05-10-1994 MINUTES OF THE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION
REGULAR MEETING HELD TUESDAY, MAY 10, 1994
CALL TO ORDER
The meeting was called to order by Chairman Switzer at 7:33 p.m. followed by a moment of
silent meditation and the pledge of allegiance.
The determination of a quorum was made.
PRESENT: Chairman Switzer, Vice Chairman Bond, Members Jones, Landefeld, Miller
(arrived at 7:38), Rhodus, Swickerath, and Alternate Members Draia and McKey.
Also present were Planning Director Wagner, City Attorney Rosenthal,
Administrative Services Director Beamer, Deputy Clerk King, and Deputy City
Clerk Green.
ABSENT: None.
CONSENT AGENDA
The consent agenda consisted of items A and B. Member Landefeld. seconded by Member
Jones moved to a s . rove and acce . t the consent a. enda as • resented. Motion carried 7 -0.
A. Minutes of the Regular Planning and Zoning Commission Meeting of April 12, 1994.
Soy
B. Minutes of the Special Local Planning Agency (Planning and Zoning Commission)
Meeting of April 14, 1994.
NEW BUSINESS
PUBLIC HEARING
Lake Olympia Square - Land Use /Preliminary Subdivision Plan
Planning Director Wagner summarized the Staff Report of May 4, 1994. He explained this
was a consideration of combined approval for a land use plan and a preliminary subdivision plan
because the project, while zoned C -2, was within an Activity Center and the developer was
voluntarily processing the project as a PUD (Planned Unit Development). The proposed use for
the 20.78 acre site was appropriate for C -2 zoning. The development had been platted two years
earlier. The development would incorporate Lot 1, the main parcel, and outlots 3, 4, and 5.
Lot 2 would be retained as an undeveloped parcel for the purposes of this application, and Lot
4 had been sold previously to Exxon Corporation for a gas station. The developer had included
this land in utility extension and stormwater management calculations. As part of the proposed
project, the developer planned to create a new Lot 6 and to split the original Lot 1 into two
parcels to create a Lot 7, so that the project might be developed in two phases under two
separate ownerships.
The project as proposed would be developed in phases. Phase I would entail a Winn Dixie store
and two adjoining retail uses for a total of 57,718 square feet of space. Phases II and III would
Planning and Zoning Commission Regular Meeting
Nr May 10, 1994
add 39,526 and 46,250 square feet of space respectively for a total of 151,894 square feet,
including a future expansion to Winn Dixie. In their concurrency review of the project, staff
had found adequate roadway capacity and sufficient sewer and water capacity available for
purchase to permit development of Phase I.
In detailed plan reviews to ensure that the development conformed to City Code, staff had
particularly focused on traffic, stormwater, and buffering issues. As a result, the developer had
provided roadway access improvements to reduce traffic problems, expanded retention ponds to
protect nearby developments, and upgraded landscape buffers to screen adjoining residential
areas. A brick wall would follow the southern boundary of the project in addition to
landscaping.
The developer had requested three waivers as part of the PUD review. One was for reduced
maintenance berm widths around portions of the stormwater retention ponds. The second was
for a zero setback waiver between Lots 1 and 7 to permit the development of Phase III shops
in a coordinated manner. The third was for reduced parking space lengths from 20 feet to 18
feet where spaces adjoined landscaped areas.
Mr. Wagner said staff supported the plan, but was concerned that the proposed additional outlot
was not consistent with the original plat and would add to potential traffic volumes and conflicts
near the intersection of Silver Star Road and Clarke Road. As the Olympia Square project has
twice as much acreage as the Albertsons Shopping Center, it was staff's position that the outlot
would not be necessary to make the project economically feasible. The DRC had voted
unanimously to recommend the project for approval subject to the deletion of Lot 6 with
appropriate revisions to record plans if that was the decision that the Commission made on the
plans.
Mr. Ron Henson, an engineer with Design Services Group, gave the presentation for the
developer. He said, because their property abuts residential property on several sides, they have
observed or exceeded the City's requirements for buffers. They have been very careful in
screening the commercial from the residential. Along the rear property line, they have agreed
to build a 6 foot brick wall. In areas where there was change in topography, they have moved
the brick wall closer to the development so that the wall would be on top of the berm to provide
better screening. They have set the loading area away from the residential area. Phase I would
include Winn Dixie and small retail uses. For the out - parcels, they have agreed to exclude fast
food restaurants and to limit development to 5,000 square feet. To meet staff's concern about
traffic increase if lot 6 were developed, they would stipulate that it would be serviced only by
internal driveways. For the project to be economically feasible, he said they would have to
increase use in other areas if lot 6 was not used.
Chairman Switzer opened the public hearing.
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Planning and Zoning Commission Regular Meeting
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Six residents from neighboring subdivisions addressed the board:
Mrs. June Kleier, 1365 Hawthorne Cove Drive
Mr. Mike Leif, 1505 Acropolis Circle
Mr. Nick Pagano, 201 Olympus Drive
Mr. Daniel Coleman, 112 Hercules Court
Mr. Ed Toperzer, 163 Hercules Court
Mr. Steven Martyniuk, 153 Hercules Court
Some concerns voiced and suggestions made were:
Traffic
Cut -thru and truck traffic utilizing adjoining residential streets
Entrance from Olympus Drive (replace roadway with sidewalk/bike path)
Appearance
Adequate screening /attractive design and landscaping for entire project
Completion of entire 6' brick wall in Phase I (as a "living wall ")
Decorative shielding for lights near residential areas
Fencing for retention ponds
Buried utility lines
N Signs - smaller size than height of 20' permitted by City Code
Outparcels
Possible uses /limitations on high intensity uses
No tire stores
General
Objected to Winn -Dixie
Cleaning hours for parking area
Stores close by 11:00 p.m.
Responses to citizens' questions:
Mr. Henson
Phase II would be built within two years and Phase III within five years
Possible uses for outparcels would be optical shops, banks, and "sit down" restaurants
Electric service to the project would be decided by the electric company, but the
planned underground service for the development
Retention ponds would be landscaped
Mr. Wagner
"Activity Center" was a designation in the City's Comprehensive Plan that located high
intensity uses at certain intersections throughout the community and the Clarke
Road /Silver Star intersection had been designated as an Activity Center in that
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Planning and Zoning Commission Regular Meeting
, May 10, 1994
plan
For the record, there had been no formal submittal of a project including townhouses,
it had only been discussed preliminarily.
Stormdrainage - the project would hold the 25 year storm. The drainage design would
allow for the appropriate detention to clean the water before it was released into
Lake Olympia.
Developers could voluntarily limit uses of outparcels.
Mr. Henson said their original proposal had not extended the road through to Olympus Drive.
They had agreed to do so upon urging of staff so that nearby residents could enter the shopping
center without having to use public roadways. In order to promote pedestrian traffic, they had
agreed to build a sidewalk along the entire frontage of Silver Star Road in Phase I.
Member Swickerath said when this planned development had come before them several years
ago, board members had been as concerned about the integrity and fluidity of Silver Star Road
as they were today. That plan had stipulated one curb cut into the shopping center from Silver
Star and another major entrance from Olympus Drive, with optional connection to Clarke Road.
Access to the residential development south around Lake Olympia and the shopping center had
been one of the major issues discussed. The Olympus Drive entrance was not simply for the
convenience of the people living west in the subdivisions. It would permit east bound traffic on
%iv Silver Star to enter the shopping center earlier which would help to maintain an acceptable level
of service on Silver Star Road.
Mr. Louis Geys, Altamonte Springs, the owner of the property, said he had been involved with
the project for nine years. When they had originally platted the property, they had not known
where the entrance would be needed. Two out - parcels were planned next to the entrance on
Silver Star Road. He respectfully requested the inclusion of Lot 6 in the board's approval of
the plan.
In response to Mr. Coleman's question about the widening of Silver Star, Member Bond
explained that, as a state road, the widening of Silver Star had been addressed by DOT. She
encouraged Mr. Coleman to call DOT in DeLand for the latest information about it. Only
ingress and egress from Silver Star would be under the City's jurisdiction.
RECESS 8:43 p.m. - 8:50 p.m.
Chairman Switzer said truck deliveries should be made from Clarke Road.
Chairman Switzer closed the public hearing.
Following discussion about parking spaces on the plan, Mr. Wagner said for the record that this
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Planning and Zoning Commission Regular Meeting
May 10, 1994
was a preliminary plan approval. The board and residents should keep in mind that the project
would come back for review by this board and the City Commission. This preliminary plan was
unusually detailed. All the issues would be looked at in finer detail in the review process and
would be considered in the final plan.
Member Swickerath said for the record that he wanted to make sure that the accessible places
identified on the plans met all the requirements of ADA. He said, pursuant to his comments on
Lot 6, that 5,000 square feet would be included in the shopping center one way or another and
as long as the ingress and egress from Silver Star were restricted to Lot 4, he would have no
problem with it. He remembered clearly earlier discussion with Mr. Geys. He remained
convinced that the road coming off of Olympus would be a good thing, that it would keep traffic
from stacking on Silver Star Road and would minimize the number of curb cuts on Silver Star.
He believed it would be consistent with the philosophy of this board to try to prevent
development in Ocoee from becoming as dense as it was in Pine Hills and as uncomfortable and
unpassable as it was on SR436.
Member Rhodus said she appreciated the citizens' concerns and assured those who had
commented that the board members respected their views.
Member Bond supported retaining Lot 6 as an out - parcel with access from Lot 4. She would
like to see a business such as a bank on that site. She expressed mixed feelings about Olympus
Drive though she had served on the board when they had discussed road uses from it. She said
the developer had planned the project within guidelines set by the City of Ocoee, and advised
citizens to ask developer for concessions on issues such as decreased signage, perhaps more like
International Drive signage, so the signs would be more compatible with a residential area.
Member Jones asked the engineer if he intended to have truck and trailer traffic on the road off
of Olympus. Mr. Henson said that would be the pattern once Phase III was built.
Member Landefeld suggested changing to a bike path the entrance road from Olympus Drive
which would have been used by heavy traffic. He would like this to be a beautiful project.
Member Landefeld asked who followed up on the developer to make certain that the final plans
were carried out. Mr. Wagner said that in a walk through before a certificate of completion
would be issued for the project, City personnel would carefully check utilities, landscaping,
paving and the entire development. Staff would verify that everything had been installed
according to the plans at that time.
Member Miller suggested reconfiguring the Lake Olympia Square plan as a community mall
and making it more accessible by walking or biking for neighboring residents.
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Planning and Zoning Commission Regular Meeting
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Chairman Switzer said an absentee owner from a neighboring subdivision had called him with
concerns about the noise coming from the shopping center and about the traffic on Olympus
Drive. Mr. Switzer suggested the board include in its motion the prohibition of all semi -truck
and heavy truck traffic on any part of Olympus Drive and the requirement for trucks to use main
entrance off of Silver Star Road and Clarke Road. He understood that the lights in close
proximity to residents would be shielded so that they would not be bothered by lights. Mr.
Switzer suggested the developer plan to use the reclaimed gray water line from Clarke Road for
irrigation of shrubs and trees instead of potable water. Mr. Henson said they would provide
an irrigation system for the entire site using an existing well on the property, and they could
stipulate that they would tie in to the Clarke Road line when the reclaimed water became
available. Mr. Switzer agreed with the citizen's suggestion for a "living wall" and shared the
audience's concerns about a starke appearance for another shopping center. He said it had been
this board's position that this activity center have a pleasant as well as functional appearance and
that it not interfere with the movement of traffic on Clarke Road and Silver Star Road. He
asked that the developer bear these thoughts in mind as architectural designs were prepared. He
thought it could be a nice attractive shopping center and he hoped the developer would work to
achieve that.
Alternate Member McKey commended the City Planner and the Engineer for their work on
the project. He suggested a three -sided mini -mall for the site, and suggested planting larger
1`,,, trees. In response to Mr. McKey's question about the waiver for maintenance berms, Mr.
Wagner explained that the proposed waiver reduced berm width from the standard requirement
of 20 feet to 8 feet and 5 feet as the developer believed those widths would be sufficient for him
to access the ponds and maintain them. It would be the developer's option since the City would
not have to maintain them.
Member Bond asked if the developer had a problem with extending the wall in Phase I.
Mr. Don Huber, as representative for Mr. Glenn Miller, the developer, summarized his
understanding of the citizens' concerns expressed in the meeting as follows: no semi -truck traffic
on Olympus, landscaping, height of signs, "living" wall finished along the rear of the property,
no tire stores in outparcels, buried utility lines, and the wall finished along the rear. While he
could not make financial commitments for Mr. Miller, he thought Mr. Miller would consider
these concerns and would meet with homeowner's associations to address their concerns.
Member Bond seconded by Member Swickerath, moved to recommend an i royal of the
project without the deletion of Lot 6, provided that no direct access be permitted to this lot from
Silver Star Road, and with the sti sulation that no truck traffic be permitted on Olvm sus Drive.
Member Miller requested amendment to the motion to restrict entrance from Olympus Drive
to pedestrian traffic. Members Bond and Swickerath were unwilling to include the amendment
in the motion. Motion a . 'roved 6 -1 with Member Miller votin l "no. "
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Planning and Zoning Commission Regular Meeting
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Member Swickerath explained that the Planning and Zoning Commission could not require the
developer to do anything that was not written in the Code or consistent with the Planned Unit
Development which already existed. Citizens who met with the developer should understand that
they were negotiating as good neighbors and that if the developer made concessions he would
be absorbing the costs.
In closing comments, Planning Director Wagner announced the special meeting scheduled for
Thursday, May 12 to discuss the comprehensive plan amendments for the development of
regional impact projects for Lake Lotta Mall and Lake Lotta Center. Each project would be
presented for the first time in its entirety, and there would be opportunities to ask questions.
To reduce paper work, Mr. Wagner asked members to return plan sets after meetings so they
may be reused.
ADJOURNMENT
The meeting was adjourned at 9:50 p.m.
A/
arold Switzer, Chair Orn
E en King, Deputy C1erV
k a4;)4.A.) At_Ltici
Marian Green, Deputy City Clerk
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