TO: Honorable Mayor & Members of the North Port Commission
FROM: Peter D. Lear, CPA, CGMA, City Manager
SUBJECT: Central Parc at North Port, Development Master Plan for two phases of residential development and one phase of mixed-use development (QUASI-JUDICIAL)
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Recommended Action
Approve the Central Parc at North Port Development Master Plan with conditions, effective upon adoption of Ordinances 2019-07, 2019-08, and 2019-09.
Recommended action at second hearing: Approve the Central Parc at North Port Development Master Plan with conditions.
General Information
Mark Gerenger, Managing Partner, on behalf of Sabal Trace Development Partners, LLC, property owner, formally submitted to the City of North Port four petitions for a ± 207.5 acre property including a Comprehensive Plan Amendment, Rezone, Text Amendment, and Development Master Plan. The subject property is located between North Port Boulevard and Sumter Boulevard, north of Greenwood Avenue and south of Appomattox Drive. This property was formerly the Sabal Trace golf course, which ceased operations in 2015. The property is bordered on the north, east, and west by single-family zoning, with densities varying on the east (4 units per acre) and west (10 units per acre). On the south, east, and west sides the property is bordered by residential multifamily zoning, with condominiums and townhomes on either side. On the southern edge, the property has direct access along Greenwood Avenue and fronts the Cocoplum waterway.
Section 53-117 of the City of North Port Unified Land Development Code (ULDC) states that a Development Master Plan (DMP) shall accompany any rezoning to Planned Community Development (PCD). This DMP for this property, attached as Exhibit G, includes three phases of development. Phases 1 and 2 compose the 500 residential units, with a separate mixed-use phase of development fronting Greenwood Avenue. The mixed-use component permits medium-density residential, commercial, and office uses.
The Planning & Zoning Advisory Board heard this item at their regularly scheduled meeting on April 18, 2019. Questions were asked regarding the following items:
• The ratio of single-family detached homes to paired villas.
o Answer: Uncertain at this time, would likely be a 60/40 split in either direction.
• The intended height of single-family structures.
o Answer: There may be two-story homes, likely 25-30 feet. Overlook from adjacent properties shouldn’t be too bad considering the 70 foot buffer. Villas will not be two story.
• The number of units intended for the property.
o Answer: It could be less than 500, but could not be more without a Comprehensive Plan Amendment.
• The finality of the project development standards and plan being presented.
o Answer: The property development regulations, such as setbacks, buffers, lot size, and density are being set into the Comprehensive Plan and Unified Land Development Code. These cannot be changed without amendments to those documents. The DMP is valid for 2 years.
• Reclaimed water on the site.
o Answer: The existing storage tank will be replaced with a new reclaimed lake.
• Concerns about increased traffic.
o Answer: There are improvements to the transportation system required as part of the approval of the process. The bridge will help with this.
o The bridge is desired by the developer. They are willing to design and construct, and are seeking through a separate application for a Development Agreement to discuss impact fee credits for the work.
o Staff supports the bridge as the preferred option for traffic improvement.
• The buffer being done prior to main construction of the site.
o Answer: The applicant committed that they would be willing to construct the buffer for each phase before beginning other site work but would not want to construct the entire buffer up front to avoid disturbing portions of the site unnecessarily.
o Staff has added a condition of approval to reflect this commitment.
• The types of trees that would be in the buffer.
o Answer: Could be black olives or oaks, would be determined at a later phase.
• The types of commercial uses in the mixed-use area; how uses were proposed.
o Answer: No end users are currently under contract, the most promising appears to be an Assisted Living Facility. Other uses evaluated include medical/office uses. Uses were proposed by the applicant and refined by staff.
• Arsenic remediation on the site.
o Answer: The issue has been known since the sale of the property. Required FDEP permits will be in place prior to approval of infrastructure plan. The City requested that the applicant start the process earlier to gauge status of the site.
• Lift stations having backup power.
o Answer: A lift station will be provided and must have an emergency generator or pump.
• Emergency access to the site.
o Answer: There are three points of access to the site. Two are full-access, the third is only for emergency purposes. It takes over the old route to the maintenance shed and proposes no improvements at the entrance other than a gate to ensure it is not traversed by anyone other than emergency personnel.
The Planning and Zoning Board voted unanimously to recommend approval of the Central Parc at North Port Development Master Plan, with conditions as presented in Section VIII of the staff report, to the City Commission.
There have been some minimal modifications to the staff report between PZAB and first reading after discussion with the City Attorney. These modifications are only to Section VIII. - Conditions and Safeguards, and to Section IX. - Recommended Action.
It is important to note that the staff report for the Central Parc development is combined to include all associated petitions (CPAL-18-060, REZ-18-070, TXT-18-179, DMP-18-071). The staff report is the same on all files.
Added for second reading
The City Commission heard this item at a special meeting on May 2, 2019.
A motion was made by Commissioner Carusone, seconded by Commissioner Luke, to continue the Central Parc at North Port Development Master Plan with the following conditions: those listed by staff; the condition of formulating a decisive plan of the multi-family development within the mixed-use area; the timing of turn lanes; the requirement of the bridge as proposed; and also to include all of the textual amendments as noted by staff, to a time to be determined.
The motion passed unanimously. The related text amendment (TXT-18-179, Ordinance 2019-09) was also heard at the special meeting on May 2, 2019.
A motion was made by Commissioner Carusone, seconded by Commissioner Luke, to approve and continue Ordinance No. 2019-09 for second reading to include a minimum 8-foot wall in areas of mixed-use commercial.
Staff met with the applicant to discuss the direction from Commission. The directives were addressed as follows:
• The plan for the multi-family development was included in the amendments made to Ordinance 2019-09 for second reading.
• To address the timing of turn lanes, the applicant proposed a new condition to the DMP as follows:
The turn lanes identified in the applicant’s traffic impact study shall be provided as follows:
a. In providing the project’s entrance to Greenwood Avenue, the applicant shall construct (i) an eastbound to northbound left-turn lane; and (ii) a westbound to northbound right-turn lane.
b. In providing the project’s entrance to Appomattox Drive (not the emergency-only access) the applicant shall construct a westbound to southbound left-turn lane.
• In regards to the requirement of the bridge as part of the development, the applicant is not comfortable with this requirement without also having an agreement for reimbursement of impact fees. The applicant has recommended the following adjustments to the condition related to the bridge:
A two-lane bridge, including ten feet wide multi-use paths on both sides of the roadway, over the Cocoplum Waterway extending Tuscola Boulevard north, connecting to Greenwood Avenue is to be constructed by the Developer. An associated agreement between the Developer and the City, whereby costs of the bridge are to be paid by the Developer and reimbursed by the City through transportation impact fees, is to be executed as part of this development approval. The width of the multi-use paths to be provided and the timing of construction of the bridge shall be specified in such agreement. If an agreement to construct the bridge cannot be reached, the applicant must provide the transportation system improvements identified in the alternative scenario presented in the traffic impact statement.
The agreement for the bridge is currently under legal review at the time of the writing of this summary sheet. It is hopeful that the agreement will reach Commission at the same time as this petition, but if this is not the case staff and the applicant should be able to shed more light at the hearing in regard to the status of the agreement.
At the first hearing for the Development Master Plan, there was some conversation surrounding a letter that the Fire Chief sent to the applicant during the review of the project. The applicant has since met with the Fire Chief and discussed the needs for fire service within the development. Following that conversation, the applicant is offering to add the following condition to the DMP:
If single-family residences and villas constructed within Phase 1 and Phase 2 are designed and constructed to contain fire-sprinklers in a form and manner approved by the City’s Fire Marshal and Building Official, then the development within Phase 1 and Phase 2 may receive the following waivers:
a. Reduction of internal street width to 20 feet (two 10-foot travel lanes);
b. Increase fire hydrant spacing, potentially reducing the number of hydrants; and
c. Flexibility with regard to providing longer dead-end streets and reduced setbacks/building separation, to be determined by the City’s Fire Marshal and Building Official.
In addition, the development within Phase 1 and Phase 2 would be eligible to apply for a waiver of or credit for City Fire/Rescue impact fees, pursuant to the process defined in Chapter 58 of the Code of the City of North Port.
Strategic Plan
Stimulate diverse economic development opportunities and advocate for the creation of additional commerce parks.
Develop and implement policies that promote neighborhood revitalization and redevelopment.
Financial Impact
N/A
Procurement
N/A
Attachments: 1. Letter from Applicant for Second Reading
2. Central Parc at North Port Development Master Plan
3. Central Parc Powerpoint
4. PZAB Draft Minutes
5. Staff Report, Central Parc at North Port
Prepared by: Nicole Galehouse, AICP, Planning Division Manager
Department Director: Frank Miles, MPA, Director, Neighborhood Development Services