title
REZONING - EXPANSION OF GPD (B)
Ordinance No. 0-08-91, Petition 17PSZ-08PB
An ordinance of the City of Gainesville, Florida, amending the Zoning Map Atlas and rezoning certain properties within the City, as more specifically described in this ordinance, from the zoning categories of "MU-1: 8-30 units/acre mixed use low intensity," "RC: 12 units/acre residential conservation district," and "OF: General office district" to "PS: Public services and operations district" to permit by right a public safety administration and operations facility and certain other principal and accessory uses, as more specifically described in this ordinance, including an indoor shooting range, communications tower, outdoor storage, and a public bicycle and pedestrian path through a portion of the property; without the approval of a preliminary development plan; located in the vicinity of the 400 Block of Northwest 8th Avenue; providing a severability clause; providing a repealing clause; and providing an immediate effective date.
recommendation
The City Commission adopt the proposed ordinance.
explanation
STAFF REPORT
This is a request by the Gainesville Police Department to change the zoning of a 2.56-acre property adjacent to the existing GPD Downtown Headquarters Campus to PS (Public services and operations district) zoning. These properties were purchased by the City with the intent of allowing for expansion of the existing police department facility and the establishment of a training center and analysis center at the site. Currently, the State of Florida owns a strip of land that runs through the middle of the proposed campus expansion. This land was previously part of a privately owned railroad right-of-way, and was purchased by the State for the establishment of the 6th Street Rail Trail. In conjunction with the rezoning of this site, there is a plan to exchange the right-of-way for an equivalent section of land that is currently owned by the City. As a result of this exchange, the location for the future rail trail would be shifted to the east. The general locations of buildings, parking areas, and the realigned trail were shown on the site plan that was originally included with the rezoning request. However, as a result of some specific concerns over the proposed layout of the site, the site plan is no longer included with this request to rezone the property.
Approval of a minor subdivision will be necessary to allow for the property exchange and the realignment of the rail-trail and to create the resulting new parcels. Condition 5, as originally proposed by staff, requires that this minor subdivision be approved and recorded prior to the adoption of this rezoning ordinance. However, there is no longer a site plan included with this request, and the exact configuration of the rail-trail and surrounding parcels has not been determined. Therefore, at this time, staff is recommending that this condition be removed from the zoning ordinance. The requirement for the minor subdivision will then be more appropriately handled as a condition of the preliminary development plan approval.
The City Plan Board considered Petition 17PSZ-08PB at a public hearing held August 28, 2008. By a vote of 6 - 0, the City Plan Board approved the petition with staff conditions.
At the subsequent City Commission hearing on October 2, 2008, the petitioner was directed to hold a public workshop with citizens and the Commission. The petition was deferred to the December 4, 2008 hearing.
Public notice for this petition was published in the Gainesville Sun on August 6, 2008. Letters were mailed to surrounding property owners on August 6, 2008.
CITY ATTORNEY MEMORANDUM
The City Commission, at its meeting of December 4, 2008 authorized the City Attorney's Office to prepare and the Clerk of the Commission to advertise the proposed ordinance. The passage of time leading up to the preparation of this ordinance is attributable to the preparation of accurate maps, legal descriptions, identifying the exact location and conditions of the realignment of the rail trail, and describing the appropriate permitted uses.