title
REZONING - 837 SOUTHEAST 7TH AVENUE (B)
Ordinance No. 0-06-84, Petition No. 41ZON-06PB
An ordinance of the City of Gainesville, Florida, amending the Zoning Map Atlas and rezoning certain property within the City from "RSF-4: 8 units/acre single-family residential district" to "PS: Public services and operations district"; to allow for a museum and cultural center, without approval of a preliminary site plan; located in the vicinity of 837 Southeast 7th 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 is an application to rezone approximately 1.84 acres from RSF-4 to PS. The subject parcel is located in Southeast Gainesville's Springhill neighborhood. The subject parcel is the northern half of a block bounded by Southeast 8th Street on the west, Southeast 9th Street on the east, Southeast 8th Avenue on the south, and Southeast 7th Avenue on the north.
The purpose of this request is to allow the vacant historic buildings on the site to be redeveloped as a museum and cultural center. The largest building on the site was moved to its current location after World War II and has been used as a movie theater, nightclub and storage building. In the past, this one-story wood frame building has been known as the Perryman Theater, Cotton Club and the Blue Note. The property's owner is working with the University of Florida to restore the site for use as a museum, gift shop, and neighborhood activity center.
The subject property also contains five other vacant one-story structures. Those structures are four small wood frame houses and the former Perryman Grocery Store.
The subject property and all surrounding properties are zoned RSF-4, and are designated RL, Residential Low-Density (up to 12 units/acre) on the Comprehensive Plan's Future Land Use Map. This area of the city is dominated by single-family residences. An exception is the Mount Olive AME Church, which owns the subject property and is located along the subject property's southern boundary at 721 Southeast 8th Street. A park with a playground is located at the northwest corner of Southeast 8th Avenue and 9th Street.
According to Section 30-75(a) of the City of Gainesville's Land Development Regulations, the purpose of the proposed PS zoning is to provide suitable locations for public and private utility and recreation activities that serve and are used by the public.
For requests to rezone land to PS, City regulations allow the City Commission to require applicants to provide a site plan prior to rezoning approval. This option is in place to protect surrounding areas when public facilities such as utilities are proposed. In this instance, however, requiring a site plan prior to rezoning is not necessary. The site is owned by an adjacent church which is working with a non-profit corporation to develop the site as a community center. The non-profit corporation has raised funds from private donations, special events, and the City of Gainesville. Their application for a State Historic Preservation Grant was ranked 16th out of more than 100. The PS zoning, however, must be in place to execute the grant.
The City Plan Board discussed the petition and recommended that it be approved.
Public notice was published in the Gainesville Sun on May 2, 2006. Letters were mailed to surrounding property owners on May 3, 2006. The Plan Board held a public hearing May 18, 2006.