Fort Caroline Batting Cage Rezoning
At a glance
- What: Ordinance No. 2026-657, a 1.05-acre PUD rezoning to sell beer and wine at a batting cage at the Hartsfield Road and Fort Caroline Road roundabout.
- Where it stands: the public hearing was held and closed at the council on 2026-09-22 with no vote. At the Land Use and Zoning Committee the hearing was opened on 2026-10-06 and continued to October 20, then heard again on 2026-10-20 and continued to November 4; no vote has been taken.
- Committee hearing (2026-10-20): a full evening of opposition. Residents said the lot has eight parking spaces but outdoor seating for about 173 and six seats inside; it is within about 1,500 feet of a school beside a roundabout; and the applicant has missed most of the six hearings so far. Speakers who negotiated or wrote the 1996 PUD and land use report said it barred expansion and alcohol and called the request spot zoning, noting the Planning Commission voted unanimously to deny against a staff recommendation of approval. One speaker from another district supported it, comparing it to Topgolf. Amaro, the district member, urged the committee to weigh the original PUD's history and the community's voice as competent substantial evidence.
- Committee hearing (2026-10-06): the one speaker, who wrote the original 1996 PUD, said it bound the site to recreation with a land use change and a ban on alcohol sales; the new request adds 192 outdoor seats (99 around an outdoor bar) on a one-acre lot, needs a liquor-distance waiver for the school across the road, and the written description has no hours of operation and the site plan shows no added parking. He said the original owner and other neighbors would ask for denial on October 20.
- Concerns: the 1996 PUD banned alcohol; 11 parking spaces for about 172 outdoor seats; a school across the street (liquor distance waiver needed); the petitioner did not appear at the Planning Commission hearing.
- Official minutes (2026-10-20): 2026-0657 hearing opened and continued to November 4, 2026. Ten speakers: nine opposed (including Ceres) and one in support (Travis-Leonard). The Planning Commission recommended denial while the Planning Department recommended approval (per the bill's history line 'PD Amd/Apv, PC Deny').
- Official minutes (2026-09-22, City Council): 2026-0657 was public hearing only.
Sources
- 2026-10-20 - Land Use & Zoning (committee meeting of 2026-10-20; auto-captions)
- 2026-10-08 - LUZ (committee meeting of 2026-10-06; auto-captions)
- 2026-09-22 - City Council (council meeting of 2026-09-22; auto-captions)
- Council agendas and legislation: https://jaxcityc.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx
- Land Use and Zoning Committee minutes, October 20, 2026: https://jaxcityc.legistar1.com/jaxcityc/meetings/2026/10/3801_M_Land_Use___Zoning_Committee_26-10-20_Meeting_Minutes.pdf
- 2026-10-20 - Land Use & Zoning
- City Council minutes, September 22, 2026: https://jaxcityc.legistar1.com/jaxcityc/meetings/2026/9/3731_M_City_Council_26-09-22_Meeting_Minutes.pdf
- 2026-09-22 - City Council
Discussion time
About 30 minutes across 3 meetings (from transcript timestamps; approximate).
| Meeting | Minutes |
|---|---|
| 2026-10-20 - Land Use & Zoning | 18 |
| 2026-10-08 - LUZ | 5 |
| 2026-09-22 - City Council | 7 |
Log
2026-11-04 - Land Use & Zoning
2026-0657 continued to November 17.
2026-10-20 - Land Use & Zoning
Committee heard six residents (five opposed, one in support) and Amaro; the hearing was continued to November 4 with no vote.
Minutes: hearing continued to November 4, 2026; no vote.
2026-10-08 - LUZ
Land Use and Zoning Committee opened the public hearing, heard one speaker against, and continued it to October 20 with no vote.
2026-09-22 - City Council
Public hearing with two opponents; closed without a vote.
Minutes: public hearing only.