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425 Atlantic Boulevard ZVAR19-0008 Staff ReportCITY OF ATLANTIC BEACH COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BOARD STAFF REPORT AGENDA ITEM 4.E CASE NO. ZVAR19-0008 Request for two variances as permitted by Section 24-64, to reduce the vehicle use area perimeter landscape buffer for side property lines from 5 feet as required by Section 24-177(d)(2) to 3 feet and to reduce the minimum required parking from 16 spaces as required by Section 24-161(h)(8) to 9 spaces to allow the reconfiguration of existing nonconforming parking at Saltair Section 3 Lots 834-834 and 850 (aka 425 Atlantic Boulevard). LOCATION 425 Atlantic Boulevard APPLICANT Kyle Stucki DATE April 5, 2019 STAFF Derek W. Reeves, AICP; Principal Planner STAFF COMMENTS The applicant is Kyle Stucki, representing the ownership group Beach Hospitality, Inc. The property is an existing motel called the Saltair Motel at 425 Atlantic Boulevard. The property was recently purchased by the applicant and they are in the process of renovating the property. In addition to updating the buildings, the plan is to redesign the parking and access to the property by adding a driveway from Sturdivant Avenue and creating a courtyard between the buildings. E xi s t i n g S i t e P ro p o s e d Si t e Pl a n Page 2 of 4 The Duval County Property Appraiser’s Office lists the construction dates for the motel room buildings as 1946 and the two-story house as 1975. The building setbacks along the side property lines and front property line along Atlantic Boulevard are all nonconforming. To accomplish the proposed redesign, two variances will be needed. One to reduce landscaping around the new parking and a second to reduce the required parking. The first variance is to reduce the required vehicle use area perimeter landscape area along the side property lines from five feet to no less than three feet. Due to the angles of the property and the angles of the existing buildings, the new parking area would be angled too. This results in triangular areas where the parking would encroach into the landscape area. The image to the right shows black triangles where the parking would encroach. The dark green areas are where landscaping would be increased beyond the minimum required. To the east of the encroachment area is the back of the Hotel Palms and to the west of the encroachment area are McDonald’s dumpsters. The second variance is to reduce the required parking from 16 to 9 spaces. The 9 spaces would include 7 standard spaces, 1 garage space and 1 ADA space. All of these would meet code for space dimensions and drive aisle widths. As part of the remodel, the owners are converting the house into two units, but keeping the garage and converting one existing room into office/lobby space for a total of 15 units. Code requires 1 space per unit plus one for staff, resulting in 16 required spaces. The site plan provided shows the Atlantic Boulevard access with one parking space remaining. This would be used as a check-in space until the Atlantic Boulevard access can be closed. The parallel space in the plan would then be established as a check-in space once the Atlantic Boulevard access is closed. Neither space is counted in the 9 in the request. The existing hotel has 14 units plus the two-story house where the code would require 1 space per unit plus 1 for staff and 2 for the house resulting in 17 required spaces. There are currently 13 marked spaces. One space is in a garage and another is a parallel space. The remaining 11 are 90 degree or near 90 degree spaces stripped at 15 feet long, which is 3 feet short of the minimum 18 feet required by code. They vary in width from 7 to 9 feet making several less than the minimum of 9 feet required by code. If the spaces were 18 feet deep as required, the drive aisle ranges from 10 feet to over the 22 feet required by code. There are also no existing ADA spaces. At best you could say there are 7 existing spaces, including the garage and parallel spaces, which meet code. The applicants are actively seeking code compliant shared parking agreements which could negate or reduce the need for the second variance to reduce parking. The two variances needed are: - A reduction of the side yard perimeter landscape area to no less than three feet, and - A reduction in the required parking from 16 spaces to 9 spaces. Page 3 of 4 ANALYSIS Section 24-64(b) (1) provides that “applications for a variance shall be considered on a case-by-case basis, and shall be approved only upon findings of fact that the application is consistent with the definition of a variance and consistent with the provisions of this section.” According to Section 24-17, Definitions, “[a] variance shall mean relief granted from certain terms of this chapter. The relief granted shall be only to the extent as expressly allowed by this chapter and may be either an allowable exemption from certain provision(s) or a relaxation of the strict, literal interpretation of certain provision(s). Any relief granted shall be in accordance with the provisions as set forth in Section 24-64 of this chapter, and such relief may be subject to conditions as set forth by the City of Atlantic Beach.” Section 24-64(d) provides six distinct grounds for the approval of a variance: (1) Exceptional topographic conditions of or near the property. (2) Surrounding conditions or circumstances impacting the property disparately from nearby properties. (3) Exceptional circumstances preventing the reasonable use of the property as compared to other properties in the area. (4) Onerous effect of regulations enacted after platting or after development of the property or after construction of improvements upon the property. The applicant stated that the property was constructed in the 1940’s through the 1960’s before current codes. (5) Irregular shape of the property warranting special consideration. The applicant stated that the request is to reduce the landscape area from five feet to three feet in triangular areas. (6) Substandard size of a lot of record warranting a variance in order to provide for the reasonable use of the property. The applicant stated that two of the proposed parking spaces are encroaching into the greenspace. Page 4 of 4 REQUIRED ACTION The Community Development Board may consider a motion to approve ZVAR19-0008, request for a variance as permitted by Section 24-64, to reduce the vehicle use area perimeter landscape buffer for side property lines from 5 feet as required by Section 24-177(d)(2) to 3 feet and to reduce the minimum required parking from 16 spaces as required by Section 24-161(h)(7) to 9 spaces to allow the reconfiguration of existing nonconforming parking at Saltair Section 3 Lots 834-834 and 850 (aka 425 Atlantic Boulevard), upon finding this request is consistent with the definition of a variance, and in accordance with the provisions of Section 24-64, specifically the grounds for approval delineated in Section 24-64(d) and as described below. A variance may be granted, at the discretion of the Community Development Board, for the following reasons: (1) Exceptional topographic conditions of or near the property. (2) Surrounding conditions or circumstances impacting the property disparately from nearby properties. (3) Exceptional circumstances preventing the reasonable use of the property as compared to other properties in the area. (4) Onerous effect of regulations enacted after platting or after development of the property or after construction of improvements upon the property. (5) Irregular shape of the property warranting special consideration. (6) Substandard size of a lot of record warranting a variance in order to provide for the reasonable use of the property. Or, The Community Development Board may consider a motion to deny ZVAR19-0008, request for a variance as permitted by Section 24-64, to reduce the vehicle use area perimeter landscape buffer for side property lines from 5 feet as required by Section 24-177(d)(2) to 3 feet and to reduce the minimum required parking from 16 spaces as required by Section 24-161(h)(7) to 9 spaces to allow the reconfiguration of existing nonconforming parking at Saltair Section 3 Lots 834-834 and 850 (aka 425 Atlantic Boulevard), upon finding this request is not consistent with the definition of a variance, or it is consistent with one or more of the grounds for denial of a variance, as delineated in Section 24-64(c), described below. No variance shall be granted if the Community Development Board, in its discretion, determines that the granting of the requested variance shall have a materially adverse impact upon one (1) or more of the following: (1) Light and air to adjacent properties. (2) Congestion of streets. (3) Public safety, including traffic safety, risk of fire, flood, crime or other threats to public safety. (4) Established property values. (5) The aesthetic environment of the community. (6) The natural environment of the community, including environmentally sensitive areas, wildlife habitat, protected trees, or other significant environmental resources. (7) The general health, welfare or beauty of the community. Variances shall not be granted solely for personal comfort or convenience, for relief from financial circumstances or for relief from situation created by the property owner.