Portfolio case 3 · Fictionalized Florida demonstration
Cypress Hollow Property Screening
Eight lenses show how water, soils, habitat and planning records shape the next questions for a 33-acre property.
Cypress Hollow demo samples · PDFs open in a new tab.
Property Lens: Start with the whole site
The aerial places the property between Palmetto Parkway and Cypress Hollow Road. The outline and dimensions establish the starting point for the screening.
Open full-size map ↗ (new tab)Key takeaways
- The tax record lists 33.72 acres; the mapped boundary measures about 33.63 acres. The report uses the mapped boundary for its area calculations.
- Confirm the survey, legal access and entrance options before planning around the parcel outline or nearby roads.
Wetlands & Water Lens: Compare the mapped and approved records
The national wetland inventory maps 11.38 acres of wetlands and ponds. The 2024 approval describes 14.54 acres of wetlands—a difference that matters when planning a site.
Open full-size map ↗ (new tab)Key takeaways
- The inventory relies on February 1984 imagery. The approval uses different wetland categories and boundaries; the two acreages are not interchangeable.
- Obtain the approved wetland plans and compare them with current field boundaries before locating buffers or development areas. The map shows inventory features, not the approved wetland boundary.
Flood Risk Lens: Check mapped hazard and local history
Zone A covers 12.50 acres, or 37.2% of the property. Zone X covers the remaining 21.13 acres, or 62.8%.
Open full-size map ↗ (new tab)Key takeaways
- No regulatory floodway overlaps the parcel in the reviewed data. Zone A remains a mapped flood-hazard area; its returned record does not provide a base flood elevation.
- The approval also identifies a historical high-water observation area. Review site elevations and drainage history, including the land mapped Zone X.
Hydric Soils Lens: Identify signs of prolonged wetness
Hydric soils form under prolonged saturation. The published soil information helps identify areas where a closer field review is warranted.
Open full-size map ↗ (new tab)Key takeaways
- The Sellers map unit covers 5.10 acres and has a published 100% hydric component share. About 0.69 acre lies outside the mapped inventory wetlands and ponds.
- Prioritize that area for field review. Hydric component percentages describe the makeup of a soil map unit, not the percentage of this property confirmed as wetland.
How to read the hydric soil percentages
A map unit contains one or more named soil components. The percentage is their published hydric share; those components are not individually located on this map.
| Map unit | Mapped acres | Hydric share |
|---|---|---|
| 8 Sellers | 5.10 | 100% |
| 21 Smyrna | 6.74 | 20% |
| 5 Myakka complex | 3.81 | 25% |
| 42 Pomello | 11.11 | 2% |
| 99 Water | 6.87 | Not rated |
Lower percentages do not guarantee dry ground. Water is not a rated soil unit; its missing rating does not mean zero wetness.
Water Table & Drainage Lens: Understand shallow wetness
Poorly and very poorly drained soil map units cover 15.65 acres. Published seasonal water-table estimates help focus questions about excavation, grading and groundwater.
Open full-size map ↗ (new tab)Key takeaways
- The Sellers estimate reaches the surface; Smyrna is about 3 inches below it. Smaller depth values mean seasonal saturation can occur closer to the surface.
- Plan site testing before design. These published estimates do not measure current groundwater or establish septic suitability.
Read the water-table depths and drainage classes
| Map unit | Annual minimum depth | Drainage |
|---|---|---|
| 8 Sellers | 0 cm / 0 in | Very poorly drained |
| 21 Smyrna | 7 cm / about 3 in | Poorly drained |
| 5 Myakka complex | 15 cm / about 6 in | Poorly drained |
| 42 Pomello | 84 cm / about 33 in | Moderately well drained |
| 99 Water | Unreported | Unreported |
Very poorly drained soils stay wet near the surface for much of the growing period. Poorly drained soils have shallow wetness for substantial periods. Moderately well drained soils can still be seasonally wet.
The report also gives April–June minimum depths: 30 cm for Myakka and 130 cm for Pomello; Sellers and Smyrna match their annual values. These periods differ, and neither value is a parcel-wide average.
Wildlife & Habitat Lens: Plan the right field checks
Mapped cypress, wetland vegetation and open water provide the habitat context for the species review. The informal species lookup identified eight species for consideration.
Open full-size map ↗ (new tab)Key takeaways
- The reviewed layers showed no federal critical habitat, Florida Critical Wildlife Area or historical eagle nesting-area polygon in the stated search area. Historical records do not establish that nests are absent today.
- The 2024 approval includes seasonal crane and wading-bird surveys. Have an environmental professional confirm the survey scope and timing for the proposed work.
Zoning Lens: Read the approval behind the label
The property is mapped MPUD—Master Planned Unit Development. The 2024 approval describes a nonresidential program with conditions that matter beyond the district name.
Open full-size map ↗ (new tab)Key takeaways
- The recorded program includes 135,000 square feet of retail, commercial or office uses and 250 hotel rooms, subject to the approval’s terms.
- Confirm the approval’s current status, amendments and conditions with the county before relying on that program. Environmental requirements, infrastructure and the related land-use change affect implementation.
Future Land Use Lens: Check the parcel-specific policy
The future land-use map assigns PD—Planned Development. The adopted 2024 policy adds parcel-specific limits and requirements to that broad map label.
Open full-size map ↗ (new tab)Key takeaways
- The adopted policy sets a maximum nonresidential floor area ratio of 0.60 and requires a connectivity and amenity plan. Floor area ratio compares building floor area with the applicable land area.
- The policy was absent from the retrieved online code index, and one approval condition uses a conflicting reference. Ask the county to confirm the current policy and applicable conditions before relying on them.
Explore both Cypress Hollow report samples
See how the free property overview leads to a full report with maps, findings and recommended next actions.
Free property report sample
The initial property overview, preliminary findings and recommended screening topics.
Phase 1 · 4 pages · v4 · PDF
View free property report ↗Full report sample
Eight exhibits, soil-reading guides, habitat review and parcel-specific planning conditions.
Phase 2 · 20 pages · v4 · PDF
View full report ↗Both samples open in a new tab. Use your PDF viewer’s download control to save a copy.
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