TO: Honorable Mayor & Members of the North Port Commission
FROM: Peter D. Lear, CPA, CGMA, City Manager
TITLE: Ordinance 2019-25, Adopting the Village District Pattern Plan (VDPP) for Village E in the West Villages
Recommended Action
1. City Commission may approve the Ordinance as presented.
2. City Commission may modify the request, approving portions of the request but revising the waivers and modifications to the ULDC.
3. City Commission may deny the Ordinance and write findings to support this decision.
Background Information
Village E is bounded by US 41 to the north, West Villages Parkway to the west, the proposed extension of Playmore Road to the south, and River Road to the east. The section of Village E under review is a ± 325-acre portion of a 565-acre total Village area. Properties not owned by the applicant, including Sarasota County Schools, the State College of Florida campus, Sarasota County Hospital Board, and the future location of the City of North Port Wastewater treatment plant currently under construction, are excluded.
The applicant proposes to develop a Village consisting of 1,000 residential units, 300,000 square feet of commercial /retail space, and 100,000 square feet of office space. The master developer has indicated that the Village will be developed in phases and completed by 2043.
The entirety of Village E is within the West Villages Town Center. The applicant proposes development in accordance with the West Villages Pattern Book (WVPB) that is currently under review by City Staff, but, in several areas, conflicts with several sections of the existing VDPB, as well as with sections of the ULDC. In particular, the Developer proposes to allow a greater percentage of land area within the Town Center to be used for residential uses than what is allowed in Section 53-212 of the ULDC. (A maximum of 60% of the land area vs. a maximum of 30% that is currently permitted; this has the potential for major economic impact if approved).
A summary of other significant modifications to the regulations in the ULDC in the proposed Village E VDPP include:
• Greater floor area ratios
• More maximum units per acre
• Taller maximum building heights
• Residential lot dimensions - smaller minimum lot size, smaller minimum lot frontage, smaller front and rear setbacks, larger/smaller side setback, greater lot coverage
• Narrower sidewalk widths
• Narrower minimum right-of-way widths
• Slower speed limits
• Fewer parking lot landscape islands
• Fewer minimum parking spaces
• Dimmer parking lot lighting requirements
• Larger square footage signage allowances overall
Ordinance 2019-25 has been reviewed by the City Attorney as to form and correctness. It has been advertised in a newspaper of general circulation within the City of North Port.
At their regularly scheduled meeting on June 20, 2019, the Planning & Zoning Advisory Board unanimously recommended approval of Ordinance 2019-25.
Added for Second Reading
The City Commission heard this item at a special meeting on July 11, 2019. A motion was made to continue Ordinance 2019-25 (Village E VDPP) to second reading on July 23, 2019 with changes to update the Index Map based on the conversation related to Ordinance 2019-20 and to correct the acreage for the VDPP throughout the document. An amendment was made to delay the effective date of the Ordinance to the date the Village District Pattern Book (VDPB) is approved. The amendment failed. Another amendment was made to modify the land use mix changes requested by the applicant to reduce the maximum residential percentage in the Town Center to 35%. The amendment failed. The main motion passed 4-1 with Vice Mayor McDowell dissenting.
Ordinance 2019-25 has been updated with the correct acreage, as has the VDPP for Village E, which is attached to the Ordinance as Exhibit A. The correct acreage is 306.42; a survey has been attached to document this. The index map within the VDPP has also been amended.
Strategic Plan
• Promote a range of housing options and affordability for current and future residents
• Improve mobility through a balanced, multimodal transportation network
• Continue to expand the wastewater and water system distribution
• Establish City facilities strategically throughout the City
• Guide the development of neighborhoods toward a desired image consistent with the approved urban design aesthetic.
• Optimize land use and sustainable development
• Stimulate diverse economic development opportunities and advocate for the creation of additional commerce parks.
Financial Impact
Based on the fiscal impact analysis conducted by the applicant using the City’s Fiscal Impact Model, Village E is expected to provide a deficit for the first 10 years, followed by a surplus in future years. Over a 30-year period, development of Village E would provide the City with an estimated $7.672 million operating surplus while creating 4,630 new jobs. The actual outcome could vary if, for example, the mix of housing and commercial uses that are developed in Village E differ from the assumptions used in the model.
However, after further reviewing this data, staff found inaccuracies in the project assumptions that would lead to the provided information being inaccurate. For example, the single-family dwelling units in the model total approximately 3,000 units, where only 1,000 are being proposed. Staff reached out to the applicant to try to correct the model, requesting information in regard to buildout time frames and reasonable expectations of density and intensity for development. The applicant was not willing to provide this information, so an accurate estimate is not available. In correcting the number of units to reflect the maximum of 1,000, the net operating surplus over 30 years was reduced to $2,067,317.
Procurement
N/A
Attachments:
1. Ordinance 2019-25 for Second Reading
2. Ordinance 2019-25
3. Staff Report
4. Staff Presentation
5. PZAB Minutes
6. Applicant Presentation
7. Village E Survey
Prepared by: Nicole Galehouse
Department Director: Frank Miles