Planning & Development Review Board · Wednesday, April 1, 2026
Planning and Development Review Board Regular Meeting
Summary
The Freeport Planning and Development Review Board held a regular meeting on April 1, 2026, to review zoning and development matters. The board approved previous meeting minutes from November 2025 and voted unanimously to recommend approval of a re-zoning request for 31 Azalea Drive from medium- residential to residential-commercial, intended for an office park development consistent with nearby commercial businesses. The board also received a training on Florida's covering public meeting requirements, transparency in decision-making, notice and record-keeping obligations, and the consequences of violations.
Why it matters
The re-zoning approval for 31 Azalea Drive opens the way for commercial office park development in that area, which could bring new business investment and employment to Freeport while complementing existing commercial activity on Business 331. The training underscores the board's commitment to transparent and legally compliant decision-making, protecting the integrity of the planning process.
What happened
Development & zoning1 item
31 Azalea Drive Re-Zoning Request
Passed 5–0 · unanimousDeputy Director Graves presented a re-zoning request to change the property from medium- residential to residential-commercial zoning for a future office park development. The owner's agent, Thomas Brannon, noted the intended office park use would be consistent with other commercial businesses along Business 331, including Anchor Development. Planning staff received no public comments or emails on the request. The board voted unanimously to recommend approval.
Where: 31 Azalea Drive
Part of project: 31 Azalea Drive Rezoning
Other2 items
November 2025 Meeting Minutes Approval
Passed 5–0 · unanimousMinutes from the November 11, 2025 regular meeting were approved by unanimous vote.
Refresher Training
City Attorney Clay Adkinson provided training on Florida's . The presentation covered three main points: (1) meetings must be open to the public and decisions must be based on publicly available information with disclosure of any appearance of impropriety and avoidance of ex parte communications; (2) any gathering of two or more board members on the same board counts as a meeting and requires notice and minutes; and (3) minutes of meetings must be taken. Adkinson also noted that violation of Sunshine Law prevents a related project from moving forward, and directed that if the public sends a board member an email with project information, it must be forwarded to Planning Staff for public record.
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