Commission Agenda Item

MEETING DATE:  4/9/2018

SUBJECT:  Ordinance 18-08, Second Reading: Land Development Regulations (LDR) Text Amendment - A request by the City of Alachua to amend, modify, or create the following Sections of the City of Alachua Land Development Regulations (LDRs): 1.4.5; 1.7.7; 2.2.2(C)(3); 2.2.3(E); 2.2.9(A); 2.2.15(B); 2.4.9(G); 2.4.10; 3.6.3(A)(5); 3.6.3(C)(5); 3.6.3(D)(5); 4.1.2; 4.4.2(D)(2); 4.5.6(D)(4); 6.1.3(N); 6.1.4(B)(2)(a) - (d); 6.8.1(B); 6.8.3(A)(1); and 10.2; and amending Tables 4.1-1 and 4.4-1 (Legislative Hearing).

RECOMMENDED ACTION:

Staff recommends that the City Commission find the proposed Text Amendments to the City's Land Development Regulations (LDRs) to be consistent with the City of Alachua Comprehensive Plan and in compliance with the City's LDRs and adopt Ordinance 18-08 on second and final reading.

Summary

In the process of implementing the City’s Land Development Regulations (LDRs), Staff has identified various subsections which are either challenging for Staff to implement, challenging for the application of the subsection to be met by a landowner / developer, or the subsection is in need of further clarification. Similarly, Staff has identified various aspects of land use and development which currently are not fully or clearly addressed by the LDRs.  

In an effort to improve and further clarify the implementation of the LDRs, Staff proposes to amend the LDRs, as further described in the Staff Report attached to this agenda item. The last comprehensive review and amendment of the LDRs for such purposes occurred in spring 2016.

Each proposed amendment is shown in strikethrough / underscore format in the attached Staff Report. In addition, the Staff Report provides staff comments which further elaborate upon the purpose of the proposed amendment. 

On March 13, 2018, the Planning & Zoning Board (PZB) held a public hearing on the proposed text amendments to the City's LDRs. Following the close of the public hearing, the PZB voted 4-0 to find the Text Amendments to the City’s LDRs to be consistent with the City of Alachua Comprehensive Plan and in compliance with the City’s LDRs and to transmit the proposed text amendments to the to the City Commission with a recommendation to approve. Draft minutes of the March 13, 2018 PZB Meeting are included within the materials attached to this item.

On March 26, 2018, the City Commission held the first reading and a public hearing of Ordinance 18-08. At the close of the public hearing, the City Commission voted 5-0 to find the proposed text amendments to the City's LDRs consistent with the Comprehensive Plan and in compliance with the City's LDRs, and approved Ordinance 18-08 on first reading.