Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout1991 05 01 Planning and Zoning Board Regular Minutes t'-.. " " "" .' .. PLANNING AND ZONING BOARD MINUTES May 1, 1991 The meeting was called to order at 7:30 p.m. BOARD MEMBERS: David Hopkins, Chairman, Present David McLeod, Vice-Chairman, Absent John Horan, Present * Martin Trencher, Present John Ferring, Present CITY OFFICIALS: J. Koch, Dir. Adm. I compo Planning D. LeBlanc, Land Dev. Coordinator * Horan arrived at 7:40, after voting on the on approval of the minutes of Feb. 27 through April 17 had occurred and after voting on the request by Richard Kerns had occurred. Approval of Minutes of February 27. 1991. Trencher moved to approved the minutes of February 27, 1991. Seconded by Ferring. Vote: All aye. Motion passed for approval of minutes as recorded. Approval of Minutes of March 13. 19 and 20. 1991. Ferring moved to approved the minute. of March 13, 19 and 20, 1991. Seconded by Trencher. Vote: All aye. Motion passed for approval of minutes as recorded. Approval of Minutes of April 17. 1991. Trencher moved to approved the minutes of February 27, 1991. Seconded by Ferring. Vote: All aye. Motion passed for approval of minutes as recorded. Continuation of request by Richard Kerns for home occupation approval to repair washers and dryers in R-1 Zonina cateaorv 1649 David Street). LeBlanc explained to the Board that Mr. Kerns, at the request of the Board at the last meeting, has come in with a letter signed by his neighbors regarding his home occupation activities. Ferring moved to accept Kerns' application for his home occupation to repair washers and dryers. Seconded by Trencher. LeBlanc indicated that the City has received no complaints regarding this activity since the last meeting. Vote: All aye. Motion passed for approval of Richard Kerns' request. Conceptual Plan - Tuscawilla Country Club. 1S0-unit Guest Cottaae proposal. LeBlanc explained that the City Manager requested to the Commission a change in procedures to have the Planning and Zoning Board review the conceptual plan prior to any engineering. This saves the developer both time and money. Hopkins asked LeBlanc what the current land use was for this parcel. LeBlanc noted it is currently on the golf course. Per the 1977 Tuscawilla P.U.D. map, the parcel is between the 1st and 9th holes. Mr. Michael Holbrook of the Hanson Taylor, Inc. development firm addressed the Board. Holbrook reviewed the proposed improvements for the project. There currently exists a clubhouse, cafe building, swimming pool, tennis pro shop, ,...." " t1 Planning and Zoning Board Minutes May 1, 1991 Page 2 tennis courts, and a golf cart barn. Several recreational facilities would have to be relocated, including the pool area with spa, the tennis courts, with further development of additional tennis courts and a teaching facility. The Cottages are proposed to be two-story units, in character with the surrounding multi-family units, similar to the existing club house. Proposed density is 15 DU per acre. Holbrook provided a landscape concept to show the character of the project. He stated that efforts would be made to preserve and work around existing vegetation. ,% Trencher noted that the letter of April 25 (from Hanson Taylor, Inc. to the City) makes reference to the proposed use of the facility as a "motel like" operation. Trencher asked if there has been any consideration as to the maximum length of stay of a guest. James Mikes of Florida Country Clubs Inc. (the owner of Tuscawilla Country Club) addressed the question. He stated he has had conversations with the president of the Tuscawilla Home OWners Association, Mr. Moti Khemlani, regarding the proposed use. While the original intent was to provide a "motel like" facility, it is now their intent to make it a long term rental facility. Trencher asked how Mikes would operate long term rentals under the term "Guest Cottages". Mikes stated he is willing to go either way - he understood it was the consensus of the community that they did not want a hotel use facility. It will be financed as a rental project and would not be licensed as a hotel which would allow short term stays. LeBlanc noted that the apartment concept was never presented to the City staff. What was presented to the City was a short term stay facility to be used as part of a golf or tennis vacation package. If the project is to become apartments, the land use would have to be changed. Horan asked Mikes about the cost of the project. Mikes responded $7.5 million. Horan questioned the ability of Mikes to fund that type of debt with apartment units. Mikes said he would not do a financial feasibility study till he gets a site plan approval. Trencher noted that the central issue at this point is the proposed use of the facility - apartments or guest cottages. Mikes noted he wishes to acquiesce to the needs and desires of the surrounding community and this would have no impact on the site plan itself, as the units would look the same whether used as apartments or cottages. Koch presented to the Board a document which was part of the original Tuscawilla P.U.D. DRI approval outlining a formula for allowable densities and land uses. The document, which was upheld in a court ruling on the Imara suit, specifically differentiates between apartments and quest cottages, thus a formal amendment to the P.U.D. map would have to be made should the proposed project be used as apartments. " " ~ "'-. ~ .' Planning and zoning Board Minutes May 1, 1991 Page 3 Mikes stated he is presenting the proposal tonight as guest cottages, he has also stated that he is willing to consider their use as apartments. He is not withdrawing the proposal as it is currently being presented as guest cottages. He is asking the Board to review a site plan which is consistent with the current zoning to be used as guest cottages. Horan noted that the Board needs to know whether guest cottages are a permitted use prior to approving the proposed site plan. LeBlanc replied that at the specified location, city staff cannot determine whether it is a permitted use - it would be a legal opinion. The Board suggested the City Attorney make a recommendation on this issue. Ferring requested copies of the Imara decision to be distributed to the members of the Board. Koch noted that the purpose of this Board's review of tonight's proposed site plan is, given that this is a land use allowed on the master plan at this density, what do you think of types of buildings being proposed, the general layout and location. Moti Khemlani stated he has had discussions with Mikes over the past several years regarding this basic concept of a hotel like Saddlebrook. The homeowners have been against this from day one. Khemlani also stated that previous discussions with homeowners concluded that apartments are not a desired facility, as they already have enough apartments and the homeowners don't like rentals. The homeowners have never approved the building of apartments or guest cottages but have instead wished for expansion of existing facilities like the clubhouse, tennis courts and the pool areas. Trencher questioned Mikes on the maximum length of stay of guests should the facility be used as guest cottages. Mikes responded the stays would be as long as seasonal stays, encompassing two to three months. Answering further operational questions from Trencher, Mikes noted that it would take about 40 additional employees to operate the cottages, employees which could come from the Tuscawilla area (the existing recreational facility employees, maintenance workers, food and beverage persons, would still be required). Trencher asked about the disruption of the existing recreational facilities while the project was being built. Mikes replied the new facilities would be constructed prior to taking the others out of use. The 150 units will not be a phased-in project but will be built in one phase. Replying to Trencher's question, Mikes stated he has not done a formal traffic impact study on the proposed project. Horan noted that at $7.5 million, the guest cottage proposal is a major commercial operation in the center of the polestar community of the City. This does not compare with existing condominiums or apartments. Horan feels this proposal is not consistent with the existing residential neighborhood. Mikes noted he is taking an existing land use in which he is permitted to develop. He is pursuing what is on the master plan. Horan countered that the zoning is P.ll.D. The permitted land use of guest cottages is a sliver of land between the (' t1 ~~ Planning and Zoning Board Minutes May 1, 1991 Page 4 1st and 9th holes bordering the practice range. The other area the proposal is developing is designated Tuscawilla Country Club. Mikes noted the original 10 acres were left intact from a 1973 plan. The words Tuscawilla Country Club were simply printed over a portion of this 10 acres on the map. Horan maintained that the proposed plan is not consistent with the existing land use planning map. An opinion from counsel is required. Koch noted that we are dealing with two land use designations: country club and guest cottages. The expansions to existing facilities is an expansion of the country club and would not require an amendment to the map. The 150 units would be based on the approval of 10 acres of guest cottages at 15 units per acre. The rest is a modification to the final development plan of the country club. The additional facilities are not part of the cottages - they would be available to anyone, not just the visitors to the cottages. The question at hand is reviewing the type of structure suitable for this use and the general layout of the proposed project. Hopkins asked Mikes if the club is a private club. Mikes affirmed this. Hopkins wanted to know if the proposal would infringe on the rights of existing club members in regard to the amenities. Mikes stated the recreational facilities would be shared by guests and club members. He added the members have no rights to a specific use - in fact the members will have access to improved facilities. The Board again agreed that the City Attorney make a legal opinion on the permitted land use on the specified parcel. City Manager Rozansky stated that if the Board tables the issue tonight, he will get a legal opinion from the City Attorney. Rozansky reviewed the purpose of the proposed plan review process. The Board, upon receiving a positive opinion from the City Attorney on the permitted use, would review the building elevations, parking layout, ingress/egress plan, easements, potential ponds, etc. and make recommendations to the Commission. Motion to table the proposed Tuscawilla Country Club guest cottage project till the Board gets a determination from the City Attorney regarding the authorized location of the 10 acres of Quest cottaaes on the Tuscawilla P.U.D. master Dlan. Motion made by Ferring, seconded by Trencher. Vote: All-aye. Land Use Reaulations Horan reviewed for the Board the suggestion made during the Board' s last workshop to recommend to the Commission that the City put out RFPs to retain a consultant to draft proposed land use regulations consistent with our Comprehensive Plan. Th. consultants could work with the Board and staff after the City gets its plan back from the DCA. City Manager Rozansky agreed with the idea. ~ -.". , , Planning and Zoning Board Minutes May 1, 1991 Page 5 Horan made a motion to recommend the hiring of the consultant to the City Commission. Seconded by Trencher. Vote: All aye. The meeting was adjourned at 9:26 p.m. Respectfully Submitted, J~)"ttw Gregory Kern, Recording Secretary Planning and Zoning Board