Commission Agenda Item

MEETING DATE:  1/14/2019

SUBJECT:  Ordinance 19-05, Second and Final Reading; Land Development Regulations Text Amendments - Amending Section 3.7.2 (C), relating to landscape requirements for the U.S Highway 441/ Interstate 75 Gateway Overlay District; Amending Section 6.2, relating to Tree Protection & Landscaping standards; Amending Section 6.2.1, relating to Tree protection standards; Amending Section 6.2.2, relating to Landscaping standards; Amending Section 6.2.3, relating to Screening standards; Amending Appendix 6.2.2.A, relating to the list of recommended trees/plants and nuisance trees; Amending Article 10, providing definitions for Florida Friendly Landscaping and Quality tree protection area. (Legislative)

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 adopts Ordinance 19-05 on second and final reading.

Summary

In the process of implementing the City’s Land Development Regulations (LDRs) specifically pertaining to landscaping and tree protection standards, Staff has found that certain subsections could be streamlined for more efficient implementation, and that there was a need to reevaluate this section of the LDRs to ensure that its standards are in line with current scientific data and best practices. Staff consulted with landscape architects familiar with the City’s LDRs and considered feedback received in the drafting of these proposed amendments.

In summary, some of the substantial changes being proposed as a part of this amendment are:

• Increased incentives for preservation of natural areas and meeting certain site design criteria
• Allowance for 25% of mitigation trees to be used for other landscaping requirements
• Reductions in total number of site landscaping trees for residential and business uses
• Reductions in landscaping required for small development areas
• Allowance for limiting amount of clustering of perimeter buffer landscaping
• Type D (“Opaque”) buffer reduced to permit better spacing between canopy trees
• Deletion of recommended tree list
• Creation of cap on reductions: 20% of any landscape requirement must be provided regardless of any incentives used for reduction.
• Numerous procedural or technical clarifications
• Modified tree credit table that significantly increases incentives for preservation of heritage trees

Each proposed amendment and a staff comment further elaborating upon the purpose of the amendment is provided in the Staff Report.  A summary table indicating all changed Code sections is included as Exhibit ‘A’ to the Staff Report.

At the November 13, 2018 Planning and Zoning Board hearing, the Board voted 5-0 in favor of forwarding the application to the City Commission with a recommendation to approve. 

At the December 10, 2018 City Commission hearing, the Commission voted 5-0 to approve Ordinance 19-05 on first reading, and scheduled second and final reading for January 14, 2019.