The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink AboutVII (C) Citrus Oaks Office Center - Project no. SS2001-007, Small Scale Site Plan Waiver Requests Agenda 5-06-2003 e Center of Good Lip, Item VII C Mayor ,tb10 '.' -' �O�. Commissioners S. Scott A-andergrift . Danny Howell District 1 City Manager XO O, ' ;' Rusty Johnson. District 3 Jim Gleason A\ i ce- ,444!!! � Scott Anderson, District 2 Nancy d. Parker. District 4 STAFF REPORT DATE: April 28, 2003 TO: The Honorable Mayor and City Commissioners FROM: Thomas Grimms, AICP, Senior Plan THROUGH: Russ Wagner, AICP, Director of Planning SUBJECT: Citrus Oaks Office Center Small Scale Site Plan Waiver Requests ISSUE: Should the Mayor and City Commissioners approve two waivers for the Citrus Oaks Office Center, regarding the required 25-foot landscape buffer along S.R. 50 and the maximum 12-foot height of the free-standing identification sign? BACKGROUND: Citrus Oaks Office Center is a proposed 2-story 9,516 square feet office building to be located at the southwest quadrant of the intersection of State Road 50 and Citrus Oaks Avenue. In order to proceed with the current site plan, the developer has indicated he needs two waivers from Code requirements. The City Commission has sole discretion to approve waivers from Code requirements based upon four criteria: 1) If the project is part of an integrated and master planned development; 2) If the project is compatible with surrounding developments; 3) If the project imposes no impacts on City infrastructure greater than that generated by other uses normally permitted in the underlying zoning district; and/or 4) If the project provides an off-setting public benefit which is technically sound and measurable. DISCUSSION: Since this is a Small Scale Site Plan which is administratively reviewed (less than 25,000 square feet of building), the City Commission will not be acting on the site plan for approval. The City Commission will instead be reviewing the waiver requests only. It should be noted that the most recent submittal of the Small Scale Site Plan does not include a Waiver Table. Instead he has submitted a series of three exhibits (see attachments) illustrating the site conditions to justify the requested waivers. The three exhibits include a cross section drawing showing S.R. 50 and the City of Ocoee• 150 N Lakeshore Drive• Ocoee,Florida 34761 phone: (407)905-3100 •fax'. (407)656-8504• www.ci.ocoeaf.us April 28, 2003 Honorable Mayor and City Commissioners Page 2 proposed parking area, a drawing showing the various setback differences for comparison, and an aerial photo of the property and its immediate surroundings. After the City Commission takes action on the waiver requests, Staff will complete its review process on the site plan, making sure that it is consistent with all Code requirements except for any waivers that may be approved by the City Commission. The current site plan does not include a Waiver Table describing the two waiver requests from Code requirements which is typically provided when waivers are requested. However, the developer believes that both waivers are needed to develop the site as proposed (See 2 attached drawings and aerial photo). The Applicant did not want to proceed to respond to Staffs review comments on his earlier submittal because he believes that if he cannot obtain the two waivers, then the project cannot go forward. The two waiver requests involve: • a reduction in the 25-foot landscape buffer from the primary road, State Road 50, per Art. VI Sec. 6-14 C.2.b. City Code. • an increase in the maximum height of 12 feet for a free-standing identification/directory sign for commercial sites, per Art. VI Sec. 6-14 C.5.h(ii) City Code. The developer requests a reduction in the 25-foot landscape buffer to 15 feet, due to the need for utilizing the extra space for more parking to meet the City's parking requirement for medical and professional offices. The developer noted that the parcel adjacent to the east does not have the 25-foot landscape buffer and has the front edge of their parking lot closer to the State Road 50 right-of-way edge. He contends also that there is significant green space with trees presently and points out that the unique constraint of a steep slope along the edge of the right- of-way reduces the necessity of having the full 25 feet of buffer because people traveling along the higher road bed will not have full view of the landscape buffer. However, it is appropriate to note that the adjacent site (Lake Lotta Professional Offices) was built prior to the current standards being adopted. West Oaks Square, located just east of Lake Lotta Professional Offices, was built under the current standards and a 25-foot landscape buffer was provided on that site. Staff is aware of a certain unique constraint on the property but does not believe that the contentions of the developer warrant a reduction of 10 feet in the landscape buffer. The City is currently reviewing site plans for the other projects facing SR 50 and is upholding the 25-foot landscape buffer requirement. The requirement of a 25-foot landscape buffer has contributed to a marked improvement in the appearance of the State Road 50 Activity Center Corridor. Staff notes that the City has been very reluctant to grant such a waiver in the past. The second requested waiver is to allow a free-standing sign higher than the maximum requirement of 12 feet. Again the developer points to the unique constraint on the property of a steep slope such that a sign 12 feet high will not have the visibility that a 12-foot high sign would normally have if the base of the sign is level with the roadway. The developer notes that St. Paul's Presbyterian Church adjacent to the west of the property has been allowed to erect their sign with a height in excess of the 12 feet maximum height, due directly to the steep slope with the base of the sign significantly below the grade of the roadway. April 23, 2003 Honorable Mayor and City Commissioners Page 3 STAFF RECOMMENDATION: The determination to grant waivers is solely at the discretion of the City Commission. Staff recommends approval of the requested waiver to allow a free-standing ground sign higher than 12 feet, since this situation is similar to the St. Paul's Presbyterian Church sign. However, Staff recommends denial of the requested waiver from the 25-foot landscape buffer requirement because that standard is being enforced on other sites within the S.R. 50 Corridor. Attachments: Cross section drawing showing S.R.50 and the proposed parking area Drawing showing the various setback differences for comparison Aerial photo of the property and its immediate surroundings O\Staff Reports @003\SR03048 CC.doc m O noo m C D T cn Z7 C7 O O D Z I � O cf) m 0 m U1 1 ZJ 1 Cn O mm CD O D m 00 11 I 1 1 m O m 0 14 0 D 0 m PROPERTY LINE v) O 0 D m 00 > D m0 r X 2 co0� Z;-� 90 0 , Co �:�Eo r :z� —0 m O zoo Fq r o n l N m = F.D,D,T, HATCHED RIGHT- OF- WAY SHEFFIELD ENGINEERING & ASSOCIATES p "! CITRUS OAKS OFFICE 43221NDERSON ROAD, ORLANDO, FL 32812 m �J 6 $ CENTER M. P. BAHOR, P.E. - PRESIDENT, PH. 407-658-0512 A MICHAEL DINKEL, DREW MEDICAL CIVM AND ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING SERVICES d co . d F� I cil is Is I / 9NIdtl9SaNtl � � I : P � . HHkMh.cr. .. 19itlro 3aIs•,q.®® I t I I __ _ — e — =— f. :q eJ 3nN:3hd S>Ido Sn�ilI3 I �o Oy g Z�> 'mm y A X r D N Z A 0 0 D �Tl 0 d ul 0 0 N� m m m m DD ZZ .L L _�_4q -y-yI ;u N mm mm cl) cl) v v 00 __ x F,D,O,T, HATCHED RIGHT- OF WAY SHEFFIELD ENGINEERING &ASSOCIATES CITRUS OAKS ❑FFICE CENTER A m ^P. ANDExsoxxoASIDENTND 12 8 A MICHAEL DINKEL, DREW MEDICAL M. P. BAHOR, P.E. -PRESIDENT, PH-407658-0512 407-0 -05 CIVIL u I Date Dxunplbn AND ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING SERVICES