Summary This application is a request by James J. Meehan, P.E., applicant and agent for Golden Pond Farms Inc. and Florida Timber Co, property owners, for the approval of a preliminary plat for a proposed 210 lot subdivision. Phase 1 of the proposed development shall consist of 75 lots.
The subject property is located immediately south of the Meadowglen subdivision, west of County Road 235-A (also known as NW 173rd Street,) and north-northwest of the Santa Fe Hills subdivision. Access to the subject property shall be provided by a connection to County Road 235-A
The proposed Benton Hills subdivision would consist of lots ranging in size from ±7,500 square feet to ±12,000 square feet, with the majority of lots between ±7,500 square feet and ±9,000 square feet. The preliminary plat proposes a series of common areas throughout the development and a project boundary buffer ranging in width from ±20 feet to ±40 feet around the north, east, and west sides of the project, with many of the development’s lots located adjacent to either a common area or project boundary buffer. The density of Phase 1 of the development would be 2.43 units per acre, while the project’s overall density would be 2.59 units per acre.
The applicant indicates that fire protection shall be provided through the installation of a sprinkler system within each single-family residential dwelling until such time that sufficient water pressure exists in the City’s potable water system at the subject property to meet National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standards for non-sprinkled single-family residential dwellings. Further review by the City’s Public Services Department of the project’s compliance with fire protection standards shall occur throughout the subdivision review process (i.e., during construction plan review) and will determine if water system upgrades are necessary.
Development within the proposed subdivision would connect to potable water and wastewater facilities. Stormwater for Phase 1 of the project would be conveyed to a stormwater management facility in the northwestern portion of the subject property. Future phases of the project shall also be served by a stormwater management facility in the southwestern portion of the subject property. An analysis of the development’s impact on public facilities is provided within the Staff Report (attached.)
Section 2.4.10(G)(2) of the City’s Land Development Regulations (LDRs) establishes the requirements for a plat. An analysis of the application’s compliance with the applicable standards of this section has been provided within the Staff Report.
The Planning & Zoning Board (PZB) held a public hearing on the proposed preliminary plat on December 8, 2015, and voted 4-0 to transmit the application to the City Commission, with a recommendation to approve, subject to the four (4) conditions provided in Exhibit "A" of the December 8, 2015, Staff Report to the PZB. During the hearing, five (5) members of the public commented on the proposed preliminary plat. Comments related to: buffering between the Meadowglen subdivision and the project; water system upgrades that may be required to serve the development; the speed of traffic along NW CR 235-A; drainage requirements; the desire for a sidewalk along NW CR 235-A; traffic and visibility of vehicular traffic approaching the project's ingress/egress; proposed parks/green space within the development; and the types of uses (i.e., single-family, multiple family, commercial) proposed by the project.
Subsequent to the finalization and publication of the December 8, 2015, Staff Report to the PZB, Conditions #1 and #2 of Exhibit "A" of the referenced report have been addressed.
Condition #1 requires the applicant to coordinate with the Alachua County E911 Office and the City to obtain street names for all proposed streets, and to place the street names assigned by the Alachua County E911 Office on all sheets of the Preliminary Plat depicting proposed streets. The Alachua County E911 Office has assigned street names for all proposed streets, and the applicant has since revised the proposed Preliminary Plat to place street names on all sheets depicting proposed streets.
Condition #2 requires the applicant to furnish written proof from the Alachua County Health Department demonstrating compliance with the Department's provisions for sanitary sewage disposal for the subdivision. Correspondence was received from Todd Harris, Environmental Manager, Alachua County Health Department, on December 7, 2015, addressing this condition.
In addition to the aforementioned revisions to the proposed Preliminary Plat to address Staff's recommended conditions, the applicant has revised the Preliminary Plat to provide a 5 foot sidewalk along NW CR 235-A, from the existing sidewalk's current terminus (approximately 150 feet south of the subject property) to the project's northern property line. The design and width of the proposed sidewalk along NW CR 235-A conforms to the requirements of Article 7 of the City's LDRs. It should be noted that, while the City's LDRs require a sidewalk along the project's frontage of NW CR 235-A (which would have been required to be provided in the project's Construction Plans), the applicant has agreed to extend the sidewalk to the existing terminus to make a logical connection to the existing sidewalk system. |