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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes P&Z 052891CITY OF PALM BEACH GARDENS PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION MAY 28, 1991 MINUTES The Regular Meeting of the Planning and Zoning Commission of the City of Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, was called to order by Chairman Jeffrey Ornstein, at 7:30 P.M., in the Assembly Room at the Municipal Complex, 10500 North Military Trail, Palm Beach Gardens, Florida and opened with the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag. The roll was called by the secretary and present were: Jeffrey Ornstein, Chairman; Mike Rosen, Vice Chairman; Domenick Lioce, Joseph Hamzy, James Leatherman and Alan Strassler, Members. Carl Sabatello, Member; James Kuretski and Rebecca Serra, Alternate Members, were not in attendance. APPROVAL OF MINUTES OF MAY 14. 1991 • Mr. Joseph Hamzy made a motion to approve the minutes of the March 26, 1991 meeting. Mr. Domenick Lioce seconded the motion. The motion was approved unanimously by at 6 -0 vote. ITEMS BY PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION CHAIRMAN Chairman Ornstein said he wrote a memorandum for fellow Commissioners to remind them that, for legal reasons, the Board should be consistent in their rulings. He added that this issue came about when discussing the use of neon lights on commercial buildings. In the past, the Commission has recommended the removal of neon lights from proposed buildings. Chairman Ornstein also requested that staff prepare a presentation for the Commission on how the County Traffic Performance Standards Ordinance counts traffic generation . trips for non -built development projects. Mr. Lioce said the County counts the trips from 1 • non -built projects in the traffic models. The models indicate more traffic on the roadways than actually exits, Mr. Lioce added. Chairman Ornstein said this fact should be considered when the Commission considers a recommendation to City Council on Planned Unit Developments seeking time extensions. PLANNING AND ZONING WORKSHOP: Z -90 -08 - Recommendation to City Council re: (Palm Beach Gardens Medical Center) Rezoning the 22.122 -acre hospital site from P.O., Professional office and P.O., Professional Office with a Conditional Use to allow for a hospital facility to a zoning designation of Planned Unit Development to expand the existing 211,000 square - foot hospital to 296,000 square feet. Located on the south side of Burns Road and east of Gardens East Drive. (7- 42S -43E) Mr. Bristol S. Ellington, City Planner, reviewed the staff report dated May 23, 1991 on the above - referenced project. Mr. Ellington reviewed the project's revised phasing plan. Mr. Alan Strassler asked if the code requires landscape islands in the parking areas. Mr. • Ellington stated the code requires a certain percentage of landscaping in parking lots and not a specific number of vegetation islands. Mr. Raymond Royce, representing the petitioner, said the hospital expansion is to improve the quality of the hospital and not the quantity. He added that no additional beds will be created with the proposed hospital expansion. Mr. Royce reviewed the proposed hospital expansion, which is tentatively planned to start in July 1991. He said the proposed Women's Pavilion will feature 20 private rooms. He then reviewed the project's landscape plan. Mr. Royce added that the project traffic report will meet the requirements of the County Traffic Performance Standards Ordinance. Chairman Ornstein stated that his biggest concern with the project is the location of the • helicopter pad, or helipad. The noise and possibility of an accident near Gardens East 2 • Drive and the homes there is a concern, Chairman Ornstein said. Mr. Royce said that the Palm Beach Gardens Medical Center is not a trauma center and the helipad will probably be used only once or twice a month. He added that he will investigate the possibility of relocating the helipad to another location. Chairman Ornstein suggested the elimination of the curb cut along Burns Road along the eastern boundary of the project. He added that the parking lot road along the project's eastern boundary can be made one -way, which would allow for twice as much landscaping along the eastern border. He added that the elimination of the east /west road within the eastern parking lot would allow more landscaping. Mr. Joe Pollock, traffic engineer for the petitioner, said that theoretically the use of a one -way street along the eastern boundary of the site can work. However, there are possible traffic circulation and safety problems, he added. Mr. Pollock said he would • investigate Chairman Ornstein's suggestion. Mr. Hamzy said there could be some improvements to the parking layout. He added that there is no need to provide parking spaces in excess of what is required by code. He suggested that a stabilized area could be used for overflow parking. Mr. Hamzy also questioned whether the types of vegetation used in the parking lot will actually provide any shade for the area. He suggested the use the landscape islands instead of the proposed landscape strip. Mr. Hamzy added that he believe the location of the helipad was not a large concern as there are not many acceptable alternative locations of the site. Mr. Lioce asked what will be located within the Women's Pavilion. Mr. Michael Hoffman, chief financial officer for the Palm Beach Gardens Medical • Center, said the upper two floor will be exclusively a birthing area. This will include 3 patient rooms and special procedure rooms. The first floor will house the admitting area, support services, classrooms and a mammography department. Mr. Lioce said he shared Chairman Ornstein's concern for the location of the helipad. He asked why the helipad and the three -story Women's Pavilion be placed in the rear of the hospital where it would create less impact to surrounding residents. Mr. Hoffman said the support services for the pavilion are located near the proposed location for the pavilion. Chairman Ornstein asked Mr. Hoffman to consider placing the Women's Pavilion on a third floor of the existing hospital. Mr. Hoffman responded that the hospital has looked at placing the Women's Pavilion there, but it was more preferable for women if it was separated from the rest of the hospital. Mr. Hoffman said they would revisit their plans and look at the viability of placing the patient rooms on the third floor. • Mr. Bill Harvard, architect for the project, said the room sizes on the hospitals second floor would not match up with the larger room sizes for the birthing center proposed by the Commission for the third floor. Mr. Lioce said he was strenuously concerned with the helipad and would like it moved. He asked why the proposed permanent storage facility is to be built in the woods, when it could be more easily accessed if it was part of the hospital. Mr. Harvard said by not having the storage facility attached to the hospital it does not have to follow strict state building guidelines for institutional facilities. After discussing the storage facility location with the Commission, Mr. Hoffman agreed to incorporate the facility within the hospital Mr. James Leatherman said he preferred the relocation of the storage facility as it would • preserve more green space. 4 • The Commission also suggested that the petitioner remove all excess parking spaces and replace them with landscaping. Mr. Alan Strassler reiterated the concerns of the Commission and urged the redesign of the parking areas to increase traffic circulation. Mr. Strassler also asked what happens next for the hospital. Mr. Hoffman, said that for the foreseeable future the wooded area will remain wooded. He added that additional expansions will be within the building footprint. Mr. Strassler proposed moving the southern parking lot to the south in order to reorient the Women's Pavilion to the south. Chairman Ornstein asked why there can not be windows in an operating room. He said the elevations of the surgery center is architecturally poor and possible windows could be used to accent the elevation. Mr. Hoffman said there could be windows, but he • would doubt that the people within the operating room would use the windows. Planning and Zoning Director Rich Walton said the petitioner should address its proposed eastern buffer and the north -south road on the western boundary of the site. Mr. Walton said the road does not connect on the proposed landscaping plans. Mr. Royce said that the eastern buffer will consist of a 6 -foot decorative wall. Mr. Harvard added that the wall will be concrete blocks turned on its side so it will not be a solid wall. Mr. Lioce said a solid wall would not block the sound from the parking lot. The Commission indicated that they would prefer a solid wall. The Commission and the petitioner then discussed the landscaping plan for the site. Mr. Royce reviewed the petitioner's actions concerning Mark Hendrickson, City Forester, and City Engineer David Getz's comments. The Commission then began a discussion of the hospital's architecture. Mr. Harvard said E they are trying; to enhance the look of the existing hospital. Chairman Ornstein requested that the petitioner present a lighting plan and a detailed signage plan. He also requested that the petitioner tone down the proposed orange color on the building. Mr. Lioce suggested the use of glass block in the surgery building to add an architectural accent to the rear elevation of the hospital. Mr. Leatherman asked where the elevator would be located on top of the Women's Pavilion to service the helipad. Mr. Harvard said there would be a penthouse on the roof. The penthouse is not identified on the project elevations. NEW BUSINESS Mayor Michael Martino said the City Manager has filed an appeal to the lighting plan for Miami Subs. Mr. Martino also reviewed the Comprehensive Land Use Plan amendment for the MacArthur Foundation property north of PGA Boulevard. There being no further business to come before the Commission, the meeting was adjourned at 9:33 P.M. rol r• • Marty R.A. Minor, Secretary 1,