Charlotte County commissioners on Feb. 25 approved plans for a 110-unit condominium development near Charlotte Harbor, clearing the way for construction of Tarpon Waterfront Village on a 20.33-acre site adjacent to Charlotte Harbor Yacht Club. 

The board voted 4-1 to approve the project, with Commissioner Chris Constance casting the lone dissenting vote. 

Developer Jeffrey DiLaura, who owns the property and serves as director of the yacht club, said residents of the four-building development will automatically receive memberships to Charlotte Harbor Yacht Club. 

The proposal marked the third presentation of the project to commissioners. DiLaura, represented by attorney Michael Haymans, previously reduced the scale of the development from an initial plan of 156 units in six 65-foot buildings to 120 units in four buildings. The final approved plan further reduces the project to 110 units in smaller buildings to accommodate additional sidewalks, open space and preservation areas. 

The Port Charlotte site is located north of the Peace River, south of Edgewater Drive, west of Bayshore Road and east of Lister Street, about 700 feet from Charlotte Harbor. 

Tarpon Waterfront Village development site

This property near Charlotte Harbor Yacht Club is slated for Tarpon Waterfront Village, a 110-unit condominium development approved by Charlotte County commissioners Feb. 25. Residents will receive yacht club memberships.

Charlotte County government

The project’s rezoning request was approved Sept. 9, when commissioners voted 3-2 to extend the Urban Service Area boundary to include 14.52 acres of the property. The board also amended zoning designations from Agricultural/Rural to Revitalizing Neighborhood for 11.51 acres and to Managed Neighborhood for 3.01 acres, following a recommendation from county staff. 

At that earlier meeting, Commission Chair Joe Tiseo and Constance voted against the proposal, citing concerns about development in the Coastal High Hazard Area. 

During the Feb. 25 hearing, DiLaura, Haymans and representatives from Morris-Depew Associates Inc., the project’s civil engineering firm, presented the revised plan and outlined storm-resiliency measures. 

Tiseo said the modifications and additional information persuaded him to support the project. 

Attorney presents Tarpon project plans

Attorney Michael Haymans presents plans for the Tarpon Waterfront Village condominium development during a Charlotte County commission meeting. The project was approved in a 4-1 vote.

Charlotte County government

Public comment at all three hearings reflected support for the development. Tiseo said he received emails from residents expressing approval and that he did not receive any opposition correspondence. 

Haymans said the project would improve a site that had fallen into disrepair. He described the property as having experienced blight in recent years. The land previously was home to a mobile home park, a YMCA and a city park. 

Constance maintained his opposition, citing evacuation and safety concerns in the event of a major storm. He said that in a flood event, more than 200 residents could be attempting to leave the area at once. 

Bill Morris, president of Morris-Depew, said the project’s proposed elevation of 22.5 feet exceeds Sea, Lake and Overland Surges from Hurricanes modeling guidelines, commonly known as SLOSH, and is designed to make the buildings resilient to flooding.Â