HomeMy WebLinkAboutBOA Minutes 4-28-2011City of Cape Canaveral
Board of Adjustment
® Meeting Minutes
April 28, 2011
A Meeting of the Board of Adjustment was held on April 28, 2011, at the City of Cape
Canaveral Public Library, 201 Polk Avenue, Cape Canaveral, Florida. John Bond,
Chairperson, called the meeting to order at 7:08 P.M. The Secretary called the roll.
MEMBERS PRESENT:
John Bond
Chairperson
Dennis Jenkins
Vice Chairperson
Paula Collins
George Sweetman
Douglas Raymond
0 Alternate
Arvo Eilau
2nd Alternate
MEMBERS ABSENT:
Linda Brown
OTHERS PRESENT:
Lamar Russell Ex Officio Member & Chairperson of the P & Z Board
Kate Latorre Assistant City Attorney
Barry Brown Planning & Development Director
Susan Chapman Secretary
All persons giving testimony were sworn in by Kate Latorre, Assistant City Attorney.
NEW BUSINESS
1. Approval of Meeting Minutes: March 23, 2011.
Motion by Dennis Jenkins, seconded by George Sweetman, to approve the meeting
minutes of March 23, 2011, as written. Vote on the motion carried unanimously.
2. Motion Re, Special Exception Request No 11-02 to Allow for an Assisted Living
Facility in the R-3 Zoning District Section 23 Township 24 South Ranee 37
East, Parcel 510.0 — (700 W Central Boulevard) — Danny P Rinedahl, for Puerto
Del Rio LLC, Applicant.
Bary Brown, Planning & Development Director, advised that this was a request for a
Special Exception to allow for an Assisted Living Facility (ALF) in the R-3 zoning
district. The applicant and property owner is Danny Ringdahl. The subject property is an
undeveloped portion of Phase III of the Puerto Del Rio Condominium development. The
property is approximately 7.7 acres. Properties to the North, East, and Southeast are
zoned C-1; and to the South and West are zoned R-3. The surrounding uses to the North
and East are Country Inn, Residence Inn, RaoeTrac, and Jungle Village; Bayside
Condominiums to the South; Puerto Del Rio Condominiums to the West; and
undeveloped land that is part of the Radisson Resort property to the Southeast.
Board of Adjustment
Meeting Minutes
April 28, 2011
• Page 2 of 4
Mr. Brown reported that in November of last year, the City revised its code to allow for
Assisted Living Facilities as a Special Exception use in the R-3 and C-1 zoning districts.
Mr. Ringdahl has prepared site and building plans and has met with staff numerous times
in an attempt to design an ALF that meets City code is an economically feasible venture.
The facility is allowed to have 288 beds in accordance with the density calculation per
City code. The property is well suited for this type of use, located between commercial
to the East and condominiums to the West. He informed that the request has been heard
by the Planning & Zoning Board and they unanimously recommended approval of the
Special Exception. The Community Appearance Board has reviewed the architectural
renderings and approved those. Staff recommends approval of the special exception, as
requested, with one condition that calls for all construction materials and equipment to be
removed from the ALF and condominium properties upon receipt of the Certificate of
Occupancy for the ALF.
The Board members briefly reviewed the Special Exception criteria worksheet contained
in their Board packet. Mr. Brown summarized the contents of same.
Danny Ringdahl, Applicant, explained that this project is designed to have 248 units or
288 beds; 228 units will be 400 sq. ft. suites, and 20 units will be 700 sq. ft. suites. The
project is designed to look like a resort hotel. Amenities will include: a dining room,
• wellness center, concierge, bistros, and a pool bar. Every unit will have a balcony. The
architecture is a heavy Spanish Mediterranean style. He thanked the Mayor, City
Council, and City staff for their support in making this project a reality. Discussion
followed regarding: permitting, marketing, financing, management, evacuation planning,
pedestrian access and streetscape plan along Central Blvd. There were no comments
from the audience.
Motion by Dennis Jenkins, seconded by John Bond, to grant Special Exception Request
No. 11-02, with the condition that all construction materials and equipment be removed
from the ALF and condominium properties upon receipt of the Certificate of Occupancy
for the ALF. Vote on the motion carried unanimously.
3. Motion Re, Variance Request No 11-03 to Allow for a Building Length of 353
Feet and a Building Width of 320 Feet Rather Than the 185 Feet Maximum
for Puerto Del Rio LLC. Applicant.
Barry Brown, Planning & Development Director, informed the Board that when the City
adopted the code allowing for an ALF as a special exception, certain criteria specific to
O an ALF was also adopted, one being a building setback of 50 ft. from residential lot lines.
He explained that given that the separation from existing and future residential structures
and given that existing structures me separated by a retention pond, the 50 ft. setback
requirement does not serve its intended purpose in this situation.
Board of Adjustment
Meeting Minutes
April 28, 2011
Page 3 of 4
® Lamar Russell, Chairperson of the Planning & Zoning Board, advised that the Planning
& Zoning Board's reasoning for recommending granting the requested variance, was
because there is no reason to strictly enforce the 80 ft. setback in this case, because the
proposed building is already more than 100 ft. from the property line of the nearest
adjacent property; and there is a retention pond which serves all the adjacent properties
that is required by the St. Johns River Water Management District. He explained that the
code also limits the length or width of a building in R-3 to 185 ft. This was adopted in
response to a past proposed development that was to have a single long building that
would our from AIA to the Banana River along the north side of the Canaveral River.
This would have been architecturally undesirable; it would have blocked views of the
river, and would not have allowed for breezeways. He advised that the Planning &
Zoning Board agreed that this was an odd shaped property, and the proposed use was the
best compatible use for this property and surrounding properties. Mr. Brown advised that
City staff recommends approval and the Planning & Zoning Board recommends approval
of the requested variance.
The Board members reviewed the variance criteria worksheet contained in their packet.
Brief discussion followed regarding winds and breezeways. There were no comments
from the audience.
Motion by Dennis Jenkins, seconded by John Bond, to grant Variance Request No. I I -
03, as requested. Vote on the motion carried unanimously.
OPEN DISCUSSION:
Barry Brown advised that Jim Masson of the Florida Beer Co. is strongly considering
moving his facility from Melbourne to Cape Canaveral. He explained that they need
more room and want to expand their brewing operation. He noted that they are classified
as a regional brewery, not a micro -brewery. The facility would be located at the Marshall
Manufacturing building on Imperial Blvd. He advised that the City Council is in the
process of revising the City code to allow for breweries as a permitted use. The
ordinance should be adopted at the 2"d reading at the next City Council meeting on May
17N
John Bond asked if anyone knew of any future plans for the United Space Alliance
property. Lamar Russell advised that United Space Alliance holds the lease until 2014.
The smaller inventory that belongs to NASA will be disposed of either by giving it to
another government agency, selling it, or auctioning it. The larger equipment will be
used by KSC. United Space Alliance is trying to attract other government business to
replace shuttle contracts. Barry Brown advised that staff had met with one of the owners
of the building, Jim Swann, about a year and a half ago regarding the City's plan for a
traditional downtown type project. Mr. Swann advised that if they could not find a new
tenant by the fime that the lease expires they anticipated on breaking the building up into
• smaller sections trying to find tenants for an interim period, but at some time when the
economy turned around they would entertain the idea of working with the City on a
mixed-use development.
Board of Adjustment
Meeting Minutes
April 28, 2011
® Page 4of4
Dennis Jenkins advised that he has observed that bicyclist's do not use bicycle lane along
Ridgewood Avenue. They still ride in the middle of the street. He asked if there were
any plans to mark the lane. Barry Brown recommended that he contact Jeff Ratliff at
Public Works.
There being no further discussion, a motion was made by John Bond, seconded by
Douglas Raymond to adjourn the meeting at 8:25 p.m. By unanimous consensus, the
motion carried unanimously.
Approved on this 104b day of MOVEM 6E2 , 2011.
John ond, Chairperson
Susan L. Chapman, Se retary
lJ