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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPZ 07-10-1990 MINUTES OF THE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION MEETING HELD ON TUESDAY, JULY 10, 1990 CALL TO ORDER: Chairman Sims called the meeting to order at 7:35 p.m.. PRESENT: Chairman Sims; Vice Chairman Linebarier; Planning and Zoning Commission members Weeks, Swickerath, and Switzer; Alternate Commission member Carroll; Director of Planning Behrens; and Deputy Clerk Resnik. ABSENT: Planning and Zoning Commission members Bond and Shiver and Alternate member Rhodus. CONSENT AGENDA Planning and Zoning Commission Meeting Minutes of June 12, 1990 Planning and Zoning Commission member Swickerath requested to pull the June 12, 1990 meeting minutes from the Consent Agenda in order to explain that he would abstain from voting on them because of his absence from that meeting. Vice Chairman Linebarier moved to approve the June 12, 1990 minutes, Commission member Weeks seconded, and approval was unanimous (with Commission member Swickerath not voting). Wesmere Phase II - Final Engineering Plans Vice Chairman Linebarier said the Planning and Zoning Commission had discussed certain things being completed during Phase II when it had approved the first phase of development. He said specifically that the emergency access gate from /into the M/I Homes development (Plantation Grove West) needed to be completed before they would approve Phase II. Commission member Swickerath asked if it was an actual gate that the Planning and Zoning Commission had voted for or just an emergency access. Vice Chairman Linebarier said he was unsure about the gate but that the road needed to be completed to that point. Commission member Swickerath said he remembered that the vote required that a stabilized base be in place but not necessarily that the road be paved or that an actual gate be installed before they would approve Phase II Final Engineering Plans. Director of Planning Behrens said he would research the minutes of the Planning and Zoning Commission and of the City Commission to see what was required at approval of Phase I and would telephone Vice Chairman Linebarier with the information. Page 2 114110, Planning and Zoning Commission Meeting July 10, 1990 Commission member Weeks moved to approve the Final Engineering Plans for Wesmere Phase II and Commission member Switzer seconded. Commission member Swickerath requested to amend the motion to include whatever provisions the City Commission placed on the developer to complete during Phase I before Phase II construction was started. Commission member Weeks accepted the amended motion, Commission member Switzer seconded the amended motion, and it passed unanimously. NEW BUSINESS Focus 2000 - The Future of Ocoee (Presentation by Gladding, Lopez, Kercher & Anglin) Director of Planning Behrens introduced Walter Kulash of Gladding, Lopez, Kercher & Anglin whom he said he met at a seminar recently and asked if he would deliver his presentation to the Ocoee Planning and Zoning Commission. Director Behrens read some of the staff report and summarized that Ocoee was experiencing rapid growth and that at the intersection of Clark Road and Silver Star Road there would be between 80 -120 acres of commercial development in that immediate area. Director Behrens said the southeast quadrant of the intersection was the only question mark as the land was in the county and the City knew of no formal plans for that parcel, but that the other three corners were already zoned commercial and the developers had proposed plans for their property. Director of Planning Behrens said his idea was to coordinate the planning of any commercial development at these three corners (or four corners depending on what happened with the parcel in the county) so that they were not all acting independently of each other. He said Gladding, Lopez, Kercher & Anglin's presentation at the seminar at Rollins College focused on what Oviedo was terming as its "new town center ". Director Behrens said he began to notice many similarities between Oviedo's situation and the City of Ocoee's current situation, especially where Oviedo's new town center resembled the situation the City of Ocoee had at the intersection of Clark and Silver Star Roads. Director of Planning Behrens said he spent some time with Mr. Kulash and showed him the area and felt it was important for him to come before the Planning and Zoning Commission to share his thoughts and first impressions. Director Behrens said he invited the developers and the City Commission as well so that they could be a part of the discussion as well. 4lrr Page 3 Planning and Zoning Commission Meeting July 10, 1990 Mr. Kulash explained that he and his firm were interested in planning for traditional neighborhoods with mixed land use similar to what one would see in some of the older neighborhoods of small towns. He said this would include parking the car once and walking from there to do shopping, etc. and that the "town center" concept was an identity -type thing and that there was a certain atmosphere created that offered convenience to residents for daily needs (working, shopping, etc.). He said the theory is that if every need required a car trip, the image of the town center would be ruined no matter how nice the neighborhood. Mr. Kulash said for economical reasons, a "town center" can attract specialty services and in the long range, established businesses. Mr. Kulash pointed out various town centers on a map including those in Oviedo, Winter Springs, Sanford, Lake Mary (the Lake Mary Boulevard strip version of a "town center ", being highly landscaped to link everything together), Apopka, Kissimmee, and Heathrow (an example of a private town center). He said the proposed Northwest Beltway and the western extension of the East -West Expressway would permit the same sort of "town center" in Ocoee as was the case with the Eastern Beltway and the Expressway in Oviedo. Mr. Kulash said because of the population explosion and the way it occurred, the center of town was shifted. He said Oviedo and Ocoee have very similar circumstances and that Ocoee was smart to look at this now since things will begin to happen very fast and the City will need to rethink land uses and where the best place would be for the City's "center ". Commission member Swickerath asked Mr. Kulash why he believed people would be drawn to this new town center in Oviedo and not necessarily to the other town centers surrounding it such as Winter Springs. Mr. Kulash said if Oviedo can develop first and can attract the restaurants and shopping, it will capture the market. Mr. Kulash showed slides of Oviedo's town center plan and explained that the new features of the center were a new City Hall building and a new post office (these would serve as anchors for the town center on the north and south boundaries) ; a narrow park that would run the length of the town center; and a normal strip shopping mall with openings into the town village on the back side of the mall. The slides showed on- street parking along the town center and a layout that would encourage pedestrian movement including an elaborate streetscape, a street open to vehicles, on- street parking, and fountains, parks, and places to congregate. Page 4 Planning and Zoning Commission Meeting July 10, 1990 Mr. Kulash said the new town center in Ocoee would need atmosphere that could be created through design of buildings, open spaces, parks, plazas, streetscape, signage restrictions, small parking lots, and shopping close enough to parks and cut throughs in between buildings to encourage walking to places rather than getting into the car each time you need to go to a different place whether it be shopping, work, or leisure activities. Mr. Kulash said there are a lot of parallels between Oviedo's new town center and the intersection of Clark and Silver Star Roads. He said the four corners - once Clark Road is improved - will be a great location for a town center since the commercial will be supported by a lot of new residential development. He said the opportunity is there and that the four corners and possibly on down Clark Road towards Highway 50 would be a favored new town center location. Mr. Kulash thanked the Planning and Zoning Commission for the opportunity to deliver his presentation and said Gladding, Lopez would very much be interested in doing a more detailed report and master plan if the City was interested. He said the major ice,, difference between Oviedo's situation and Ocoee's situation is that Oviedo only had to deal with one landowner to secure the land needed for the town center where Ocoee has four or five landowners that would need to be willing to work together and come to an agreement on what would work best for the area on the whole. He said if this was possible, he really felt the area had all the other ingredients necessary for a successful town center. Vice Chairman Linebarier asked what the benefits were of closing off traffic to a downtown area versus allowing traffic in an area like Ocoee's "old" downtown. Mr. Kulash said that in general, closing traffic off entirely to an area was not a good idea. He said it is important to keep traffic manageable, but that this should be done by allowing for on- street parking and narrower streets and not cutting off parking entirely. Commission member Swickerath said both Clark and Silver Star Roads were to be heavily travelled arterials and that Clark Road was to be built as a boulevard. He also asked how many "town centers" a town of 30,000- 40,000 residents could have and should the town center be in the "old" downtown area, the new City Hall area, the existing City Hall area, or south of Highway 50 on Maguire Road. Commission member Swickerath said he did not see the intersection of Clark and Silver Star Roads being a Park Avenue like in Winter Park, especially because of the design speeds of those roads. Page 5 Planning and Zoning Commission Meeting July 10, 1990 Commission member Swickerath asked what Mr. Kulash recommended be the "town center" of Ocoee and Mr. Kulash said he was not prepared to answer that tonight but that if the mall that had been discussed for south Clark Road was to go in, it would act as a good anchor, and he also felt the City could influence the development of the area with a new City Hall and a new post office or other government buildings. Commission member Swickerath asked if Mr. Kulash envisioned boutiques cropping up at Maguire Road near the Northwest Beltway interchange or at the four corners intersection of Clark and Silver Star Roads. Mr. Kulash said that toll roads are not usually a magnet for commercial sites nor for town centers. Vice Chairman Linebarier said he would not like to see the town center of Ocoee on Maguire Road. Director of Planning Behrens said that would not happen because the square footage numbers would not be adequate. He said the commercial square footage proposed for Maguire Road was possibly 200,000 as opposed to maybe as high as 800,000 - 900,000 square feet at the intersection of Clark and Silver Star Roads. Director of Planning Behrens said the City was going to see all this commercial development sooner or later, the question was, does the Planning and Zoning Commission want to try to plan for it. Director Behrens emphasized there is nothing at the intersection currently, so the City has a chance to shape or influence what occurs. Director Behrens said development at the intersection of Clark and Silver Star Roads is going to happen fast so that any control or design guidelines need to be implemented immediately. He said he would like to see the developers, the Planning and Zoning Commission, and the City Commission come up with a committee to draft something similar to the Lake Mary Boulevard document. Director Behrens said he would like to focus on this now, before Louis Geys has to start building and the others decide what they want to do as well. Vice Chairman Linebarier said he thought that Starke Lake would always be the "center" of Ocoee. Director Behrens asked whether Vice Chairman Linebarier was talking about a "recreational center" or "community center" when he referred to the area by Starke Lake and the existing City Hall as being the City's center. Chairman Sims agreed that he felt the area including the City Hall complex and Starke Lake area should be the City's focal point. Commission member Swickerath felt the City should not turn its back on the downtown area but that that did not mean that the City .►, should not take a close look at this intersection (Clark and Silver Page 6 Planning and Zoning Commission Meeting July 10, 1990 Star Roads) and try to plan for something better than what would occur if the developers all worked independently. Chairman Sims agreed that it was a good idea to come up with a plan for this intersection but that he did not know if he would approve of it being the new downtown. Vice Chairman Linebarier said he felt the concept of the "town center" would work very well on McKey Street because the traffic speeds would not be so great and the atmosphere would lend itself to more boutiques and walking from place to place. Commission member Weeks said the problem with McKey Street was the economics and he did not see the downtown area being able to be rejuvenated to any great extent. Commission member Swickerath disagreed and said that as soon as it becomes economically feasible, the landowners downtown on McKey Street will either sell or improve the land and businesses there. Commission member Weeks said the Clark Road corridor has so much potential and he sees it being similar to the Lake Mary Boulevard project. Commission member Swickerath said he did not necessarily agree since most of Clark Road is planned for 141re development with the exception of the intersections of Silver Star Road and Highway 50. Commission member Swickerath said that he felt it was more important to keep traffic moving along through this area rather than clogging it up with a town center since it was really the only north -south arterial in the City. Commission member Weeks said, however, that the corners were already planned for commercial and it would happen regardless. He liked the idea of trying to plan for the area. Louis Geys, owner of the property at the southwest corner of Clark and Silver Star Roads, asked Mr. Kulash what this new town center could do for Ocoee and what would moving the City's center of activity do for the rest of the town. He also wanted to know how much something like this would cost to plan and carry out. Mr. Geys also asked if the Starke Lake area would become just a more general park area and whether the City Hall and other government buildings would go in the new town center. Mr. Kulash said he could not really give specific answers but that his general ideas were that the new town center would encourage the people of the City of Ocoee to drive to the area and park and then take care of different activities whether it be business with the City, post office, shopping, eating out, or just relaxing in a park. He said there was a good possibility that this could be accomplished with the four corners area of Clark and Silver Star Roads and that the planning would have to be done to make the F Page 7 Planning and Zoning Commission Meeting July 10, 1990 people who drive through this area want to stop because they see that the area is something special rather than just another disjointed intersection. There were further discussions on the fact that the intersection would be a major one and that the plan would have to incorporate any type of town center with the fact that it is important for the traffic to be kept at a certain level (speed) and that people not have to wait for four cycles to move through the intersection. Mr. Kulash said it is a mistake just to look purely at the level of service of the two roadways and that there are a lot of other things to consider to make the intersection or "four corners" a successful project. Director of Planning Behrens asked Mr. Kulash for a fee estimate for what his firm would charge for doing further research into this intersection and coming up with a master plan. Mr. Kulash said in order to provide enough details and to arrive at a similar presentation as with what they did on Oviedo would probably be between $10,000 - $15,000. He said the scope of the project, if done within this price range, would include any slides, narrative, drawings, and maps that would need to be done. Mr. Kulash added that the City and the developers needed to decide what was important to them and that there were basically two ways to go: long range planning on a well managed and integrated intersection that would need to be looked at from the developer's standpoint as a long -term proposition with a bit more risk involved but with the opportunity for higher rents in the long run; or a short range plan where the developers would opt for a quick return on a conventional type of development which is usually a conservative strip center. Director of Planning Behrens reemphasized the point of the presentation which was to focus on the intersection of Clark and Silver Star Roads immediately, that time was of the essence, and to, at a minimum, give the developers some guidelines or a framework to work within and to encourage them to work together to create something better than what would result if they were all to individually develop their parcels without regard to what the others were doing. Grover Voss said before the developers could consider this, the City would have to approve of it. He said because of the traffic counts at this intersection he did not see it as a pedestrian -type mall but did agree that it would be beneficial for all involved to plan for the area. Mr. Voss said the City would have to agree to make some provisions on landscaping and access points. Page 8 Planning and Zoning Commission Meeting July 10, 1990 Chairman Sims asked Louis Geys if he was interested in this concept. Louis Geys said it appeared to be a good idea but wanted to know whether the City had an interest in creating a new town center and whether the City would allow certain creative options for the developers when it came to things such as landscaping and signage. Dave Outlaw, representing Zom Companies, said in order to allow for a center of this type, the City needs to modify its zoning to allow for more uses in an "activity center zone" and that usually this entails anything but "offensive" uses. Mr. Outlaw said he felt it would be important to have controlled landscaping devices and controlled architectural devices. He said long term planning and flexible zoning is needed in order to achieve things such as successful town centers or activity centers. Mr. Outlaw said the new "town center" may not happen at this intersection but that he felt something nice could be planned. Commission member Swickerath moved that a Special Session be held as soon as possible for the Planning and Zoning Commission to discuss the intersection of Clark Road and Silver Star Road and 10111W that it should be held before the regular August meeting, Vice Chairman Linebarier seconded and added that the developers should also be present at this meeting, and the motion passed unanimously. It was decided that the meeting would be held on Monday, July 23, at 7 p.m.. Commission member Swickerath moved to adjourn the meeting, Commission member Switzer seconded, and approval was unanimous. ADJOURNMENT: 9:30 p.m. /d0O CHAIRMAN SIMS ATTEST: a ► D :PUTY CLE•K RESNIK