HISTORY
On June 6, 2018, at the request of Commissioner Micky Steinberg, the City Commission referred a discussion item to the Sustainability and Resiliency Committee (SRC) pertaining to landscape and surface finish requirements, tree mitigation and timeframes for temporary parking lots. On July 11, 2018, the SRC discussed the item and directed the Administration to draft an ordinance amending the temporary parking lot standards and continued the item to the October SRC meeting.
The item was continued from the October SRC to the November 28, 2018 meeting. On November 28, 2018, The Sustainability and Resiliency Committee discussed the draft ordinance prepared by staff and recommended that the City Commission refer the proposed LDR amendment to the Planning Board. On January 16, 2019, at the request of Commissioner Micky Steinberg, the City Commission referred the attached ordinance to the Planning Board (Item C4V).
PLANNING ANALYSIS
Pursuant to the direction of the SRC, the draft ordinance amends the temporary parking lot requirements and procedures in Chapter 130, as well as the minimum landscape requirements in Chapter 126. The following is a summary of the main changes proposed:
• The procedures and requirements for temporary lots have been further refined and clarified, as well as re-ordered for ease of reading.
• The timeframe for operating a temporary parking lot is proposed to be increased from the current limit of three years to five years.
• Planning Board would have the authority to grant an extension of time for up to five years. Currently the maximum extension is two years.
• All extensions of time approved for temporary parking lots shall be subject to a recurring annual payment into the tree trust fund of $500 dollars per lot tree as shown on the approved landscape plan, until the temporary lot ceases; such annual payment shall be required at the time of the renewal of the business tax receipt (BTR).
• All surfaces over the required lime-rock base, including, but not limited to, driveways, drive aisles, parking spaces and walkways, would now be required to consist of pavers set in sand, grass pavers, or similar semi-pervious material.
• All required landscape areas along the perimeter of the property shall be planted with one native canopy tree for every 20 feet of the landscape areas adjacent to the perimeter and within the interior of the property. The minimum tree size shall be in accordance with the standards specified in Sec. 126-6:
Tree size: All trees except street trees, shall be a minimum of 12 feet high with a minimum crown spread of six feet and have a minimum caliper of two inches at time of planting, except that 30 percent of the tree requirement may be met by native species with a minimum height of ten feet and a minimum caliper of one and a half inches at time of planting.
Optional smaller native tree species may be considered at no less than eight (8’) feet in height and one inch diameter at breast height (DBH) at time of planting. A payment of five hundred dollars ($500.00) shall be made into the tree trust fund for each optional smaller lot tree.
• Palms may be planted in addition to the minimum number of required lot trees. However, palms would not count towards the minimum number of lot trees.
The Sustainability and Resiliency Committee discussed the item on November 28, 2018 and recommended that the City Commission refer the proposed LDR amendment to the Planning Board. The Sustainability and Resiliency Committee also recommended the following, all of which are included in the draft ordinance:
1. There should be no temporary allowance for the use of asphalt within a temporary parking lot, even for one year or less.
2. The ordinance should be modified to include a limited allowance for the use of concrete ribbons as part of a temporary parking lot.
Staff is supportive of the proposed ordinance as it will help to mitigate the impacts of temporary parking lots on both the immediate site and surrounding neighborhood, as well as reduce solar gain on the parking lot site.
PLANNING BOARD REVIEW
On February 26, 2019, the Planning Board held a public hearing and transmitted the ordinance to the City Commission with a favorable recommendation by a vote of seven to zero (7-0).
UPDATE
The subject ordinance was on the March 13, 2019 City Commission agenda, and was deferred to April 10, 2019. The subject ordinance was approved on April 10, 2019, with no changes.