The intent of this application is to request a Large-scale future land use map (FLUM) amendment to the City’s Comprehensive Plan Residential Planned Unit Development assigning a “Multi-Family Density Residential” land use, and a Zoning designation of (RPUD) on the City of Stuart Zoning Map. The subject property is 15.88 acres. The property is currently undeveloped. The intent of this project is to allow 212 attached multi-family apartment homes within two 4-story buildings to be developed on the site while upgrading the drainage and enhancing the upland and wetland preserve.
The 15.88-acre parcel was annexed into the city via Ordinance No. 2415-2019. The applicant is requesting to assign a RPUD zoning district to establish a new site plan and is requesting to assign a Future Land Use designation of Multi-Family Residential in order develop the property for 212 multi-family residential units. The property currently has a Martin County approval for 99,000 square feet of office use, 2 story building over 1 story of parking, and 30’ in height. The approved office building is sited 52’ from the north property line.
The applicant is requesting the following four (4) waivers from the City’s Land Development Code:
1. Section 6.03.02: Drainage Specifications. Finished Floor Elevations of all buildings shall not be lower than 18 inches above the crown of the street on which the building fronts.
Request: The applicant is requesting the finished floor elevation to be 8.25 feet, which is 2.25 feet above the FEMA flood elevation requirements, however, is below the 9-foot elevation of Kanner Highway. The applicant has provided an engineering statement, prepared by MacKenzie Engineering and Planning, Inc., justifying a relief from the code.
2. Section 6.01.13: Off-Street Parking Schedule. 1.5 parking spaces per unit (studios and 1 bedroom), and 2 parking spaces per unit (2 or more bedroom)
Request: The applicant is requesting a reduction in the number of required parking spaces. The applicant is justifying a smaller number of parking spaces, as they are providing for full protection of the wetlands on site, and they are holding to an industry standard for multi-family developments, at a ratio of 1.6 (or 1.6 parking spaces per unit, which is similar to the City’s requirement for 1 bedroom multi-family).
3. Section 6.04.06. Land Use Transitions and Landscape Buffers. The buffer width requirement for a 4-story multi-family use adjacent to a single-family or multi-family use is 55’.
Request: The applicant is requesting a 25’ wide landscape buffer along the northern property line, where the proposed multi-family use is abutting an existing mobile home park use. The site line separation between the nearest four-story building and the northern property line that does not run through the wetland is 96.87’. Within this zone, there are three layers of landscaping (foundation planting, interior parking islands, and a heavily planted 25-foot native buffer (with 12’-20’ trees and 16’-25’ palms). The applicant has also provided a 10’ wall to strengthen the visual barrier. The applicant has provided a visual sightline study demonstrating that the view from the 4th story balcony will be blocked by the landscaping, and that the view from the existing mobile homes will be significantly diminished by the screen wall, the landscaping and the distance separating the proposed buildings from the existing residences. Staff recommends that the applicant provide a heavy landscaping buffer screen that substantially increases the visual barrier of the landscaping buffer screen which would normally be 13.75ft in a buffer width of 55ft, under the provisions of Section 6.04.06A.5.b, which states the buffer screen shall be 25% of the buffer width. The buffer screen provided is 25ft, which is 11.25ft wider than the required buffer screen.
Furthermore, the building is located approximately 80 feet from the property line. A 3-story office building has been approved for the site only 52’ from the property line. It is reasonable that the additional 100’ feet separation proposed by the applicant is justified for the additional story. Staff also notes that the applicant has removed north facing balconies from the building closest to Riverland Park. North facing balconies remain on the second building, but this building is located 154.3 feet from the property line.
4. Section 5.03.02 Wetland Protection Standards. The applicant is required to provide a minimum width of an upland buffer of 75’ and at no point less than 50’. This is due to the wetland being an outstanding resource, consisting of mangroves.
Request: The applicant is providing a minimum average width of 75’, however, due to site constraints, the minimum buffer narrows to 42.4’ at one location. Staff is recommending the use of native groundcover, in lieu of sod in this location, which serves as a buffer between the surface parking area and the upland buffer. The applicant is using Florida Gamma grass and using 100% native plants along the entire length of the buffer between the parking spaces and the wetland buffer. The width of this native planting is 10 feet. If this area is credited toward being similar to an upland buffer, the minimum buffer would be over 50’ and therefore acceptable. The waiver would then be to accept the native treatment as upland buffer. Staff is in support of such a waiver, due to the severe site constraint in this narrow portion on the south side of the property, and the inclusion of native vegetation to simulate the natural appearance of the upland buffer.
Staff has meet with representatives of the Riverland Mobile Home Park on two occasions to discuss the applicant’s proposal. Staff understands that although the HOA does not represent the views of every resident, there is a mostly unified support of the proposal. Please see the attached letter regarding the Riverland homeowner’s statement and the statements of support from Riverland residents in the minutes of the June 18 LPA. Staff has attached the Memo of Understanding between Atlantic Realty and Riverland.
On June 18, 2020, the Local Planning Agency voted to recommend approval as an advisory recommendation to the City Commission as to the need and justification for the change and as to the relationship of the proposed change to the goals, objectives and policies of the Comprehensive Plan and of the Land Development Code. The Local Planning Agency recommended minor revisions that staff has incorporated as conditions of approval, including parking spaces for mail pick up, mandatory generator in the club house, a planned site for a sheltered bus location and Level 2 EV parking infrastructure. Other minor revisions were also suggested and provided in Ordinance 2437-2020.