310 Mealy Drive UBE-2010-01 Staff Report CDBAGENDA ITEM 5.a
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT STAFF REPORT
March 16, 2010 Public Hearing
UBE-2010-01, Dawson Land Development, Inc.
To: Community Development Board
From: Planning, Zoning and Community Development Department
Date: February 26, 2010
Subject: UBE-2010-01
Applicant: Dawson Land Development, Inc.
310 Mealy Drive
Atlantic Beach, Florida 32233
Requested Change: Request for a Use-by-Exception in the Light Industrial and Warehousing
(LIW) Zoning District for Heavy Automotive Repair and storage of vehicles in association with
vehicle towing services within the Mayport Industrial Park at 310 Mealy Street.
Location: 310 Mealy Drive
Existing Zoning: Light Industrial and Warehousing (LIW)
Future Land Use: Light Industrial (LI)
STAFF COMMENTS
This Use-by-Exception is requested to allow an existing industrial use to add certain activities to the
property. Dawson Land Development and Dawson Trucking have long been located within the
City’s industrial district. This request seeks to add heavy automotive repair and storage of vehicles
in association with towing service to the permitted uses on the property. The applicant has stated
the reduced level of activity related to the land development side of the business has left a portion of
their property unused. The area proposed to be used for the storage of towed vehicles is interior to
the site and not visible from the street.
2
Staff’s only concern with this request is that, if approved, the property must not become a location
for salvaged, wrecked, unclaimed or abandoned vehicles. As shown in the below aerial photograph,
this area already contains a large number of wrecked and stored vehicles and containers of all kinds.
This an industrial area and is well-buffered from residential uses, but it is not the purpose of the
industrial district to become a salvage yard. The ILW regulations specifically prohibit salvage yards
as a permitted use.
If the Community Development Board is inclined to recommend approval of this request, staff
recommends the following conditions.
Individual vehicles towed to this site shall not be kept on the site for a period longer than
five (5) days.
There shall be no more than fifteen (15) towed vehicles stored on this site at any single time.
No discarded vehicles, auto parts, tires, trailers, tanks or any salvaged materials or vehicles
shall be stored on this site in association with the business activities describe in this request.
The existing tree buffer along the east side of the Applicant’s property shall be maintained
and re-established as needed to obscure visibility of the property from Park Street
residential uses.
The Applicant has also stated that it is
not their intent to keep towed vehicles on
the property for longer than a few days
until they are retrieved by the owner.
At this time, (if this Use-by-Exception is
approved) vehicles will be towed to the
property by A Plus Safe and Fast
Towing, which is a properly licensed and
insured towing service. The owners of
the company have advised that most all
of their work is the removal of illegally
parked vehicles through contract services
with businesses, and that it is rare that
they tow a wrecked vehicle.
3
SUGGESTED ACTION TO RECOMMEND APPROVAL
The Community Development Board may consider a motion to recommend approval to the
City Commission of the requested Use-by-Exception in the Light Industrial and Warehousing
(LIW) Zoning District for Heavy Automotive Repair and storage of vehicles in association
with vehicle towing services within the Mayport Industrial Park at 310 Mealy Street.
(Include the suggested conditions, and provide findings of fact similar to the following, and attach
other conditions as may be appropriate.)
1. Approval of this Use-by-Exception is in compliance with the requirements of Section 24-63,
Zoning and Subdivision and Land Development Regulations, and is also consistent with Section
24-113 defining the LIW Zoning Districts.
2. The request is not contrary to public interest and is not detrimental to the health, safety and
welfare of general public.
3. The proposed use is compatible with adjacent properties and other properties within the
surrounding area.
4. The proposed use is consistent with the City’s Comprehensive Plan and is consistent with the
Light Industrial Future Land Use designation.
Area proposed to be
used for the placement
of towed vehicles.
4
SUGGESTED ACTION TO RECOMMEND DENIAL
The Community Development Board may consider a motion to recommend denial to the City
Commission of the requested Use-by-Exception for Heavy Automotive Repair within the
(Provide findings of fact similar to the following.)
1. Approval of this Use-by-Exception is not in compliance with the requirements of Section 24-63,
Zoning and Subdivision and Land Regulations.
2. The request is contrary to public interest and may be detrimental to the health, safety and
welfare of general public.
3. The proposed use is not compatible with adjacent properties and other properties within the
surrounding area.
4. The proposed use is not consistent with the Light Industrial Future Land Use designation .