular meeting on January 12, 2021. Matassa sought a Master Plan Revision for the Hernando Beach Marina, located on the West side of Shoal Line Boulevard, north side of Companero Entra.
The current zoning of the marina is CPDP/Combined Planned Development Project (Multifamily) and (Commercial Marine) which would allow for a residential unit on the property. Since this plan has been scrapped by the owner, the new plan is to store and use charter vessels, requiring the PDP(CM)/Planned Development Project (Commercial Marine) with specific uses from the CM-2/(Heavy Commercial Marine) with deviations.
Mattassa explained that the goal of the rezoning is to allow for charter fishing services and anything that supports charter fishing services. Fishery (fish tanks), commercial shrimping, or scalloping is not permitted, but icing of the catch brought in by recreational anglers is.
Instead of a residential building, the new plan will also allow for the addition of boat storage of the same height as the existing dry-storage.
The board voted 3-1 to approve the Master Plan revision, which will allow for charter fishing operations and all land support required. The conditions expressly prohibit commercial fishing operations and all land uses associated. Commissioner Wayne Dukes voted against the master plan revision and Commissioner Steve Champion was absent from this meeting.
Questions arose when deciphering the language used in the conditions associated with the CM-2 zoning.
In reviewing paperwork within the request, Commissioner John Allocco asked for clarification on the specific uses from the CM-2 designation. “I just can’t tell where ‘allowed’ begins or ends and ‘not allowed’ begins.”
