SUBJECT/RECOMMENDATION:
Title
Approve the annexation, initial Future Land Use Map designation of Institutional (I) and initial Zoning Atlas designation of Institutional (I) District for 2829 Sunset Point Road; and pass Ordinances 8817-16, 8818-16 and 8819-16 on first reading. (ANX2015-11033)
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SUMMARY:
This voluntary annexation petition involves one vacant parcel of land totaling 0.814 acres, located on the south side of Sunset Point Road approximately 250 feet west of CR-193. This parcel is part of the Sylvan Abbey Memorial Park and it will be used for parking associated with the funeral home and accessory facilities, including a personal care center and support area. The parcel is contiguous to existing city limits to the west. It is proposed that the property be assigned a Future Land Use Map designation of Institutional (I) and a zoning category of Institutional (I).
A petition for annexation was submitted in July 2015 (ANX2015-07020) to annex three parcels of land, addressed as 2853 and 2859 Sunset Point Road and an unaddressed parcel located on CR-193, also associated with the Sylvan Abbey Memorial Park. The applicant currently has an active building permit through Pinellas County for the renovation of the personal care center and support area of the funeral home. Additional parking was required by the County in order to accommodate the funeral home expansion, which made it necessary to annex this parcel in addition to the previous three parcels. To ensure consistency during Building Code inspections and to prevent any construction liability issues, the project will be built in its entirety under Pinellas County jurisdiction. For that reason, second reading of both annexation applications cannot occur until after the County issues a Certificate of Occupancy (CO), which is anticipated to be in early 2016. The Planning and Development Department will schedule the second and final reading after the applicant obtains the CO.
A funeral home is a retail sales and service use, which within the Institutional (I) District is only permissible as an accessory use within the same building as another permissible use. City staff prepared an amendment to the Community Development Code (CDC) (TA2015-08005) proposing to allow funeral homes as permitted standalone uses in the Institutional (I) District, which was passed on first reading by City Council on December 17, 2015. The second reading for this amendment is scheduled for January 21, 2016. Should the amendment be approved by the City, the Sylvan Abbey Memorial Park would be a conforming use and the approved site plan would meet the District’s minimum development standards.
The Planning and Development Department determined that the proposed annexation is consistent with the provisions of Clearwater Community Development Code Section 4-604.E as follows:
• Water, sanitary sewer, and solid waste service is available from the City. However, since this parcel will be used for parking, services will not be necessary at this time. The applicant would be entitled to develop the parcel at a future time as an institutional use; therefore, access to urban infrastructure (e.g., city water and sewer) might be applicable in the future, but is not requested at this time. The property is located within Police District III and service will be administered through the district headquarters located at 2851 North McMullen Booth Road. Fire and emergency medical services will be provided to these properties by Station 48 located at 1700 North Belcher Road. The City has adequate capacity to serve this property with police, fire and EMS service, as well as water, sanitary sewer and solid waste service should they be requested in the future. The proposed annexation will not have an adverse effect on public facilities and their levels of service; and
• The proposed annexation is consistent with and promotes the following objectives of the Clearwater Comprehensive Plan:
Objective A.6.4 Due to the built-out character of the City of Clearwater, compact urban development within the urban service area shall be promoted through application of the Clearwater Community Development Code.
Objective A.7.2 Diversify and expand the City’s tax base through the annexation of a variety of land uses located within the Clearwater Planning Area.
• The proposed Institutional (I) Future Land Use Map category in the City is consistent with the current Countywide Plan designation of this property. This designation primarily permits institutional uses at an intensity of 0.65 FAR. The proposed zoning district to be assigned to the property is the Institutional (I) District. The use of the subject property will be consistent with the uses allowed in the District upon the approval of TA2015-08005, and the property will exceed the District’s minimum dimensional requirements. This will make the proposed annexation consistent with the Countywide Plan and the City’s Comprehensive Plan and Community Development Code; and
• The property proposed for annexation is contiguous to existing City limits along the west; therefore, the annexation is consistent with Florida Statutes Chapter 171.044.
APPROPRIATION CODE AND AMOUNT:
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USE OF RESERVE FUNDS:
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