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REZONING - 4322 NORTHWEST 53RD AVENUE (B)
Ordinance No. 110223, Petition No. PB-11-64ZON
An ordinance of the City of Gainesville, Florida, amending the Zoning Map Atlas and rezoning certain property located within the City, as more specifically described in this Ordinance, from the City of Gainesville zoning category of "PS: Public services and operations district" to the City of Gainesville zoning category of "MU-1: 8-30 units/acre mixed use low intensity"; located in the vicinity of 4322 Northwest 53rd Avenue; providing a severability clause; providing a repealing clause; and providing an effective date.
recommendation
The City Commission adopt the proposed ordinance.
explanation
STAFF REPORT
This proposed rezoning from PS (Public services and operations district) to MU-1 (8-30 units/acre mixed use low intensity) is for the approximately 2.69-acre, City of Gainesville property located on the northwest corner of the intersection of Northwest 43rd Street and Northwest 53rd Avenue (Millhopper Road, County Road 232). This developed property (with its 11,888 square-foot building) is the long-established site of Gainesville Regional Utility's (GRU's) Electrical Systems Control facility, which is to be relocated to the new GRU Eastside Operations Center on North Main Street following its anticipated completion later this year.
The to-be-vacated property will become surplus City property and listed for sale. The current PS zoning is appropriate for governmental facilities, but is generally inappropriate for private ownership and development. The proposed MU-1 zoning is appropriate for private development and for this location. There are no compatibility issues between the proposed MU-1 zoning (and MUL land use) with the PS zoning (Public Facilities land use) across NW 43rd Street to the east. Nor are there any compatibility concerns with the PD (Planned development district) zoning (MUL land use) across NW 53rd Avenue to the south, with the MU-1 zoning (and MUL land use) to the southeast, or with the General office district zoning (Office land use) to the north and west.
Compatibility with the single-family residential property (RSF-1 zoning, SF land use) to the west will be achieved by meeting all applicable requirements of the Land Development Code. An existing brick wall (approximately 5 feet 10 inches in height) separates the abutting single-family lot from the site. Section 30-64 (a) of the Land Development Code states that the MU-1 zoning district "is established to allow uses compatible with each other and with surrounding residential areas to be developed near each other."
The requested MU-1 zoning is consistent with the infill and redevelopment goals of the Future Land Use Element (Goal 2, Objective 2.1), and with the Policy 4.2.1 requirement to provide protection for "residential areas and low intensity uses from the impacts of high intensity uses by separating intense uses from low-intensity uses by transitional uses and by performance measures." The proposed rezoning to MU-1 (8-30 units/acre mixed use low intensity) is consistent with the City's Comprehensive Plan and the proposed MUL land use category, and it could have a positive impact on redevelopment of the site.
This petition is related to Petition PB-11-63 LUC, which is a request for a small-scale land use amendment from Public Facilities (PF) to Mixed-Use Low-Intensity (8-30 units per acre) (MUL).
Public notice was published in the Gainesville Sun on May 9, 2011. The City Plan Board held a public hearing on May 26, 2011.
CITY ATTORNEY MEMORANDUM
The City Commission, at its meeting of October 20, 2011, approved Petition No. PB-11-64ZON.