Proposed Ordinance No. 21-014 - Second Reading - Approve amendment to the Future Land Use Map (LUAR 21-003) for the Knuth Road property from Local Retail Commercial (LRC) to Mixed Use Low (MXL). City-initiated.  

Proposed Ordinance No. 21-015 - Second Reading - Approve Rezoning (LUAR 21-003) of the Knuth Road property from PCD, Planned Commercial Development to SMU, Suburban Mixed Use. City-initiated.  

At the April 6, 2021 Commission Meeting, the City Commission directed staff to place the Knuth Road property Land Use Map Amendment and Rezoning (LUAR 21-003) on the agenda for consideration. A brief synopsis of the request is as follows:

The 12.52 acre parcel is one of the few remaining large vacant parcels in the City. It was annexed to the City on December 18, 1990 and concurrently approved for the City’s Future Land Use classification of Local Retail Commercial (LRC) and City’s zoning designation of PCD, Planned Commercial Development (Ordinances 090-61, 091-69 and 090-70). The approvals covered 13.65 acres, including 1.13-acre outparcel on the southwest corner of West Boynton Beach Boulevard and Knuth Road. The masterplan was approved for 120,000 square feet of commercial space, including 35,000 square feet for a major department store.

On May 21, 1996 the city approved a site plan for a convenience store and a gasoline station on the above mentioned outparcel. The remaining part of the property—the  subject of the city-initiated Future Land Use Map (FLUM) Amendment and rezoning— is currently vested consistent with the approved master plan.

There are two major factors contributing to the need for the proposed amendment:

• The probability of construction of a large commercial development on the subject property per the approved 1990 master plan is extremely low. The market support for such development has been steadily decreasing, replaced by mixed use projects with residential components. The trend accelerated within the last few years. The PCD zoning district does not allow residential uses; arguably, at this point the district can be considered obsolete. Future redevelopment of several existing PCDs and areas with C-3 Community Commercial Zoning west of I-95 are likely to use Mixed  Use Low (MXL) future land use and SMU, Suburban Mixed Use zoning.

   

• Over the years, the property attracted attention of numerous investors, but the existence of the gasoline station on the outparcel has consistently thwarted attempts to develop the property. The use is nonconforming because of its location—  gasoline stations are only allowed on properties located at three-way or four-way intersections involving arterial and collector roads as designated by the Comprehensive Plan, and Knuth Road does not have a collector designation. Moreover, gasoline stations are not allowed in SMU zoning districts.