EXPLANATION OF REQUEST: The vacant, 0.3 acre property is located on the east side of SE 3rd Street, approximately 85 feet north from the intersection of SE 3rd Street and SE 23rd Avenue. In order to proceed with the development of a professional office, the applicant is requesting a future land use (FLU) amendment to reclassify the property to Local Retail Commercial (LRC), which would allow a commercial use on the property. At the same time, the amendment would eliminate the existing discrepancy between the property’s residential future land use classification of HDR and its commercial zoning of C-2 Neighborhood Commercial.
Staff noted that the LRC classification requested for the property does not comply with the CRA Plan's recommendation of High Density Residential (HDR). The Plan recommends Mixed Use Low for parcels fronting the north side of SE 23rd Avenue, except for the parcel located directly south of the subject property: both properties are proposed to be classified HDR.
Since the Plan envisages extensive FLU classification changes to the CRA area, it is predictable that minor adjustments to the recommended FLU boundaries will be justified without warranting amendments to the CRA Plan. Staff opines that this minor deviation from the CRA Plan will not affect the Plan's intent for the immediate vicinity. Furthermore, the subject request represents the expansion of land available for medical use in proximity to the hospital, which supports a prior strategic initiative task as well as a recommendation from the City's Strategic Economic Development Plan. Staff points out that there are already two properties in the immediate area developed with medical offices.
The site plan application is being processed concurrently with the subject request.
The Planning & Development Board reviewed this request at their March 28th meeting and forwards it with a recommendation for approval.