Summary The proposed Large Scale Comprehensive Plan Amendment (LSCPA) is a request by Ryan Thompson, AICP, of Causseaux, Hewett, & Walpole, Inc., applicant and agent for Alachua A One, LLC, property owner, for the consideration of a Large Scale Comprehensive Plan Amendment (LSCPA) to the City of Alachua Future Land Use Map (FLUM). The proposed amendment would change the FLUM Designation of the property from Commercial (±21.2 acres), Medium Density Residential (±36 acres), and Moderate Density Residential (±40 acres) to Commercial (±2.11 acres), Corporate Park (±27.88 acres), High Density Residential (±27.88 acres), and Moderate Density Residential (±39.36 acres) on an approximate ±97.23 acre subject property.
The subject property is located to the north of the HighPoint Crossing subdivision, which was recently approved by the City Commission on September 24, 2018. The subdivision consists primarily of roadway improvements, utility infrastructure, and master planning of stormwater to serve future development surrounding the roadway / infrastructure improvements. The subdivision also included a single lot (Lot 1), which is intended to serve the development of a ±100-room hotel.
The applicant has stated that the intent of this application is to reconfigure the FLUM Designations of the subject property “… to allow for an apartment complex closer to approved infrastructure and at a higher density as well as to permit a larger variety of nonresidential uses than what is currently permitted by introducing uses permitted within corporate parks.”
The applicant has concurrently submitted an application to rezone the subject property to zoning districts compatible to those proposed by the LSCPA application. Specifically, the rezoning application would amend the zoning of the subject property from Commercial Intensive (CI) (±21.2 acres),Residential Multiple Family – 8 (RMF-8) (±36 acres), and Residential Single Family – 4 (RSF-4) (±40 acres) to Commercial Intensive (CI) (±2.11 acres), Corporate Park (27.88 acres), Residential Multiple Family – 15 (RMF-15) (±27.88 acres), and Residential Single Family – 4 (RSF-4) (±39.36 acres).
Policy 1.2.a of the Future Land Use Element establishes the Moderate Density Residential land use category, and states that this category allows residential development at a maximum density of 4 dwelling units per acre. The following uses are examples of uses permitted within the Moderate Density Residential land use category: single family, conventional dwelling units; accessory dwelling units; residential planned developments; and supporting community services, such as schools, houses of worship, parks, and community centers.
Policy 1.2.b of the Future Land Use Element establishes the Medium Density Residential land use category, and states that this category allows residential development at a density of 4 dwelling units per acre to 8 dwelling units per acre, as well as small-scale neighborhood commercial and mixed use developments. The following uses are examples of uses permitted within the Medium Density Residential land use category: single family, conventional dwelling units and single family, attached dwelling units; accessory dwelling units; live/work units; residential planned developments; and supporting community services, such as schools, houses of worship, parks, and community centers.
Policy 1.2.c of the Future Land Use Element establishes the High Density Residential land use category, and states that this category allows residential development at a density of 8 dwelling units per acre to 15 dwelling units per acre, as well as certain complementary uses, such as a limited range of neighborhood-scale retail and services. The following uses are examples of uses permitted within the High Density Residential land use category: single family, conventional dwelling units and single family, attached dwelling units; accessory dwelling units; apartments and townhomes; live/work units; residential planned developments; traditional mixed-use neighborhood planned developments; neighborhood-scale retail and services under 30,000 square feet designed specifically to serve the surrounding neighborhood (i.e., a convenience store without gas pumps, dry cleaners, pharmacies, green grocers, or business and professional offices); group living; and supporting community services, such as schools, houses of worship, parks, and community centers.
Policy 1.3.b of the Future Land Use Element establishes the Commercial land use category, and states that this category is established to provide for general commercial uses, as well as more intense commercial and highway commercial uses. The following uses are examples of uses permitted within the Commercial land use category: retail sales and services; personal services; financial institutions; tourist-related uses; hotels, motels; commercial shopping centers; auto-oriented uses; office/business parks; limited industrial services; and eating establishments.
Objective 1.4 and Policy 1.4.a of the Future Land Use Element establishes the Corporate Park land use category, and states that this category is intended to provide appropriate locations for mixed use office-oriented development to promote and foster the growth of established industries within the City, including but not limited to research and development and technology and biotechnology. The Corporate Park land use category may include office/business parks, biotechnology and other technologies, business incubators, a limited amount of retail sales and services, single-family and multi-family residential (provided certain criteria is met), building industry uses, and accessory storage facilities (including outdoor storage yards).
At the October 9, 2018 Planning & Zoning Board meeting, the Board voted 5-0 to find the application to be consistent with the City of Alachua Comprehensive Plan and to transmit it to the City Commission with a recommendation to approve.
At its November 5, 2018 meeting, the City Commission voted 5-0 to approve Ordinance 19-01 on first reading, and authorized Staff to submit the amendment to the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) under the Expedited State Review Process.
In accordance with Chapter 163.3184(3(b)1., Florida Statutes, the City submitted the proposed Comprehensive Plan Amendment to the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) and the following agencies/jurisdictions: The Florida Department of Environmental Protection, the Florida Department of Transportation - District 2 Office, the Florida Department of State, the North Central Florida Regional Planning Council, the Department of Economic Opportunity (Bureau of Economic Development), the Suwannee River Water Management District, the Department of Education, the City of Gainesville, the City of High Springs, Alachua County Department of Growth Management, and the School Board of Alachua County.
The City received correspondence from the following agencies: DEO, Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP), Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), the North Central Florida Regional Planning Council (NCFRPC), and the Suwanee River Water Management District, There were no objections raised or comments offered by these agencies regarding this application. The letter received from FDOT recommended coordination between the City and FDOT in order to address the project's impacts to state roads. The City historically has coordinated with FDOT to address project impacts to state roads, and will continue to do so during the development review process for development proposed on the subject property. | | |