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04-05-2005 Regular MeetingCity of Clermont MINUTES PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION April 5, 2005 The meeting of the Planning & Zoning Commission was called to order Tuesday, April 5, 2005, at 7:00 p.m. by Chairman David Pape. Members present were Sy Holzman, Carolyn Mathieson, Henry Rhee, Roger Pierce, David Outlaw, Elwood Treadwell, Peter Geigel and Maggie Miller. Also in attendance were Darren Gray, Assistant City Manager, Curt Henschel, Planner, John Morgeson, City Attorney and Jane McAllister, Planning and Zoning Clerk. MINUTES of the Planning and Zoning Commission meeting held March 1, 2005 were approved as written. REPORTS Assistant City Manager Darren Gray told those present that the City has hired a new Director of Planning, James Hitt. Mr. Hitt will be starting in that position on April 11, 2005. It was also announced that Planner Barbara Hollerand who has been working part.. time for the City in recent months has agreed to return as a full time employee. Assistant City Manager Darren Gray reported that the Joint Planning Area Land Development Regulations are almost finished. He announced that the final hearing will be on May 3, 2005. 1. REQUEST FOR A CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT OWNER: Family Christian Center of Clermont, Inc. APPLICANT: E.W. Griffith REQUEST: To amend Resolution No. 1384 to allow for the construction of a public park; to allow for the addition of five (5) portable classrooms for an additional 8,640 square feet of space; to remove the requirement for a sidewalk to be constructed adjacent to Highway 27; to allow for pervious rather than impervious drive aisles for grass parking, and to allow for the construction of a two-story multiuse building of approximately 50,000 square feet. LOCATION: 2500 S. Highway 27 EXISTING ZONING: R-1-A, Single Family Low Density Residential. EXISTING LAND USE: Church. FUTURE LAND USE DISTRICT: Undeveloped District 8 (UD-8). V City of Clermont MINUTES PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION • April 5, 2005 Page - 2 - FUTURE LAND USE CLASSIFICATION: Residential. Planner Curt Henschel introduced this request by saying that the applicant is requesting an amendment to the existing church CUP for the expansion of educational classrooms. The applicant proposed to install 5 modular classrooms to accommodate the growing educational program at the existing church. The 5 classrooms will serve as temporary structures until the master development plan is completed. The applicant is also proposing a public park facility along the south end of the property. The proposed park will be 3 acres in size and include playground equipment for the children to play on. Associated with the park will be a stabilized parking area for those who will be utilizing the park. Part of the overall master plan for the church development is a 50,000 square foot multi-use building. This building will be used for classrooms, offices, banquets, ad contain a gymnasium for sporting events. This building is a permanent building that will blend in with the overall master site plan. • Two amendments are also being requested with this conditional use permit. The first amendment is a request to remove the public sidewalk requirement with the development of the project. Within the original conditional use permit a sidewalk was required along Highway 27. This sidewalk has not been installed, and the applicant has been approached by the Department of Transportation requesting an additional 5 to 20 feet of right-of--way to be used for the expansion of Highway 27. The applicant is confident that a sidewalk placed in the original proposed location will be short lived with the widening of Highway 27. When the widening of Highway 27 is completed the applicant does propose to install the sidewalk bu only after the widening is complete. The second amendment is a request to utilize pervious drive aisles within the grass parking areas. The original conditional use permit allows for grass parking, but also requires all driveway aisles to be paved or impervious so not to create~a "dirt" pathway for each grass parking stall. The applicant is proposing to use other stabilized methods that are not considered to be impervious by city code. This area of grass parking will also be affected by the widening of Highway 27 and the applicant wished not to pave the parking area twice. t Staff recommends approval of the request. Chairman Pape asked if the applicant was present. C 2 City of Clermont MINUTES PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION April 5, 2005 E.W. (Bill) Griffith, 15009 Green Valley Blvd., Clermont, FL said that the park will be in memory of 12 year old Brittany Black, a church member who was killed in an automobile accident about one year ago. He said the park will have plastic playground equipment rather than the treated wood used in many local parks. Mr. Griffith showed a diagram of the modular classrooms and stated that they will be in place for no more than 3 or 4 years. Chairman Pape asked if there was anyone in the public who wished to speak about this request. Mary Humberson, 13219 Olesen Court, Clermont, FL lives directly south of the church property and expressed a concern that children would be cutting through her yard to get to the playground at the church. She also mentioned that her property abuts a water retention area and said she thought she was not allowed to put up a fence. Bill Griffith of Family Christian Church assured Ms. Humberson that the playground would be entirely fenced in and that the only entry would be from church property. He also mentioned that when there was no one at the church • the playground would be gated and locked. Chairman Pape asked if the commissioners had any questions for the applicant. Commissioner Holzman stated that there were two other modular units on the church property and asked how long they would be there. Mr. Griffith said those units would be there indefinitely. Commissioner Rhee asked if Mr. Griffith knew when the widening of Highway 27 was scheduled to take place. Mr. Griffith said he estimates within 2 to 3 years from the information the Department of Transportation has give him. Commissioner Pierce asked if there been any grading estimates done. Mr. Griffith said there is a preliminary grading estimate and that Earner Barley and Associates were the engineers for the project. Commissioner Geigel asked if there was a master plan for the development of the church property. City of Clermont MINUTES PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION • April 5, 2005 Page - 3 - Chairman Pape explained to Commissioner Geigel that the church presented a .master plan to the city 2 years ago. Commissioner Geigel said that the CUP should state that the 5 new modular classrooms will be gone in four years. Commissioner Mathieson said that a church has to develop as it can, and that the growth in this community has been much greater than anticipated. That is what makes it difficult for the church #o adhere strictly to a master plan. Commissioner Pierce asked Curt Henschel if there was other grass parking at churches in the area with pervious parking. There was some discussion about the request for pervious drive aisles in the grass parking. Mr. Griffith stated that they did not wish to pave the drive aisles for the same reason they do not want to put in the sidewalk until the widening of Highway 27 is finished. If they pave the drive aisles now they will probably have to be done over • when 27 is widened since this parking area is next to Highway 27. Commissioner Miller said that in her opinion pervious parking is preferred as long as the ground is stabilized. Commissioner Pierce moved for approval of the request with the added stipulation that the five new modular units be removed after 4 vears• seconded by Commissioner Miller. The vote was unanimous in favor of the motion. 2. ORDINANCE #320 -SIGNS Planner Curt Henschel introduced the proposed changes to the sign ordinance. He passed out a summary of the proposed sign code revisions and asked for comments and input from the Commission. The summary is attached to and becomes part of these minutes. Mr. Henschel also showed examples of various signs that are now allowed and of the same category of signs that would be allowed under this change in the code. He explained that non-conforming signs would have to comply to the new code with a change of occupancy of the premises. • Mr. Henschel went over all the proposed changes with the Commissioners and asked for their comments and suggestions. 4 City of Clermont MINUTES • PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION April 5, 2005 Page - 5 - Commissioner David Outlaw asked if there would be some provision for allowing a longer time period for business owners to repair signs that are broken due to an act of God or some other event that is not the fault of or under the control of the business owner. Assistant City Manager Darren Gray said there was no such provision, but that if a sign was not repaired within the allotted time period Code Enforcement would be notified. He said it would be up to the Code Enforcement Officer and Board as to whether the business owner should be allowed more time to make repairs due to the circumstances. Historically, the Code Enforcement Board works with respondents to achieve compliance. Commissioner Holzman expressed support for Commissioner Outlaw and his suggestion that there should be some leniency shown when there is damage to a sign through no fault of the owner, or when the owner is unable to get someone to make repairs in a timely manner. Commissioner Outlaw suggested a change in wording of Section 102-23 Changeable copy signs. It reads as follows: • Changeable copy signs shall be regulated under the following guidelines. This section shall not include electronic message boards and the like, which are prohibited under this chapter. Such signs shall be permitted in the following manner: Commissioner Outlaw suggested that the last sentence should say "Changeable copy signs shall be permitted in the following manner". Commissioner Pierce moved to approve the amendments to the sign ordinance: seconded by Commissioner Holzman. The vote was unanimous for approval. DISCUSSION OF NON-AGENDA ITEMS Commissioner Outlaw expressed concern about the fact that there is not a more concise set of rules for development within the city limits. He asked if a committee could be formed to author such a set of planning and zoning rules that would serve to eliminate many of the requests that come before the. Planning and Zoning Commission and the City Council. Commissioner Holzman suggested holding off on such a move for a few months until the new Planning Director has had an opportunity to acclimate himself. • Commissioner Outlaw agreed, but suggested that much of the leg work could be done in the mean time. City of Clermont MINUTES • PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION April 5, 2005 Page - 6 - Chairman Pape said that most of the growth and development in the city has been residential. He went on to say. that we need to court commercial growth as well. Assistant City Manager Darren Gray suggested a workshop session with the Planning and Zoning Commission and the City Council in reference to the future growth of the city. All of the Commissioners said they would look forward to meeting with the City Council in a workshop to discuss the future plans of the city, and the possibility of forming a committee to create a more detailed plan for developing within the city limits. There being no further business the meeting was adjourned. • ATTEST: G' ~j~ `' ~% / ne C. McAllist - tanning Technician II • 6 :. Pianning and Zoning Sign Code Revisions Summary • Section 102-2 Ground signs Defined as: Asian that is anchored near or at ground level which has the vertical structure supports concealed in an enclosed base The width of such enclosed base shall be eaual to at least one-half (1/21 the horizontal width of the sign surface • Section 102-3 Change of Occupancy Non-conforming signs shall be replaced when a change of occupancy occurs or a business cha~,ges ownership. • Section 102-10 Construction and Maintenance Standards: Signs left in a state of disrepair longer than 90 days are considered nonconforming. • • Section 102-12 Height and Setbacks: Height to be measured at the location of the sign Flag Poles = 30 feet max • Section 102=15 Permitted Signs: Signs in commercial districts 60 square feet for arterial roads/ max height of 10 feet 48 square feet for collector roads/ max height of 8 feet 32 square feet for local roads/ max height of 6 feet * additional 1 foot may be added far ornamental display Setbacks = 5 feet from ROW, except visibility triangle. 10 feet from side or rear properly line 20 feet from residential zoning 100 square feet of landscaping is required azound sign base • l i t • wall signs High Rise; Multi-Unit office = One Wall Sigh Below roof top Max. area for signs 30 feet anlower = 1 sf for each lineal feet of building frontage Max area for signs 30 feet and higher = 5 sf for each 1,000 square feet of gross floor azea, not to exceed 800 sf. Multi. -Occupancy commercial Sites - (Shopping Centers) Centers 75,000 sf and more = 120 sf of sign azea !Max Height of 15 feet Centers 10,000 to 75,000 = 75 sf of sign area / Max Height of 15 feet Centers up to 10,000 = 60 sf of sign azea / Max Height of 15 feet Setbacks = 50 feet from side lot~~ines, or equal distant from side lot. 10 feet from ROw Multi Tenant Industrial Complex Max Height of a sign shall be 15 feet • ,Max Sign area for 50,000 sf or more =120 sf of sign azea Max Sign azea for less than 50,000 sf = 100 sf of sign area Max sign height for an individual platted lot = 8 feet • Office complex and parks - Max. sign height shall be 15 feet Max sign area for office parks having more that 25,000 sf or more =120 sf sign area Max sign azea for office parks having less than 25,000 sf =100 sf of sign area Individual platted lots have a maximum sign height of 8 feet • Section 102-23 Changeable Copy Signs: Houses of worship /Churches - shall follow the same sign code as any other business.