Board/Committee Agenda Item

MEETING DATE:  7/11/2017

SUBJECT:  Site-Specific Amendment to the Official Zoning Atlas: A request by Karl Kristoff, applicant and agent for Khanh Dinh, for consideration of a Site-Specific Amendment to the Official Zoning Atlas (Rezoning) to amend the Official Zoning Atlas from Residential Single Family - 3 (RSF-3) to Residential Multiple Family - 8 (RMF-8) on a ±1.2 acre subject property. Consisting of Tax Parcel 03131-103-000 (Quasi-Judicial Hearing).

PREPARED BY:  Justin Tabor, AICP, Principal Planner

RECOMMENDED ACTION:

Staff recommends that the Planning & Zoning Board transmit the Site-Specific Amendment to the Official Zoning Atlas to the City Commission with a recommendation to approve, upon making the following motion:

Based upon the competent substantial evidence presented at this hearing, the presentation before this Board, and Staff’s recommendation, this Board finds the application for a Site-Specific Amendment to the Official Zoning Atlas to be consistent with the City of Alachua Comprehensive Plan and in compliance with the Land Development Regulations and transmits the application to the City Commission, with a recommendation to approve.

Summary

The proposed Site Specific Amendment to the City of Alachua Official Zoning Atlas (Rezoning) is a request by Karl Kristoff, applicant and agent for Khanh Dinh, property owner, for the consideration of the rezoning of the subject property from Residential Single Family – 3 (“RSF-3”) to Residential Multiple Family – 8 (“RMF-8”).

The subject property is located at 15803 NW 140^th Street and is comprised of Tax Parcel Number 03131-103-000. The subject property is a­pproximately 1.20 acres in size, and is located east of NW 140^th Street, south of NW 158^th Place, and north of NW 158^th Avenue. The Cleather Hathcock Community Center is located to the northwest and across NW 140^th Street from the subject property.

The subject property is presently developed with a building (approximately 21,000 square feet), and associated parking areas. The building has historically been used for industrial uses (the use of the property for industrial purposes is nonconforming to the present zoning of the subject property). The applicant has indicated a desire to rezone the property to facilitate its use for multi-family residential purposes.

The subject property presently has a Medium Density Residential Future Land Use Map (FLUM) Designation, which permits a density of four (4) to eight (8) dwelling units per acre. The proposed zoning district (RMF-8) would permit development of the property at a density consistent with the density allowed by the existing FLUM Designation of the property.

The general purposes of the residential zone districts established by the City’s Land Development Regulations (LDRs) are described in Section 3.4.1 of the LDRs:

The residential zone districts contained in this section are established and intended to provide a comfortable, healthy, safe, and pleasant environment in which to live. More specifically, they are intended to:

(A) Provide appropriately located lands for residential development. Provide appropriately located lands for residential development that are consistent with the goals, objectives, and policies of the Comprehensive Plan;(B) Protect from harmful effects. Protect residents from the harmful effects of noise, traffic congestion, and other significant adverse environmental effects; and

 (C) Provide lands with varying degrees of density. Provide for residential lands with varying density, together with public and semipublic buildings and facilities, accessory structures, and nonresidential services, as may be compatible with such development.

The specific purpose of the RSF-3 zoning district are described in Section 3.4.2(B) of LDRs:

RSF-3, Residential Single-Family-3.The RSF-3 district is established as a district in which the principal use of land is single-family residential development at a moderate density in areas served by water and sewer systems. The regulations of this district are intended to discourage any use that would substantially interfere with the development of single-family dwellings and that would be detrimental to the quiet residential nature of the district. Complementary uses customarily found in residential zone districts, such as community facilities, religious institutions, parks and playgrounds, and schools, are also allowed. The minimum lot area is 10,000 square feet and the maximum density allowed is three dwelling units an acre.

The specific purpose of the RMF-8 zoning district are described in Section 3.4.2(G) of the Land Development Regulations (LDRs):

RMF-8, Residential Multiple Family District-8.The RMF-8 district is established and intended to encourage a mixture of medium-density housing types, including single-family detached, townhouses, two- to four-family, and multiple-family dwellings, in areas served by water and sewer systems. Complementary uses customarily found in residential zone districts, such as community facilities, religious institutions, parks and playgrounds, and schools, are also allowed. The maximum density allowed is eight dwelling units an acre.