SUBJECT/RECOMMENDATION:
Title
Approve a Future Land Use Map amendment from the Institutional (I) category to the Residential/Office General (R/OG) category for 407 N. Belcher Road and pass Ordinance 9346-20 on first reading. (LUP2019-09003)
Body
Summary:
This case involves one parcel of land located on the east side of N. Belcher Road, approximately 1,075 feet north of Drew Street. E&J Caputo Clearwater, LLC owns the parcel, which is approximately 0.729 acres.
The applicant, E & J Caputo Clearwater, LLC purchased the property in 2007. For almost 30 years, the location was owned and used by a non-profit social welfare organization which provided services for senior citizens. Since 2004, the building has been used as a medical office with a lab service and ultrasound facility, including after the applicant bought the property. In August 2019, the owner entered into an agreement to lease the building to a financial broker, an office use which is not permitted in the current underlying institutional (I) future land use category or within the current Institutional (I) zoning district.
The request is to change the property’s Future Land Use Map designation from Institutional (I) to Residential/Office General (R/OG). A request to rezone the property from the Institutional (I) District to the Office (O) District is being processed concurrently with this case (REZ2019-09002). The requested amendments would allow the property to be used as an office as proposed.
The Planning and Development Department has determined that the proposed Future Land Use Map amendment is consistent with the provisions of the Community Development Code as specified below:
• The proposed amendment is consistent with the Comprehensive Plan and the Countywide Plan Rules.
• The proposed amendment is compatible with the surrounding properties and character of the neighborhood.
• Sufficient public facilities are available to serve the properties.
• The proposed amendment will not have an adverse impact on the natural environment.
• The proposed amendment will not have an adverse impact on the use of the property in the immediate area.
In accordance with the Countywide Plan Rules, this land use plan amendment is subject to the approval of Forward Pinellas, in its role as the Pinellas Planning Council, and the Board of County Commissioners acting as the Countywide Planning Authority. The application is a small-scale amendment so review and approval by the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity and other state agencies is not required.
The Community Development Board reviewed this application at its December 17, 2019 public hearing and made a unanimous recommendation of approval to the Council.