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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes P&Z 101701• CITY OF PALM BEACH GARDENS PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION SPECIAL WORKSHOP MEETING October 17, 2001 MINUTES The Special Workshop Meeting of the Planning and Zoning Commission of the City of Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, was called to order by Chair Dennis Solomon at 6:30 P.M. in the Council Chambers of the Municipal Complex, 10500 North Military Trail, Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, and opened with the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag. REPORT BY GROWTH MANAGEMENT DIRECTOR There was no report by the Growth Management Director ROLL CALL Betty Laur, Secretary for the meeting, called the roll. • Present Absent Dennis Solomon, Chairman Chairman Pro Tern Barry Present Craig Kunkle, Jr., Vice Chairman Alternate David Kendall Dick Ansay Joel Channing John Glidden.- arrived at 6:34 p.m. Steven Tarr Alternate Ernest Volonte Also present were Growth Management Director Charles Wu, Principal Planner Karen Carver, Senior Planners Talal Benothman and Edward Tombari, Planner John Lindgren, City Forester Mark Hendrickson, and City Attorney Len Rubin. Workshop Petition PCD- 99 -08: Evergrene PCD A request by Henry Skokowski of Urban Design Studio, on behalf of Watermark Communities, Inc., for a rezoning from Planned Development Area (PDA) to Planned Community Development (PCD) and master plan approval for the Evergrene Master Planned Community. The proposed Evergrene community includes 905 single-family homes and 132 multi family homes. The 362.72 -acre site is bounded by Hood Road to the south, Donald Ross Road to the north, Alternate AIA to the east, and Military Trail to the west. (25126- 41S -42E) Senior Planner Edward Tombari reviewed the staff report for the project. Mr. Glidden indicated it would be easier to follow the presentation with a more detailed color coded master plan. Mr. Tarr requested r 1 Planning & Zoning Commission Minutes October 17, 2001 additional information on access points, to which Mr. Tombari responded. Mr. Tombari explained that there was no existing school concurrency and the school located closest to the development might not be the school the community was zoned for, and that the schools already being overcrowded was not an issue to be considered.. Henry Skokowski, agent for the petitioner, commented that approximately one year ago this petition had appeared before the City Council when the thoroughfare plan amendment to remove road 15 running east -west through the property was considered. Mr. Skokowski reported that tomorrow night the City Council would hold a second hearing to amend the Comprehensive Plan to delete that road through this development. Mr. Skokowski explained the City Council had discussed whether this community should be gated, that it was a non -golf course community, not luxury level but proposed to be gated, and the City Council had encouraged them to move forward. Mr. Skokowski explained the petitioner had not wanted to come with a lot of waivers, but the design contained things out of the ordinary which did not meet suburban standards, and they had asked the City Council to be receptive. The City Council had encouraged the applicant. Mr. Skokowski described the perimeter conditions, noted that the main entrance was to be on Military Trail and would connect to a thoroughfare road running west and eventually connecting to Donald Ross Road. Landscape buffers were described. Mr. Skokowski also described the master plan layout which included an existing lake, amenities, a • community center, and the different types of dwelling units. Buffer sections along the FEC railroad were shown. A proposed wall would contain color within the material so that it would not require painting and could be covered with a climbing vine. The loop road right -of -way was described. A spine road section was shown, and the petitioner requested an 8' pathway on one side only, on which staff recommended denial because they preferred sidewalks on both sides of the road. Mr. Skokowski explained the petitioner would like to provide for preservation in one segment only within the development. The Hood Road entry road section was displayed, as well as the sales center site and the landscape plan. On- street parking was proposed around the lake and along the entrance to Hood Road. Mr. Skokowski explained that the petitioner would participate in the landscaping maintenance along the roadways and must provide adequate buffering along the FEC railroad. The proposed 8' -14' wall was estimated to cost approximately $800,000. The petitioner objected to providing a roadway buffer along Alternate AIA, which they indicated would do nothing to enhance their project but would add to the cost of the homes, and explained that the DiVosta project to the south had not been required to do so. Mr. Skokowski indicated the petitioner would return for a detailed site plan review and that the clubhouse would accommodate recreational activities. Mr. Tarr questioned the sidewalk issue. Mr. Skokowski verified there were sidewalks along Hood Road, Donald Ross Road, and Military Trail, and discussed safety in connection with having a sidewalk along only one side of the road. Mr. Tombari explained that staff's main concern was that safety be provided, and that the applicant had not sufficiently addressed access to the sidewalk from the west side. Mr. Skokowski explained that mulched paths would be provided off the 8' sidewalk so that people would be able to walk through the preserve area. Mr. Ansay expressed his opinion that the landscaping along Alternate A1A should be comparable to Frenchman's Reserve and Frenchman's Creek areas and asked that the possibility of using a berm instead of a wall be investigated. Mr. Volonte questioned the height of the wall, to which Mr. Skokowski responded it was being used for noise abatement from the railroad and that the height was for optimal management of noise. Mr. Kunkle commented the community would be dealing with upland 2 0 Planning & Zoning Commission Minutes October 17, 2001 preserve areas over the next 10 -20 years, to which Mr. Skokowski responded that this community would have a maintenance program for all landscaping in the project. Mr. Kunkle recommended annual inspections by the City Forester to remove unwanted varieties of plants in the pine flatwood areas containing the mulched trails. Mr. Kunkle requested more graphics depicting the view from the street and more internal depictions. Mr. Kunkle expressed his opinion that this project should be held to the same standard as the neighboring project regarding landscaping along Alternate A1A. Mr. Skokowski explained the City was looking for trees, shrubs, irrigation, and maintenance in the medians and along the edge of the right -of -way. Mr. Glidden indicated he had no problem with the sidewalk issue, commented staff was looking to beautify Alternate A1A and to buffer drivers from the railroad track. The location of proposed on- street parking was verified for Mr. Glidden. Mr. Skokowski explained ownership of the units and that there would be a master association with sub associations under it. Drainage was discussed. Tara Patton with WCI indicated the petitioner was in process of working out a developers agreement with Northern Palm Beach County Improvement District, including roadways, and that if the community were gated it would have three gates. Mr. Solomon suggested berming for the 14' wall. Mr. Skokowski explained there was a drainage easement along the edge. Phase I areas to be developed were pointed out. Mr. Solomon indicated he understood the sidewalk issue but preferred • a walkway on both sides. Mr. Ansay questioned if the City's ordinance regarding roadway landscaping had been changed since the DiVosta project received their approval, to which staff was to provide an answer. Mr. Glidden requested elevations facing west and north. Mr. Tarr questioned the location of the wall /wrought iron fence combination along Military Trail, to which Mr. Skokowski responded it was meandering. Mr. Channing suggested trees east of the wall could be placed in the Alternate AIA right - of -way. Mr. Skokowski indicated the petitioner would look at that possibility. Mr. Charming suggested some trees be placed next to the wall. Chair Solomon asked for landscaping on the outside of the wall on the east side of the project and indicated if that were done the petitioner should not have to provide any median landscaping. City Forester Mark Hendrickson explained the history of roadway beautification, and indicated the DiVosta project had triggered staff review of this issue, and zoning in progress had been instituted. Staff favored beautification of all four sides of a project. Mr. Wu commented that having a railroad track on one side did not relieve the applicant of beautifying that side, and staff felt that was reasonable for a PCD that was requesting waivers. Mr. Wu urged the Commission to support staff and noted that xeriscape methods could reduce petitioner's costs. Chair Solomon indicated the City Forester should work with the applicant. Mr. Hendrickson described possible landscaping. A poll indicated six of the commission members favored the staff position; Mr. Kunkle indicated he felt it unfair to impose a standard when in process and agreed with the petitioner. The City Forester explained that Evergrene also had an application for on site excavation and fill for this project; and he hoped by the first meeting in November to bring a drainage plan buffered so piles of dirt could not be seen. Mr. Hendrickson explained that the drainage on this project would improve the drainage for all surrounding properties. Workshop Petition SP -01 -23 — Evergrene Parcel 4B and 3 • Planning & Zoning Commission Minutes October 17, 2001 Petition SP -01 -24 – Evergrene Parcels 1, 2, & 7 A request by Henry Skokowski of Urban Design Studio, on behalf of Watermark Communities, Inc., for approval of 77 single-family units and 63 multi family units within Parcel 4B, and 320 single - family homes in Parcels 1, 2 and 7 of Evergrene, which is to be located between Hood Road and Donald Ross Road, and Between Military Trail and Alternate AIA. 25136-4]S-42E) Planner John Lindgren presented the site plans for Parcel 413 and Parcels 1, 2, and 7. Mr. Ansay questioned whether the City should implement an ordinance for this new kind of construction since there were so many waivers. Mr. Kunkle questioned if the setbacks would change if this were zoned RM instead of,RH . Mr. Tombari responded yes, that initially it was considered RM but staff had realized that with single - family and duplexes on subdivided lots RH was more applicable. Chair Solomon pointed out on page 5 of the staff report a waiver would not be needed for the 7 -1/2' side setback, which Mr. Lindgren verified was correct. Mr. Lindgren verified the minimum building separation was 10' for the mansion units. Henry Skokowski, agent for the petitioner, agreed RH zoning was most appropriate for the condo product. Mr. Skokowski reviewed parcels 1, 2, and 7, including sales models and setbacks. Mr. Skokowski presented colors /materials boards. Peter Synoyannis, Architect, provided an • overview of the architectural designs, indicating continuity within the development would be achieved by use of the materials selected, that there would not be a cookie - cutter effect, that the concept incorporated stone and natural materials, and that plans for each lot were not pre- determined. Mr. Tarr indicated he thought the homes were too large for the lots, but this was within a gated community, and the architecture was fine. Mr. Glidden commented everything was different in this project —that he was concerned about the design being so totally different but thought it would look good. Mr. Channing indicated he liked the colors. Mr. Skokowski indicated the percentage of open space to development was 50/50, and from a building coverage standpoint was far less. Mr. Channing commented the Commission must not worry about technicalities or about each waiver in order to have innovative projects. Mr. Channing suggested holding a workshop to get a better handle on this, stated the issue was to create beautiful neighborhoods, and that this was the kind of project the City needed. The types of roof tiles were described for Mr. Kunkle, and petitioner verified the same roof colors would not be used side -by -side. Mr. Channing commented DiVosta projects had repetitiveness and this was the antithesis of the cookie - cutter look. Mr. Glidden agreed with Mr. Channing. The architect indicated roofs would vary as to material and color within a confined roof color palette, and roof pitch would be not less than 4/12, with some at 6/12. Mr. Ansay commented it was important for the City to be ahead of the curve in development. Chair Solomon commented this was hard to understand in one sitting, and could appear hodge - podge. Chair Solomon recommended looking at the roofs and setting guidelines so the same colors and models were not adjacent. Mr. Channing commented the master plan was better than anything the Commission had approved in the past 2 -3 years and the Commission should focus on what the applicant was giving the City. Mr. Skokowski described the entry from Hood Road for Parcel 413, • the interior roadways, alleyways to provide access to the homes, parking along the streets, mews areas, and the mansion home designs. The architect explained there was no back side to the mansion homes. Mr. Skokowski described the porch front homes, and that they were spaced closer together on one side to have larger yards on the other side which provided diversity. Mr. Skokowski commented that waivers Cl • Planning & Zoning Commission Minutes October 17, 2001 always depicted the worst conditions. Preliminary Workshop Petition SP- 01 -03: Downtown at the Gardens A request by Cotleur and Hearing, on behalf of Menin Development Companies, for site plan approval for a commercial /office development with 160,000 square feet of retail floor space, 100,000 square feet of office space and a multi- screen movie theater with 2,600 seats within the Regional Center Planned Community District. The 35.2 -acre site is located on the east side of Alternate AIA, between Gardens Parkway and Kyoto Gardens Drive. Mr. Glidden stepped down due to conflict of interest. Growth Management Director Charles Wu explained that the City Council wanted to see the Menin project at the same time they saw the NOPC and that this preliminary workshop would provide an overview. Donaldson Hearing, representing the petitioner, introduced the development team, owner Craig Menin, and architectural firm Oliver Glidden Partners. Mr. Hearing presented the project and described the location. Mr. Craig Menin explained their company was based in Jupiter and would move to Palm Beach Gardens upon completion of this project —that they were owners as well as builders, and were aiming to create a City center to give definition to the City. Mr. Hearing reviewed the site plan and explained that the project was organized around the lake. Cobb Cinema was to be a proposed tenant. Keith Spina pointed out locations on the site plan during Mr. Hearing's presentation. The site plan included two and three -story configurations, entries off Gardens Boulevard and from the extension of Victoria Gardens Drive, vehicular drop -off points, and a potential possible future access from Alternate A1A that was not a part of this application but would require modification to the DRI and a change to the NOPC - -which might be requested in the future. Mr. Hearing described the parking locations, which were designed so that people would get out of their vehicles and walk to the entertainment center and the lake. Mr. Hearing described the shaded plaza area to be used for gatherings. Mr. Spina explained the neo- traditional style of architecture. A piazza with a video display wall was proposed. Radial lines out from a rotunda would provide access. Mr. Spina explained that future tenant needs could necessitate some changes. Mr. Tarr indicated he thought this was an excellent project and it was clarified another workshop would be held. Mr. Tarr explained that safety was important to him. Mr. Ansay indicated he would like to see the road not go all the way through —Mr. Hearing responded the road was required and they had tried to use parking to calm traffic. Mr. Volante, Mr. Kunkle, and Mr. Channing indicated this was a nice project. Mr. Channing indicated the sea of parking should be broken up, to which Mr. Hearing responded landscape diamonds had been provided every 2 -3 spaces. Mr. Channing commented he would like to see how the buildings worked together. Mr. Spina described the materials used in the piazza elevation. Mr. Hearing verified for Chair Solomon that there was a seawall around the lake. Mr. • Hearing indicated they would bring back lighting, colors, and signage. Mr. Wu indicated staff had no problems with that approach. Rick Warner spoke on behalf of Forbes Co. and 3801 Gardens Corporate Center. The first was concerned about the traffic issue and Mr. Warner indicated he would like to know 5 • 0 Planning & Zoning Commission Minutes October 17, 2001 more about the possibility of an Alternate A1A access. Mr. Warner commented he would like to know traffic would not obstruct the uses and requested thorough study of this issue. Mr. Warner indicated his second client would like the Cobb theater in Phase I to be the first thing built. OLD BUSINESS There was no old business to come before the Commission. NEW BUSINESS There was no new business to come before the Commission. • �II �J Planning & Zoning Commission Minutes October 17, 2001 ADJOURNMENT There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 10:35 p.m. The next regular meeting will be held November 13, 2001. A rim nc 7T- T-%. Ansay Alternate Ernest Volonte Alternate David Kendall etty Laur, Secretary for the Meeting 7