SUBJECT/RECOMMENDATION:
Title
Approve amendments to the Clearwater Community Development Code establishing the US 19 Corridor (US 19) District with new development standards and a regulating plan for properties located along US Highway 19 and along cross streets, allowing telecommunications towers as a minimum standard use, creating standards for bicycle parking, and making other amendments associated with the new US 19 Corridor District; and pass Ordinance 8988-17 on first reading. (TA2016-12002)
Body
SUMMARY:
Proposed Ordinance 8988-17 contains numerous revisions to the Community Development Code. The majority of the proposed amendments relate to the establishment of the new US 19 District; however, the amendment also addresses telecommunications towers, outdoor storage, and adult uses, as well as bicycle parking.
US 19 District:
The main purpose of proposed Ordinance 8988-17 is to establish the new US 19 District (US 19) in Article 2, Division 11, and identify within Article 3, Division 5 that there are design standards which shall apply to the US 19 District. The standards which apply to the proposed US 19 District are a hybrid of both zoning and development standards; therefore, a new Appendix B of the Community Development Code is proposed in which the US 19 Zoning District & Development Standards will be established.
Proposed Appendix B contains all Development Standards and the regulatory framework for the new US 19 District. Appendix B is organized into eight Divisions, as outlined below:
• Division 1. General Provisions: Intent and Purpose, Relation to Community Development Code, Applicability of Design Standards, and Exemptions
• Division 2. Regulating Plan: Subdistrict and Frontage Types Established
• Division 3. Subdistrict Standards: Intensity, Building Height, Key Corners, Uses and Parking, and Parking Reduction
• Division 4. Street Frontage Standards: Building Placement, Landscape and Pedestrian Improvements, Parking and Vehicular Circulation, and Front Building Facades and Entries
• Division 5. Site Design Standards: Development Pattern, Access and Circulation, Parking and Service Areas, Landscape and Fencing, Stormwater Management, Open Space, and Automobile Service Stations and Drive Throughs
• Division 6. Building Design Standards: Facade Design, Roof Design, Building Entries and Materials, Mechanical Equipment
• Division 7. Flexibility: Process, Flexibility Provisions (General), and Flexibility Provisions for Special Project Types
• Division 8. Administration: Site Plan Approvals, Amending Districts and Frontage Types, Annexation of Property, and Regulating Plan Adjustments
In addition to establishing the US 19 District and associated Development Standards, the proposed amendment clarifies that the US 19 District will be exempt from the Comprehensive Landscape Program, adds language allowing for transit shelters in mixed-use districts like US 19, and modifies the definition of retail plazas to allow the use as a Level One Minimum Standard Use.
Telecommunications Towers:
The proposed amendment addresses changes in Federal Communications Commission Regulations which established a faster timeframe by when local governments must review permit applications, by proposing to move telecommunications towers from Level Two (Flexible Development) use to a Level One (Minimum Standard) use. Existing use specific criteria are proposed to be integrated in to the Design Standards for telecommunications towers found within Article 3.
Outdoor Storage:
The proposed amendment will add the use outdoor storage to the Industrial, Research and Technology (IRT) District.
Adult Uses:
Concurrent Ordinance 8987-17 proposes to rezone properties along US 19 to the new US 19 District, thereby eliminating any Commercial (C) District previously located along US 19. Therefore, adult uses would no longer be an allowable use and the various use tables must be amended accordingly. In order to continue to provide locations within the city and along US 19 on which an adult use may be established, in a similar manner as allowed under current provisions, additional amendments are proposed to Article 3, Division 3, Adult Use Standards to limits adult uses to areas within the US 19 District that are also in the Corridor subdistrict and maintain the requirement that parcels also have frontage along US 19.
Bicycle Parking:
The proposed amendment establishes new bicycle parking standards including locational and bicycle rack standards.
The Planning and Development Department has determined that the proposed text amendment to the Community Development Code is consistent with and furthers the goals, objectives and policies of the Comprehensive Plan and the Community Development Code as outlined in the staff report. The CDB reviewed the proposed text amendment at its meeting of December 20, 2016, and unanimously recommended approval of the amendment with the caveat that staff take into consideration the comments received from property owners, representatives and the public at the CDB meeting. Revisions have been integrated in to the ordinance.
APPROPRIATION CODE AND AMOUNT: N/A
USE OF RESERVE FUNDS: