Background:
Pursuant to Chapter 163.3174(4)(c), Florida Statutes, the City Commission (acting as the Local Planning Agency) is required to hold a duly advertised public hearing in order to review and make recommendations to the governing body as to the consistency of a proposed amendment to the City's Land Development Code with the adopted Comprehensive Plan. There is not an anticipated increased financial impact on the cost of residential housing as a result of the proposed Land Development Code revision.
The City recognizes the ability to process development applications in an efficient manner is an important factor in attracting and maintaining economic development throughout the City, not only for new development but for redevelopment and in-fill development. Evaluating opportunities to streamline the site plan process for all projects, especially for encouraging quality redevelopment and in-fill development and staying competitive with peer cities.
The Land Development Code regulates site plan applications, as well as site plan adjustments and revisions, including review procedures. In an effort to streamline the process for elevation changes and encourage investment and business development into existing buildings, the proposed code amendment creates small-scale site plans. In addition to streamlining site plan procedures for smaller scope projects, the proposed amendment incorporates office buildings in the Western Sunrise Area into small-scale site plans. The major Land Development Code amendments included within the proposed ordinance are:
- A small-scale site plan is defined as:
- A plan that complies with the following:
- A net land area of one (1) acre or less; and
- Fewer than fifty (50) dwelling units or fewer than twenty thousand (20,000) square feet of non-residential use; and
- Does not include both residential and non-residential uses; and
- Does not include an additional application that requires City Commission action. Therefore, any application that requires a special exception, rezoning, plat approval, land use plan amendment, or any other similar development action will not be eligible to be processed as a small-scale site plan amendment.
- An exterior elevation change that does not include any changes to the site plan or includes administrative revision(s) to a site plan shall be processed per the small-scale site plan procedures.
- A new office building and associated parking garage(s) located within the Western Sunrise Area and does not include an additional application that requires City Commission action shall be processed per the small-scale site plan procedures.
- A small-scale site plan shall be processed through the Development Review process.
- A small-scale site plan shall satisfy all Land Development Code requirements prior to approval.
- The Director of Community Development shall have the authority to approve all small-scale site plan amendments that satisfy all of the relevant requirements of the Land Development Code.
- All development applications not deemed small-scale site plans will be defined as large-scale site plans and be required to be processed under the current quasi-judicial process.
The proposed Land Development Code amendment is consistent with the Goals, Objectives and Policies of the City’s adopted Comprehensive Plan and necessary for the preservation of the public health, safety, and welfare of the City’s residents.
Staff recommends adoption of the proposed Land Development Code amendment.
For more information on this item, please contact the Community Development Department staff member identified below.