4.3.1. Districts and intent.

The ESA category includes four (4) zone districts: ESA-1, 2, 3, 4. Lands in these districts are considered in need of special planning and treatment regarding land development regulation. These are not preservation districts, but land uses permitted within these districts are to provide mitigating measures to protect the natural functions of the county's environmentally sensitive areas as designated within the comprehensive plan as regionally significant areas, and with a special emphasis on the planning and treatment of land development within the 100-year floodplain of the Suwannee River, Steinhatchee River, Lower Suwannee National Wildlife Refuge, Lime Sink, salt marshes within the county, freshwater marshes within the county that have direct sheet flow to salt marshes, Wannee Natural Area as identified within the comprehensive plan, and Mallory Swamp as identified within the comprehensive plan. These regulations prohibit intensive residential, recreational and agricultural uses and prohibit industrial and nonwater-dependent commercial development within the 100-year floodplain of the areas designated as environmentally sensitive areas. Land located within the Suwannee River corridor, Steinhatchee River corridor, salt marshes, freshwater marshes with direct sheet flow to salt marshes, Wannee Natural Area and Mallory Swamp, as identified above, that are not shown to be within floodplain areas as designated by the flood insurance rate map for unincorporated areas of the county, dated November 2, 1983, are not designated as environmentally sensitive areas. Therefore, these lands shall be considered to be agriculturally zoned lands, which shall comply with the density requirements for the environmentally sensitive area district within which the land is shown to be located on the official zoning atlas. Further, these nonfloodplain lands shall comply with all requirements of section 4.4, entitled "Agricultural districts," found within these land development regulations.

4.3.2. Permitted principal uses and structures.

1.

Agricultural uses subject to the provisions of section 4.18.32 and silviculture uses operating under best management practices (with the exception of feedlot operations and buildings housing livestock within the one-hundred (100) year floodplain of the Suwannee River).

2.

Conventional single-family dwellings.

3.

Mobile homes.

Note: The uses permitted within this district shall be so located on site so that the development activity will not significantly alter the natural functions of adjacent natural resources.

4.3.3. Permitted accessory uses and structures.

1.

Uses and structures which:

a.

Are customarily accessory and clearly incidental and subordinate to permitted or permissible uses and structures.

b.

Are located on the same lot as the permitted or permissible principal use or structure, or on a contiguous lot in the same ownership.

c.

Do not involve operations or structures not in keeping with the intent of these land development districts.

2.

Examples of permitted accessory uses and structures include:

a.

Private garages.

b.

Docks, ramps, piers and walkways for residential and water-dependent commercial uses. (See article 14.)

c.

Residential facilities for caretakers whose work requires residence on the premises or for employees who will be quartered on the premises.

4.3.4. Prohibited uses and structures.

1.

Industrial uses;

2.

High intensity agricultural uses within the one-hundred (100) year floodplain of the Suwannee River (i.e. feedlots and buildings housing livestock);

3.

Private recreational uses; and

4.

Any use or structure not specifically, provisionally, or by reasonable implication permitted herein or permissible as a special exception.

4.3.5 Special exceptions. (See also articles 12 and 13)

1.

Home occupations.

2.

Foster care facilities.

3.

Water-dependent resource-based uses.

4.

Campgrounds of less than one hundred (100) campsites.

5.

Radar installations and related facilities.

6.

Public resource-based recreation facilities.

7.

Public buildings and facilities.

8.

Bed and breakfast inns.

9.

Day camps.

10.

Hunting camps.

11.

One (1) recreational vehicle per vacant parcel (see also section 4.18.39).

12.

Other similar uses in character with the district.

13.

Solar farms (see also section 4.18.39).

4.3.6. Minimum lot requirements (area, width).

1.

Conventional single-family dwellings and mobile homes:

Note: Minimum lot areas for those portions of the area designated as environmentally sensitive districts which are outside of the 100-year floodplain designated as designated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Flood Insurance Rate Map, dated November 2, 1983, shall be considered to be agriculturally zoned lands, which shall comply with the density requirements for the environmentally sensitive area district within which the land is shown to be located on the official zoning atlas. Further, these nonfloodplain lands shall comply with all requirements of section 4.4, entitled agricultural districts of these land development regulations.

2.

All other permitted or permissible uses and structures (unless otherwise specified):

4.3.7. Minimum yard requirements (depth of front and rear yard, width of side yard). (See section 4.18.30 for right-of-way setback requirements.)

1.

All permitted or permissible uses and structures (unless otherwise specified):

Special provisions: A minimum thirty-five (35) foot natural buffer shall be required for from all wetlands and a seventy-five (75) foot natural buffer shall be required from perennial rivers, streams and creeks. The location of residential and water-dependent commercial land uses (with the exception of marinas) shall be prohibited within these buffer areas, although non-intensive agriculture, silviculture and public resource-based recreational activities shall be permitted within these buffer areas. For all uses other than single-family residential, agricultural and silvicultural adjacent to a "Work of the District" as established in F.A.C. ch. 40B-4, as amended, a minimum buffer setback shall be required for rivers, streams and creeks, and their floodways, as required within such rule.

4.3.8. Maximum height of structures. No portion shall exceed: unrestricted.

4.3.9. Maximum lot coverage by all buildings: twenty (20) percent.

Note: In addition to providing the required lot, yard, lot coverage, landscaped buffering and off-street parking requirements of this section, no structure shall exceed 1.0 floor area ratio.

4.3.10. Minimum landscaped buffering requirements.

1.

All permitted or permissible uses and structures (unless otherwise specified):

None, except as necessary to meet other requirements as set out herein.

4.3.11. Minimum off-street parking requirements.

1.

Each residential dwelling unit: two (2) spaces for each dwelling unit.

2.

Group home care facilities: One (1) space for each bedroom.

3.

Commercial marinas: one (1) parking space for each slip or berth plus one (1) parking space for each three hundred (300) square feet of gross floor area of any buildings located on the premises.

State Law reference— Provisions for vehicle parking required, F.S. § 163.3202(1)(h).

4.3.12. Additional restrictions in environmentally sensitive areas.

Environmentally sensitive areas, including wetlands, shall be conserved by prohibiting, where other alternatives for development exist, and development or dredging and filling which would alter the natural function of a wetland.

(Ord. No. 2021-02, § 2, 5-20-2021)