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TEXT AMENDMENT - AMEND THE CENTRAL CORRIDORS AUTO-ORIENTED USE STANDARDS (B)
Ordinance No. 110247; Petition No. PB-11-90 TCH
An ordinance of the City of Gainesville, Florida, amending Section 30-23 of the Land Development Code of the City of Gainesville by defining "service bay" and "service area entrance"; amending Appendix A, Section 5, Exhibit B. Central Corridors Special Area Plan of the Land Development Code, by revising the limitations on service bays for limited automotive services and deleting an obsolete graphics figure; providing directions to the codifier; providing a severability clause; providing a repealing clause; and providing an immediate effective date.
recommendation
The City Commission adopt the proposed ordinance.
explanation
PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DEPARTMENT STAFF REPORT
This Ordinance will allow for an increase in the number of service bays for limited automotive services uses in the Central Corridors Special Area Plan.
The Central Corridors Special Area Plan currently restricts "limited automotive services" (such as tire service and oil change centers) to a maximum of three service bays. This limitation on the number of service bays is intended to limit the noise and visibility impacts from lifts and other equipment, and from ongoing service to motor vehicles. This standard was written to address a building design where the service bays would be facing directly onto a street or adjacent property, but does not consider alternative designs that would orient service bays so that they are not directly exposed to the exterior of buildings. This ordinance will allow for an increase in the number of service bays for limited automotive service uses in the Central Corridors Special Area Plan, but only when they are designed so that the bays do not face the exterior of the building. The new language distinguishes between two options for designing limited automotive service buildings: 1) with a maximum of three service bays facing the exterior of the building and accessed directly from the exterior of the building; and 2) with a maximum of two service area entrances providing indirect access to internally-oriented service bays.
The proposed text amendment is consistent with the overall intent of Central Corridors to "strike a balance between the needs of the car and pedestrian" and "improve the sense of place and community" while continuing to support a healthy economy. The amendment is also consistent with the specific intent of the Central Corridors auto-oriented use standards, which are designed to protect community character and minimize impacts on neighborhoods and pedestrians in the public realm.
This amendment is consistent with Policy 1.1.2 of the Urban Design Element of the Comprehensive Plan, which states that "The City shall establish urban design standards which protect and promote quality of life, in order to encourage redevelopment and new development within city limits rather than in outlying areas by amending the Land Development Code to adopt additional design standards for any particular parts of the city." By providing additional flexibility for limited automotive services in the Central Corridors overlay, this amendment will allow for certain auto-oriented uses, when they are appropriately designed, to continue to be located in the more central and urban areas of the City.
Public notice was published in the Gainesville Sun on July 12, 2011. On July 28, 2011, the City Plan Board heard the Petition and, by a vote of 4-0, approved the Petition.
CITY ATTORNEY MEMORANDUM
This ordinance requires two public hearings. If this ordinance is passed on first reading, second and final reading will be held on Thursday, November 3, 2011.