HomeMy WebLinkAboutVII (D) First Spanish Assembly Landscaping - Waivers from Code Standards Agenda 5-06-2003
Center of Good Glv Item VII D
Mayor qb .-L-• ^�, GIB. Commissioners
S. Scott Vandergrift , ,,. Danny Howell, District 1
City Manager CO, Scott Anderson,District 2
i Rusty Johnson, District 3
Jim Gleason Nancy J. Parker, District 4
STAFF REPORT
DATE: April 28, 2003
TO: The Honorable Mayor and City Commissioners
FROM: Robert Lewis, AICP, Planning Manager
THROUGH: Russ Wagner, AICP, Community Development Director
SUBJECT: First Spanish Assembly Landscaping
Waivers from Code standards
ISSUE:
Should the Mayor and City Commissioners approve waivers from two of the Code standards
related to landscaping materials—type of grass used and size of trees used?
BACKGROUND:
The site plan for the First Spanish Assembly of God church was approved several months ago
and the building and site improvements are nearing completion. Since the church is located in
an area with commercial zoning, they are required by the Land Development Code to use the
normal commercial development standards for landscaping materials. These standards require
that St. Augustine sod be used for grassed areas. The standards also require that the shade
trees that are installed have a trunk diameter of at least 3 inches, measured at breast height.
DISCUSSION:
Due to cost considerations, the Church has submitted a letter requesting that they be allowed to
use Bahia sod instead of St. Augustine sod, and they be allowed to use shade trees that are 2 Yz
inches in diameter instead of 3 inches in diameter (see attached letter). The Church is
requesting Bahia sod because it requires less irrigation and less maintenance than St.
Augustine sod. Slightly smaller trees are being requested because they are less expensive, and
they have been told by local experts that, once the roots are established, a smaller tree will grow
faster than a larger tree.
Since the City's upgraded development standards were adopted a few years ago, all
development in commercial areas has complied with the landscaping standards described here
(St. Augustine sod and 3 inch trees). The waivers requested in this case and the justifications
presented for using different standards for landscaping have not been used in any other
commercial development to date.
City of Ocoee• 150 N Lakeshore Drive•Ocoee. Florida 34761
phone: 1407)905-3I00•fax:(407)656-8504•www.ci.ococe.fl.us
April 28, 2003
Honorable Mayor and City Commissioners
Page 2
RECOMMENDATION:
Since the requested waivers for landscaping standards have never been approved in the past,
and there appears to be no reasonable justification based on the Land Development Code, Staff
respectfully recommends denial of the requested waivers in this case.
Attachments: Letter requesting waivers from the First Spanish Christian Church
O9Staff Reporis\2003\SR03047 CC.doc
First Spanish Christian Church
PO Box 217 ♦Ocoee,FL 34761
Phone 352-243-6461 ♦Email SenderoDLuz@hotmail.com
March 25,2003
ATTN: City Manager
City Commission
To Whom It May Concern,
On behalf of the congregation of our church,First Spanish Church of Winter Garden, I
would like to thank you for allowing me to present this request for a special exception. It is an
honor for us to be able to explain our case.
We have been instructed to use St. Augustine grass for the church,but we are asking to be
allowed to use Bahia grass. There are a few reasons why we believe this is a good idea. For
instance, we have looked at statistics. Bahia grass conserves water as opposed to the St.
Augustine variety. In cases of drought,which are becoming increasingly more common,there
are often watering restrictions. Bahia grass stays strong and green in these low water conditions,
while St. Augustine grass suffers in appearance. In addition,the neighboring yards use Bahia
grass. Using this variety would match the neighborhood, and well-kept Bahia grass is attractive.
There is also the question of maintenance. Our church has no maintenance staff. We
must rely on volunteers. The St. Augustine grass may not be presentable in two months.
The church has also been informed that 3 calibur trees are required by the city. However,
we would like to be allowed to use 2 1/2 calibur trees. It is a fact,we are told by local experts,
that smaller trees,once rooted grow faster. It is also more realistic for us,economically,to plant
the 2 1/2 trees. Using the larger trees would cost us considerably more,causing us unreasonable
delays in the finalization of our building project.
Our membership is made up of young, energetic families from Ocoee who want to make
an impact upon the citizens of this community. For instance, we plan to create activities which
would remove young people from the streets, creating for them wholesome fun in a safe,
stimulating environment. In this and many other ways,we want to be a positive force for the
community. These requirements,however, are causing us unreasonable delays in the finalization
of construction.
We respectfully ask you to consider our request. Thank you and may God bless you.
Sincerely,
Ricardo Orsini, Pastor