CITYOF SARASOTA Planning and Development Division Neighborhood and Development Services Department MINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETING OF THE PLANNING BOARD/LOCAL PLANNING AGENCY January 10, 2018 at 6:00 p.m. in the Sarasota City Commission Chambers Planning Board Patrick Gannon, Chair Members Present: Eileen Normile, Vice Chair Members Damien Blumetti, David Morriss, Kathy Kelley Ohlrich Planning Board Members Absent: City Staff Present: Michael Connolly, Deputy City Attorney Steven R. Cover, Planning Director, Planning Department Gretchen Schneider, General Manager, Development Services Lucia Panica, Chief Planner, Development Services David L. Smith, AICP, Chief Planner, Planning Department Miles Larsen, Manager, Public Broadcasting Karen Grassett, Senior Planning Technician I. CALL MEETING TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL PB Chair Gannon called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m. and Planning Director Cover [as Secretary to the Board] called the roll. II. CHANGES TO THE ORDER OF THE DAY There were no changes to the Order of the Day. PB Chair Gannon welcomed all to the first meeting of the year and his first meeting as PB Chairperson; thanked PB Members for their vote; pointed out that he will try to give everyone who wishes to speak a fair chance, and requested that speakers refrain from crosstalk and focus discussions on the agenda items. III. LAND USE ADMINISTRATION PUBLIC HEARINGS NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC: At this time anyone wishing to speak at the following public hearings will be required to take an oath. (Time limitations will be established by the Planning Board.) A. Reading ofthe Pledge of Conduct Secretary Cover read the Pledge of Conduct. Attorney Connolly stated that the first public hearing is non-quasi-judicial, the following two public hearings are quasi-judicial, and he will explain the procedures for those later; noted that there are no applications for affected person's status; recommended time limits for this evening's presentations; and administered the Oath to all present who intended to speak this evening. Minutes of the Regular Planning Board Meeting January 10, 2018 at 6:00 p.m. in the Sarasota City Commission Chambers Page 2 of 17 B. Non-Quasl-Judicial Public Hearings 1. COMPREHENSIVE PLAN AMENDMENT APPLICATION No. 17-PA-02 is a request to amend the Future Land Use Map classification of a 1.03+ acre property from Community Office/Institutional to Community Commercial. The site is located west of and adjacent to Washington Boulevard (US 301) between 32nd and 33rd Streets and has a Property Identification Number of 2020-08-0080. The site is currently vacant. If the Future Land Use Map amendment is approved, the applicant intends to rezone the property from the Office Regional District (ORD) to the Commercial General District (CGD) SO that a 9,900 sq. ft. hardware and home improvement store could be constructed on the site. (David L. Smith, AICP, Chief Planner) Staff Presentation: Chief Planner Smith introduced himself for the record; stated that Application No 17- PA-02 is a small scale Comprehensive Plan Amendment; noted that the applicant wishes to change the Future Land Use designation of a 1.03+ acre property from Community Office/Institutional to Community Commercial; added that the site is located on the west side of Washington Blvd. (a.k.a. US 301), between 32nd and 33rd Streets, and is currently vacant with some trees; pointed out that if the Future Land Use Map amendment is approved, the applicant will rezone the property from Office Regional District (ORD) to Commercial General District (CGD), SO that a 9,900 sq. ft. hardware and home improvement store could be constructed on the site; noted that the Zoning Code also requires a site plan, since the parcel is located within 100 ft. of a residential district; referred to llustration 1: Aerial Photograph (2017), on Pg. 6 of 91 of the staff report; pointed out the location of the trees on the site; noted that to the north there is a commercial retail store selling flooring materials, to the south there is a juvenile justice facility operated by the State of Florida, to the east, across Washington Blvd., there is a waste management facility for recycling, a cemetery, and some other commercial establishments, and to the west there are single family homes; referred to llustration 2: Zoning Map (p. 7 of 91); noted that the site is currently zoned Office Regional District (ORD), the area to the north is zoned Commercial Intensive (CI), the are to the east across US301 is zoned Industrial (ILW), and the area to the south is zoned Office (OPB-1); pointed out that all these are former zoning districts, and are no longer implementing Zone Districts; added that the area to the west is zoned Residential Single Family (RSF-4); explained that this evening the Planning Board is considering only the Future Land Use Amendment, and, if approved, the rezoning will follow; referred to llustration 3: Currently Approved Future Land Use Map (p. 8 of 91); noted that the site is currently classified Community Ofice/Institutional, properties to the south and north have the same classification; added that the properties across US 301, the site of the Cemetery, is classified Open PsekeratsCameatin and the site of the recycling facility is classified Community Commercial, to the west the area is classified Single Family (Low Density) on the Future Land Use Map; referred to lllustration 4: Proposed Future Land Use Map (p. 9 of 91), and noted that the proposed land use classification for this site will be compatible with the existing land use classifications to the north, east and south; stated that the staff report includes a benefits analysis; added that two recent market analyses have indicated that there is a retail shortage in the area, Minutes of the Regular Planning Board Meeting January 10, 2018 at 6:00 p.m. in the Sarasota City Commission Chambers Page3of 17 and a hardware store could meet the economic and employment needs of this area; pointed out that the Economic Development Department supports this petition; noted that the City has conducted a Level of Service analysis, and the reviewing departments stated that the proposed amendment has no negative impacts on the levels of service; and stated a traffic study was conducted and review comments are included in the report. Chief Planner Smith noted that the Comprehensive Plan discourages expansion of this land use classification unless mixed use development is proposed, and this particular proposal does not include residential uses; added that the current land use classification of Community Office/Institutional is a more compatible land use designation, they operate during the day unlike the commercial uses which operate day and evening hours; stated that staff has conducted an on-balance evaluation of the proposed Comprehensive Plan Amendment, which is an evaluation or weighing process of the strengths and weaknesses of a request for development approval to determine whether it furthers the relevant components of the Sarasota City Plan; explained that the focus is not on the number of the components the proposal is consistent or inconsistent with, but on the relative importance of those components, and concluded that staff's on balance recommendation is for approval for this proposal. PB Member Morriss asked if there is anything in this process to tie down the applicant to develop a hardware store. Chief Planner Smith stated that there is nothing in the Comprehensive Plan Amendment process, but the use could be tied down later, in the rezoning and the site plan approval process. PB Member Ohlrich asked if there is a regular schedule for amending and revising the Comprehensive Plan. Chief Planner Smith explained that there is an annual amendment cycle for privately initiated amendments, and this application is part of that annual cycle; added that there is also the State required Evaluation and Appraisal Report (EAR) of the Comprehensive Plan, which is done every seven years, and the intent is to review any new State regulations and make necessary amendments to the City's Comprehensive Plan. PB Vice Chair Normile noted that if this is approved, it will allow four or five other zoning districts, including Commercial Shopping Center, and asked how intensive that use is. Chief Planner Smith referred to the Zoning Code, explained that the City does not have to approve the most intensive implementing zoning district for the proposed Future Land Use classification; and added that this was stated in the case of Schneider VS. Board of County Commissioners, in the 1990's, and is referenced in the Comprehensive Plan. Chief Planner Smith reviewed the intent and purpose of all implementing Zoning Districts for the Community Commercial Future Land Use Classification; stated that the Commercial General (CGD) Zone District is intended to allow auto accommodated Minutes of the Regular Planning Board Meeting January 10, 2018 at 6:00 p.m. in the Sarasota City Commission Chambers Page 4 of 17 commercial development, allows for a full range of retail services for the local community and regional market, compatibility with adjacent residential uses, and is aesthetically pleasing; noted that the more intensive uses require Conditional Use approval; added that the Commercial Residential Zone District (CRD) is more: intensive, it has been used on the Broadway Promenade, on 10th Street, which is an intensive shopping center as it includes residential and commercial uses; noted that the Commercial Storefront Zone District (CSD) is less intensive, but development is designed for pedestrian oriented shopping, and may be appropriate on signalized intersections of busy streets, but US301 is not a pedestrian oriented environment; added that the Commercial Neighborhood Zone District (CN) is less intense and appropriate for neighborhood oriented commercial uses; pointed out that the Commercial Shopping Center Zone District is more intensive; and concluded that CDG seems to be the most appropriate zone district for this site. Responding to PB Chair Gannon, Chief Planner Smith confirmed that this evening the Planning Board will review the proposed Comprehensive Plan Amendment relating to proposed changes to the Future Land Use Map, and the applicant will have to come back for rezoning and site plan approval Attorney Connolly administered to Oath to additional people who intend to speak this evening. Applicant Presentation: Mr. Joel Freedman, representing Cocchiola LLC, introduced himself and Tony Cocchiola, the property owner for the record; stated that they are requesting an amendment to the future land use designation of their site, on the west side of US301, which is currently classified for Community Commercial uses;it is also zoned OPB that allows office uses; noted that the site to the north is zoned Commercial Intensive; they agree with staff's on-balance analysis of the proposed Comprehensive Plan Amendment and staff's recommendation for approval; ultimately, they want to build a 9,900 sq. ft. retail store, a hardware and home improvement store; and noted that the property owners have 16 stores throughout the state, along the east coast of Florida, in Ft. Myers and Orlando, and want to build one in Sarasota. Mr. Cocchiola stated that he and his brother have been operating the hardware/home improvement stores since they finished high school; explained that they want to provide materials for cabinet makers or anyone who wishes to do house remodeling; noted that they have sixteen stores in the state, including Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, Pompano Beach and Tampa; and concluded that they think Sarasota is the right place for their next one. Mr. Freeman stated that in 2006, he rezoned this property for the previous owner, added that US301 was being widened at the time, and everyone thought this would be a great location for an office, sO it was rezoned for office, and it has been sitting there vacant ever since, because there is no interest for office uses at this location; stated that when Mr. Cocchiola and his partner saw this property they fell in love with it, and the trees Minutes of the Regular Planning Board Meeting January 10, 2018 at 6:00 p.m. in the Sarasota City Commission Chambers Page 5 of 17 on the site, which they want to preserve, even if they end up with a smaller building; noted they have already purchased the property, which is a risk, because if the Comprehensive Plan Amendment is not approved, they cannot rezone the property to build what they want; added that they will be filing a rezoning application the week following this public hearing; stated that mixed use developments and residential uses are not appropriate for US 301; noted that this is a low scale development and it will provide a nice buffer between US301 and the residential areas to the west; pointed out that the hours of operation are 7:30. AM to 5:00 PM, similar to offices, SO there will be no night time activities; noted that the property is within the Newtown Redevelopment Area, and the community has been involved and they support this; added that it will generate property taxes, employment opportunities, as well as a service to the area; stated that they respect trees and intend to save the four grand trees on site, even though they end up with a smaller building; added that the neighbors did not oppose the plan in the Neighborhood Workshop; noted that Ms. Beverly Garry, property owner on 33rd Street, called and expressed support for this development because it will block some noise; added that Ms. Carlotta Weeks called, property owner on 32nd Street, and she has no objections to the development; stated that Mr. Cocchiola said that he wants to build the hardware store in Sarasota, to complete the loop going around the state, sO when he supplies his stores it is efficient, he loves the Sarasota market, it is an appropriate use for this site, there no negative impacts because no Level of Service is impacted, sO the applicants arel hoping to get the Planning Board's support and move on to the next step, and get this project going. PB Member Morriss stated that this reassures him a lot, and noted he probably will shop there. PB Member Blumetti asked if this store will be only for contractors. Mr. Cocchiola stated that the store will be available for anyone to shop, noting they offer 15,000 products, as anyone can see on their website, and they can serve anybody, even the people in the neighborhood. PB Member Ohlrich stated that nobody attended the neighborhood workshop, noted Mr. Freedman reported the comments of two neighbors who called him, and asked if Mr. Freedman reached out to the neighbors or waited for them to contact him. Mr. Freedman said the City sends notices for the Neighborhood Workshop, they spoke with the people when they were visiting the site, but they have not gone door-to-door to speak to people, noting he does not think that is appropriate; stated he believes that through the Newtown Redevelopment Agency, the community knows this is going on, that is the reason no one attended the public hearing this evening, because they want something to happen at this location, and they love the idea of a home improvement store within walking distance for many of them; and stated this community is very tight-knit and he believes everyone knows. PB Member Ohlrich asked Mr. Freedman to give her an example of a local building of that size, for comparison purposes. Mr. Freedman said it is similar in size to the store located north of the site. Chief Planner Smith stated that the store to the north is 13,000 sq. ft. and the proposed store is smaller at 9,900 sq. ft. Minutes of the Regular Planning Board Meeting January 10, 2018 at 6:00 p.m. in the Sarasota City Commission Chambers Page 6 of 17 PB Chair Gannon followed up on the economic impact mentioned earlier, and noted that the Neighborhood Workshop, that was publicized, was held at City Hall, which is located 2-3 miles away from the neighborhood, not at a nearby location. Mr. Freedman stated that the neighbors did not come to the meeting, but Newtown Redevelopment Agency staff attended the meeting. PB Chair Gannon stated that their attendance is not noted anywhere, because they did not sign, but it is a key element, because of the review criteria required to assure compatibility with the neighborhood; and asked how many persons he hires at the store for all the hours of operation. Mr. Cocchiola responded 4- 56 employees, and stated he always hires locally. Public Input: There was none. PB Chair Gannon closed the public hearing. PB Vice Chair Normile, based on the evidence in the record and all standards for: review, moved to adopt a motion to find that petition 17-PA-02 is consistent with the requirements of the Sarasota City Plan (2030) and is in the public benefit, and recommend that the City Commission approve the petition. PB Member Blumetti seconded the motion. Speaking to her motion, PB Vice Chair Normile stated that Chief Planner Smith did a good job explaining the "on balance" analysis and that is indeed on balance and to the public benefit to have this change in the land use. PB Member Morriss stated that he is reassured that the multiple processes that follow make sure that this will be a hardware store versus some speculative redevelopment effort, and thinks this is appropriate. PB Member Blumetti agreed with PB Member Morriss' comments. PB Chair Gannon recognized that the land use change is compatible with the surrounding uses, noting staff analysis showed a strong compatibility support for this change. The motion for adoption is approved unanimously (Vote 5 to 0). Attorney Connolly noted that the following two public hearings are Quasi-judicial Public Hearings; explained the procedures for such hearings; stated that there are no applications for affected person's status for these public hearings, and recommended time limits for presentations. PB Chair Gannon asked if the Planning Board members had ex-parte communications. PBI Member Ohlrich disclosed ex-parte communications relating to Site Plan Application No 17-SP-15, Hyde Park Townhomes of Sarasota, including a site visit with staff and conversations with residents of the Arlington Park Neighborhood Association. PB Minutes of the Regular Planning Board Meeting January 10, 2018 at 6:00 p.m. in the Sarasota City Commission Chambers Page 7 of 17 Member Blumetti and PB Vice Chair Normile also disclosed ex-parte communications relating to Site Plan Application No 17-SP-15, Hyde Park Townhomes of Sarasota, stating they also conducted site visits with staff. C. Quasi-Judicial Public Hearings 1. AIRPORT HOTEL (965 UNIVERSITY PARKWAY): Site Plan Application No. 17-SP-13 is a request for site plan approval to construct a proposed 92 room hotel with parking in the vicinity of the Sarasota Bradenton International Airport on property approx. 2.2 acres and located in the Intensive Commercial District (ICD) zone district. (Lucia Panica, Chief Planner) Applicant Presentation: Mr. Don Neu, of Neu Morriss, LCC, introduced himself for the record, stated that he is presenting a site plan for a 92-room 5-story hotel, on a 2.23+ acre site located at 965 University Parkway, in Sarasota, owned by the Sarasota Manatee Airport Authority; stated currently the site is vacant, however this and two more parcels were rezoned some time ago, and established the uses for these parcels; noted that the proposed site plan is consistent with that rezoning; added that it is a standard hotel with 92 rooms, 5- stories; stated that there are no trees on the site; pointed out that the ones that are located on the east side of the property are on the neighbor's s lot; added that this hotel was planned for this site at the time of the rezoning; stated that the staff report is very detailed; and concluded the applicants agree with the staff report. PB Member Ohlrich asked if Mr. Neu's client has leasing rights to the property at 995 Airport Circle. Mr. Neu said "Yes." PB Member Ohlrich referred to page 30 of the packet, where, under item #4, it states, that the site was revised based on staff comments, and requested that Mr. Neu talk about those changes. Mr. Neu stated that they were minor adjustments to parking spaces and islands. PB Member Ohlrich asked Mr. Phil Smith, Arborist, to clarify the multiple references in his report relating to preserve or redirect surface roots", and asked how one redirects surface roots. Mr. Smith explained that the roots of the trees along the eastern property line have extended across the property lines, sO during construction they can cut some of the smaller roots and install curbing sO when the roots reach the curb, they will naturally change direction. PB Vice Chair Normile noticed that in the lease, they are required to have vertical construction within30 months of the lease; noted that will be December 2018, and asked about the timeline. Mr. Neu stated that they have all their reviews, are waiting for Site Plan approval before proceeding; and stated he is certain they will meet the requirements of the lease. PB Chair Gannon asked Mr. Smith if the trees along the eastern boundary are located on this lot or in the neighboring lot. Mr. Smith stated that the stem is in the neighboring lot, however the roots have crossed the lot line into this lot; added that the canopy is tall and does not create a problem; pointed out that the owner of this property has the right to trim the trees up to the property line; and stated that, if iti is necessary, the owner Minutes of the Regular Planning Board Meeting January 10, 2018 at 6:00 p.m. in the Sarasota City Commission Chambers Page 8 of 17 of this property can negotiate with the neighbor about ways to maintain the trees, with the intent of preserving the trees and providing a buffer to this site. Staff Presentation: Chief Planner Panica introduced herself for the record; stated the site is currently vacant, and is zoned Intensive Commercial (ICD); noted that to the north is a Budget Car Rental facility, to the east there is an Alamo Care Rental facility, to the south across on University Parkwayi is a Spring Hilton Hotel, and to the west is a Hampton Inn Hotel; pointed out that the Future Land Use classification of the site is Metropolitan Regional, the same as the properties surrounding this site on the west, north, and east; said that the parcel to the west is zoned ICD, the parcels to the north and to the east are zoned Governmental (G), and the parcels to the south are zoned Commercial Park (CP);added that in 2007 the site received approval of Zoning Ordinance Amendment 07-ROA-02, and Site Plan 05-SP-16; noted that these approvals also included the parcels located at 975 University Parkway, and 995 Airport Circle; pointed out that the Rezone Ordinance Amendment allowed for a total of 200 hotel rooms, 200,000 sq. ft. of professional Office Space, and 150 seats of quality restaurants, within all three parcels; stated that the land uses were consistent with the land uses adopted by the latest (at that time) Sarasota Bradenton International Airport DRI Development Order, as codified in the City of Sarasota Resolution 04R-1751; stated the existing hotel, at 975 University Parkway, was approved by that site plan, which is now the Hampton Inn, and contains 108 hotel rooms; noted that this leaves 92 rooms remaining to be developed, and that is what is being proposed this evening; stated that the applicant is requesting site plan approval to construct a five story, 92-room hotel with 145 parking spaces; noted that access is proposed from a single driveway from the Airport Circle; added that the site contains no trees, the trees along the east side of the property will be preserved, and there is no required mitigation; pointed out that the site plan meets all review criteria, the tree ordinance requirements, as well as development and landscaping standards; ;added that the application has received DRC sign off; and concluded that staff recommends approval with two standard conditions for site plans. PB Member Ohlrich asked if there was need for lot consolidation. Chief Planner Panica stated this is a single lot. PB Chair Gannon requested clarification on Item #5 of the staff report, on p. 8., and asked if there is a sidewalk connecting this site to the airport. Chief Planner Panica stated there is not, noting the hotel will likely have a shuttle to the terminal. Affected Persons: There were no affected persons. Public Input: There was no public input. PB Chair Gannon closed the public hearing and requested a motion. Minutes of the Regular Planning Board Meeting January 10, 2018 at 6:00 p.m. in the Sarasota City Commission Chambers Page 9 of 17 PB Member Ohlrich moved to adopt a motion to find Site Plan 17-SP-13 consistent with the Tree Protection Ordinance and Section IV-506 of the Zoning Code and approve the petition subject to the following conditions: 1. The Site Plan and all related development and construction plans for the proposed building shall be in compliance with those labeled Airport Hotel, received by the Department of Development Services on December 11, 2017. All final construction plans shall be subject to a full review for compliance with all other applicable codes by the Director of Neighborhood and Development Services. 2. The issuance of this development permit by the City of Sarasota does not in any way create any right on the part of an applicant to obtain a permit from any state or federal agency and does not create any liability on the part of the City of Sarasota for issuance of the permit if the applicant fails to obtain requisite approvals or fulfill the obligations imposed by a state or federal agency or undertakes actions that result in violations of state or federal law. All other applicant state and federal permits shall be obtained before commencement of the development. PB Member Blumetti seconded the motion. Speaking to her motion, PB Member Ohlrich commended the applicant for submitting an application that meets all Zoning Code requirements; noted that he has taken care to protect trees; and added that it is more common for the Planning Board to see applications that request adjustments and variances. PB Member Blumetti speaking to his second stated that it is a thorough report and a nice site plan. The motion for approval passed unanimously, with a vote of 5 to 0. 2. HYDE PARK TOWNHOMES OF SARASOTA (2067 Hyde Park Street and 2060 and 2066 Hillview Street): Site Plan Application No. 17-SP-16 is a request for site plan approval to construct 24 dwelling units contained in six multi-story (four or five story) buildings, with four dwelling units in each building on property approx. 1.56 acres and located in the Residential Multi-Family-5 (RMF-5) Zone District. (Lucia Panica, Chief Planner) Applicant Presentation: Mr. Edward Eible, President, Architura Space Planning and Design, introduced himself and his team for the record, including, Maridalia Cedeno of Architura, Cassandra Myer, Agent, Larry Weber, Weber Engineering, and Phil Smith, Landscape Architect; stated that they purchased the property two years ago and immediately started looking at redevelopment options; stated that the zoning was set up to do one building, but they saw this as a residential development with softer shoulders than a 90 ft. tall building; Minutes of the Regular Planning Board Meeting January 10, 2018 at 6:00 p.m. in the Sarasota City Commission Chambers Page 10 of 17 explained that several years ago, a large size project was approved for this site, a large six story building that ate up most of the site, and they thought it would not be aesthetically pleasing or complimentary to the neighborhood; stated that they broke the site down to smaller buildings, optimizing but not making it sO intense that it would be unattractive; pointed out that now the buildings are 57 ft. high VS. 90 ft. high, they have 39 entitlements but are only using 24; noted there are six buildings currently on the site; stated that the team worked diligently with the staff and the Arlington neighborhood residents, received their input, brought them on site with the team, had long discussions about preservation of trees and sensitivity to the neighborhood within reason; and said that his family and the Myer family are 3rd generation builders in Sarasota, and he feels that this development is one of the more successful things they have put their arms around. PB Member Ohlrich had a question relating to the Weber Engineering packet, Exhibit B, Site Plan Progression, Number 1 is Existing Site, Number 2 is First Design, which states that street entry was denied; asked if with this design they would need to have requested an Adjustment or a Variance, but it was denied. Mr. Eible stated that he did that, not Larry Weber, and he noted that he was trying to work around the trees but was told by staff that it would not be a successful design. PB Member Ohlrich stated that in her mind there must have been a conversation with staff about a design that would have met all the requirements of the Zoning Code; she requested to hear that again. Mr. Eible stated that the current zoning allows a building up to 90 ft. tall, a centric design with additional set back above 35 ft., referred to as the wedding cake design, a massive building on the site with parking underneath, something that would be economically successful but not compatible with the neighborhood. PB Member Ohlrich stated that she had conversations with the neighbors, and they are pleased with the way they have been involved in this project, multiple times, and they feel almost partners with you on it. PB Member Blumetti also referred to the Weber Engineering packet, Exhibit B, Site Plan Progression, llustration Number 6, and asked why the two buildings are shifted up, at the northeast corner of Hillview Street and southwest corner of Hyde Park. Mr. Eible stated that Illustration Number 6 is a modified version of Illustration Number 5, which did not meet the side setback requirements, there were concerns with the parking, and the structures encroaching on the grand oaks and some smaller trees along East Avenue that needed space for water retention. PB Member Blumetti noted that one of the variances is related to parking; asked where overflow parking will happen for this site, besides the two guest spaces; noted that there are over 50 parking spaces on site, but there is no parking on the adjacent streets; added that, historically, on-street parking happens all the time despite the signs; stated he feels that the applicants will contain what they can contain on site, to the best of their ability; noted they also have incorporated large parking spaces on site for delivery trucks, SO, in essence, there is an additional six parking spaces on site; and stated they are required to have 44 parking spaces and they have 52 spaces. Minutes of the Regular Planning Board Meeting January 10, 2018 at 6:00 p.m. in the Sarasota City Commission Chambers Page 11 of 17 PB Vice Chair Normile referred to the minutes of the Arlington Park Neighborhood Association where they mention that as a result of their input to the developer, the development will feature a wall, hopefully not higher than 51 ft., that has six to eight 6ft.- wide cut outs with lighted trees to improve the pedestrian experience and open up the feeling of the development; asked if that is still part of the development; and asked for a description of that. Mr. Smith, explained that it is not a solid wall around the development, the wall is six feet tall, and has openings where the large canopy trees are located on the perimeter of the development, sO that one can see in the development; and noted that they have placed the large trees on the perimeter of the property SO that it scales the development in the neighborhood and also provides shade over the sidewalks. PB Vice Chair Normile asked about lighting on the trees. Mr. Smith stated that he anticipates they will do that. PB Chair Gannon referred to the llustrations of the design progression, noted that all include three large circles, and he assumed they are indicating the location of the grand trees. Mr. Smith responded that the circles indicate the location of the three grand trees tol be preserved; noted that it was necessary to remove one, grand tree in order to balance the siting of a building and preserve a pine on the Hillview Street side of the development, and to allow larger trees to be planted on the outside edges in that area of the property; pointed out that the location of the grand tree to be removed is not showing on the design progression diagram; added that there were discussions with both the neighbors and with staff relating to which trees to preserve; and stated the proposed building was located too close to the stem of that grand tree, not allowing room for the root system of the tree, sO it had to be removed. Staff Presentation: PB Gannon requested that Ms. Gretchen Schneider, General Manager, Development Services, prepare to respond to some questions he has regarding the removal of grand trees. Chief Planner Panica introduced herself for the: record; stated that the site is zoned RMF- 5, and is neighboring with multifamily units to the north and west, and single family dwellings to the south and east; pointed out that the subject parcel is comprised of three lots and currently contains 17 multifamily residential units in several structures, which will be demolished; noted that staff included in its recommended conditions the requirement for lot consolidation prior to development approval; stated that the applicant is requesting site plan approval for the development of 24 town homes contained in six buildings, ranging in height from 45 ft. 2in. to 54 ft. 9in.; said that each building will contain four townhomes; noted that vehicular and pedestrian access is proposed from Hillview Street and Hyde Park Street, with both frontages having access to a two way driveway; added that the proposed development will eliminate three existing driveways on East Avenue, two driveways on Hillview Street, and three existing driveways on Hyde Park Street, and this is expected to improve the pedestrian Minutes of the Regular Planning Board Meeting January 10, 2018 at 6:00 p.m. in the Sarasota City Commission Chambers Page 12of 17 circulation, and minimize the number of curb cuts on the streets; stated that tree preservation was a big part of the project design, numerous design configurations were considered in order to save as many trees as possible, including the three grand trees that are being saved; noted that there are twenty one trees that are proposed to be preserved; stated that the proposed project is exceeding the required mitigation, and is providing seventeen 3-inch caliper trees, eight 5-inch caliper trees, twenty 7-inch caliper trees, and thirty five palm trees on site; pointed out that the applicant conducted numerous voluntary neighborhood meetings, and has developed a site plan which the Arlington Neighborhood Association supports; stated that a letter of support from the Association is included in the packet; noted that the applicant also met with city staff on numerous occasions, both on site and off site, to discuss their proposals, and to create a project that would preserve as many trees as possible, while mitigating potential impacts to the neighborhood; stated that in addition to the site plan requests, Variances have also been granted by the Board of Adjustments relating to tree preservation, setbacks to Hillview Street and Hyde Park Street, as well as tandem parking; pointed out that the Variancea approval letter and resolution has beenincluded in the staff report; stated that as described in the staff report, and with the inclusion of the Variance, the site plan meets Zoning Code requirements such as parking, loading, RMF-5 development standards, landscaping standards and refuse collection standards; noted that the site plan also meets site plan review criteria, and the requirements of the Tree Protection Ordinance; and concluded that staff recommends approval with conditions PB Chair Gannon asked about the required steps to be taken before a tree removal permit for the removal of a grand tree can be granted. Chief Planner Panica referred to Zoning Code Section VII-310, which includes the four criteria for granting permits for the removal of trees that qualify as grand trees; noted that one of them is if the grand tree is located where an infrastructure: improvement or a structure which complies with the applicable codes is to be located, which applies to this site plan; and pointed out that at the location of the grand tree to be removed, there will be an underground FPL line. PB Chair Gannon noted that the tree to be removed is #39, a healthy live oak, which does not appear on any of the progression design diagrams, to show how they would have designed around tree #39, and asked if there have been other submissions of progression design diagrams, that show that the applicants have met the criteria that would allow the Director to issue a tree removal permit. Chief Planner Panica stated that there were many iterations of design, there were several meetings on-site and off- site to discuss the protection of this tree, the Director was also on site, and it was decided that that tree was a good candidate to be removed. Affected Persons: There were no affected persons. Public Input: There was no public input. Minutes of thel Regular Planning Board Meeting January 10, 2018 at 6:00 p.m. in the Sarasota City Commission Chambers Page 13 of 17 PB Chair Gannon closed and public hearing and asked for a motion. PBI Member Morriss moved to adopt a motion to find Site Plan 17-SP-16 consistent with the Tree Protection Ordinance and section IV-506 of the Zoning Code and approve the petition subject to the following conditions: 1. Prior to issuance of a Building Permit for any development associated with Site Plan 17-SP-16, the applicant shall combine the properties with the Sarasota County Property Appraiser under a single tax parcel and provide evidence of such consolidation to the Development Services Department. 2. Prior to the issuance of a Certificate of Occupancy for any development associated with Site Plan 17-SP-16, the applicant shall, at their sole expense, grant an easement to the City of Sarasota for right-of-way purposes as shown on Exhibit A of the approved Technical Deviation. 3. The Site Plan and all related development and construction plans for the proposed building shall be in compliance with those labeled Hyde Park Townhomes, received by the Development Services Department on December 7, 2017. All final construction plans shall be subject to a full review for compliance with all other applicable codes by the Director of the Development Services Department. 4. The issuance of this development permit by the City of Sarasota does not in any way create any right on the part of an applicant to obtain a permit from any state or federal agency and does not create any liability on the part of the City of Sarasota for issuance of the permit if the applicant fails to obtain requisite approvals or fulfill the obligations imposed by a state or federal agency or undertakes actions that result in violations of state or federal law. All other applicable state and federal permits shall be obtained before commencement of the development. PB Member Ohlrich seconded the motion. PB Member Morriss, speaking to his motion, stated that the applicants have done an exemplary job working with the community, and they really balanced the struggle with the grand trees, and arrived at the optimum situation where they could get best use of the site while still preserving as many of the grand trees as possible. Speaking to her second, PB Member Ohlrich stated that she agrees with PB Member Morriss, and added that the design compliments the neighborhood. PB Vice-Chair Normile stated she would like to echo what has been said about the way the applicants worked with the neighbors, not only have they won them over but actually took some suggestions from them, they will have a little bit of ownership in the project when it is done, it is a charming neighborhood, and thanked the applicants for taking that into consideration in designing this project. PB Member Blumetti stated that the design is well done and in scale with the neighborhood, hel hopes that the overflow parking does not become an issue on Hillview or Hyde Park, but the applicants dealt with it the best they could, and wished them good luck. Minutes of the Regular Planning Board Meeting January 10, 2018 at 6:00 p.m. in the Sarasota City Commission Chambers Page 14 of 17 Motion was approved unanimously, with a vote of 5 to 0. IV. CITIZEN'sI INPUT NOTICE TOTHE PUBLIC: At this time Citizens may address the Planning Board on topics of concern. Items which have been previously discussed at Public Hearings may not be addressed at this time. (A maximum 5- minute time limit.) V. APPROVAL OF MINUTES 1. December 13, 2017 The minutes were approved by consensus with the following changes: Note: additions are underlined; deletions are strieken-through Page 31 of38, 2nd paragraph, Line 11 - Osprey Avenue is taken from a Level of Service "C" to a Level of Service "E, as a result of traffic from the garage and that has to be considered; added that there are is no traffic lights-on Osprey allowing egress for the people leaving the proposed garage on Arlington. a-Owprey-omly-at-Te only nearby traffic lights on Osprey are at Waldemere and Hillview. -but There are people who will be leaving at on Arlington to go to Osprey to avoid US4 41, sO the numbers of trips on Osprey will be higher than what appears in the traffic study;.. 3rd paragraph, Line 4 44 pointed out that it is net de minimus,. 97 VI. PRESENTATION OF TOPICS BY STAFF Items presented are informational only (no action taken). Any issue presented that may require future action will be placed on the next available agenda for discussion. There were no topics by staff. VII. PRESENTATION OF TOPICS BY PLANNING BOARD Items presented are informational only (no action taken). Any issue presented that may require future action will be placed on the next available agenda for discussion. PB Member Normile stated that one of the PB Members had asked for copies of the Level of Service worksheets; noted that, when they came, she found them interesting; pointed out that one of them was the Level of Service Standard for Open Space and Recreational Facilities; added that the City has a standard of 10 acres per 1,000 resident population; noted that the City is at 13.94 acres per 1,000 of our current resident population, not taking into account the thousands of people who will be living here in the buildings that are already up, but that is the way it has to be done; stated that she has spoken to Mr. Smith and he explained that; pointed out that Mr. Smith is in the process of working on an Overlay for the Rosemary District, that is like a blank canvas in many ways, except the things that are Minutes of thel Regular Planning Board Meeting January 10, 2018 at 6:00 p.m. in the Sarasota City Commission Chambers Page 15 of 17 already there; added that because they are talking about increasing density in the Rosemary District, the Planning Board has an opportunity to account for the need of green space; added that there is also an ongoing effort to evaluate the condition of the City's infrastructure, which includes parks and recreation, but that is going to take some time; pointed out that there is also an effort to do an infrastructure study, on a neighborhood by neighborhood basis, to determine where the green space is, because the Bayfront is included in this, as is Bobby Jones, which really do not provide park space for very many people; she wondered if there is a way to coordinate a study for open space and recreational facility space in the Rosemary District Overlay, SO that the Planning Board has something to look at before the Planning Board discussed whether or not to increase density in the Rosemary District, and before the Overlay is approved; stated that according to Chief Planner Smith, the 10 acres per 1,000 population is a national standard, and he may have been the person who recommended this change; and asked the Planning staff and the Planning Board if they think it makes sense to have some sort of a green space study completed, before the Planning Board takes into account whether or not to increase density in the Rosemary District. PB Chair Gannon stated that he was the genesis and primary author of the Rosemary District Pocket Parks Proposal, done in May of 2015; stated that he researched the Downtown Master Plan that had identified community reserve spaces, and then determined, in 2012, the City Commission in its endeavor to balance the budget, sold off a number of properties, including twoi in the Rosemary District, property that the City owned that they could have used for parks; added that the City took the land they had as the Community Garden, made a sale with the Kauffman Properties, and created Rosemary Square, therefore the community space has a nice sculpture, with pavement around it; noted that he is working with the Downtown Sarasota Condo Association Green Space Committee, and with the Rosemary District Association, and hehad them put in their plans a whole section on green space; stated that, he understood from Chief Planner Smith, who is working with the leaders of the Rosemary District Association, that they are bringing their proposals back to City staff; added that they are organizing a meeting in a couple weeks, they are trying to get prepared SO that they can formally recommend adoption of the plan; noted that green space is a key part of that, they are looking at what can be done, such as should trees be planted along sidewalks; noted that to try to address this from a quantitative stand point, it is under the current Parks and Recreation Parks Master Plan, they are doing that; added that they had a workshop at CCNA last week, to identify the needs of existing parks, how to better activate them etc., and what other areas might be needed; and concluded that they are very much aware of proposals relating to pocket parks. PB Member Morriss asked if that constitutes sufficient information for the green space study PB Vice Chair Normile is seeking, and if not, what would be involved. Planning Director Cover stated that there is a Master Plan underway, timing is really good, because as they are progressing they will be developing new zoning criteria for the Rosemary District; stated that staff recognizes that green space and parks are a big thing, sO when staff develops the new zoning regulations for the Rosemary District that will be part of it, and staff will be looking at this for sure. Minutes of the Regular Planning Board Meeting January 10, 2018 at 6:00 p.m. in the Sarasota City Commission Chambers Page 16 of 17 PB Member Blumetti stated that it would be good to have a balance between green space, commercial space and residential space, and asked if there is something the tells how much commercial space is available. Planning Director Cover stated that staff will also consider the commercial space in the area, noting the Iast thing you want is to be overly residential or overly commercial, stating staff will be looking to have a balance there. PB Member Ohlrich stated that she does not know the time for the completion of the Parks Master Plan, but she thinks it would be beneficial to the Planning Board to have data to help PB Members to make an objective decision about any Rosemary District Overlay that is brought to the Planning Board, to help the Planning Board be objective rather than subjective in their decision making; added that if there is any way to move the Rosemary District up, and prioritizing it higher to get the information about parks and green space, it will be good for the Planning Board; and asked, if they are going to doi it anyway, why can't the Planning Board request that they do it sooner than later. PB Vice Chair Normile stated that as it is being studied, it is one thing to say 1,000 of the resident population, in her opinion it should be 1,000 of the population who will be residents, because there are very few people living in the Rosemary District now compared to who will be living there in a very short time; SO when we are looking at 53,000 people in the City of Sarasota, the downtown is scheduled to increase its population by 88 percent in the next couple of years, and that is not being included in these calculations; and stated it is a little bit like the traffic studies, it ought to reflect the reality of the situation. Planning Director Cover agreed with that, and explained that as you are looking at cities, the entire population, you identify how much green space is necessary, but it cannot be allocated, as a cookie cutter, where every community has exactly sO many acres; stated that staff will be looking at that; noted that the Rosemary District is very lowin the scale of green space, and staff will come up with something very good; stated that part of it is providing incentives for future development; pointed out that the City cannot go out there and start buying property and building parks; noted that what is exciting about the Rosemary District, and writing the zoning for it, is that it will give staff the opportunity to potentially implement some concepts that would be good citywide; and added that it is kind of a pilot project, and staff will look at some interesting concepts that will make it very successful. PB Chair Gannon recommended to the Planning Board members go through the Comprehensive Plan, there are six or seven levels of service, and that is where the green space and open recreation are; noted that they will find out that it includes all kinds of open spaces, cemeteries, golf courses, tennis courts, that account for a lot; added that this also means that when there is discussion of selling-off Bobby Jones, or portions of Bobby Jones, that would subtract from that calculation, and put it much closer to the minimum; stated that there is a nice buffer now, but it is primarily because of large tracts of areas like a golf course; pointed out that this level of service does not come up on individual site plans, if we were at or below that, then everyone presenting a site plan would be asked what are they doing to contribute to green space; stated that it is a very good point to pay attention to, and how it is to be applied; suggested to staff, as they are looking at the information, to Minutes of the Regular Planning Board Meeting January 10, 2018 at 6:00 p.m. in the Sarasota City Commission Chambers Page 17 of 17 keep in mind that some numbers may be coming from the Rosemary District Association; added that he is not sure if there has been a rigorous analysis to look at percentages, and how the land use percentage would be applied there; and thanked PB Vice Chair Normile for raising the topic. PB Member Blumetti asked what the schedule for completing the Rosemary District plan. Planning Director Cover stated that there is a meeting on the 23rd or the 24th of this month, with the group who is working with recommendations for the Rosemary District, and if they are at the point where staff can take their recommendations and move forward, staff will start working on the zoning ordinance; and added that there will be community workshops, it will take six or seven months, and estimated that in the fall staff will have something. VIII. ADJOURNMENT Meeting adjourned at 7:42 PM. 2, Steven R. Cover, Planning Director Patrick Gannon, Chair Planning Development Planning Board/Local Planning Agency [Secretary to the Board]