History
In order for the applicant to modify plans in response to comments made by the Local Planning Agency at the November 12th, 2020 public hearing, staff and the applicant requested to continue the item to January 11th, 2021. The applicant has removed the bio-swale from the rear of the property in order to provide a more dense landscape buffer strip, as recommended by the LPA. A sidewalk has been located on the north side of the entrance to connect with the adjacent commercial property, rather than crossing the road to link with the south side of the road, also recommended by the LPA. Minor corrections of typos on the elevations, and the labeling of the 6' high perimeter wall, bike rack, mailbox, and electric car locations were updated on the site and landscape plans.
Summary
The subject property consists of one parcel totaling 1.36 acres in size, located south of the Estates of Stuart, north of ARC of Martin County and east of Kanner Highway. The property is currently vacant and undeveloped with no wetlands. An environmental assessment shows a mix of exotic and native vegetation, including laurel oak and slash pines which will partially be mitigated for with new landscaping and partially thru payment to the tree replacement fund.
A Site Plan has been planned with 28 multi-family apartment flats within a two-story building. The property is much longer in width that it is in depth. This places site constraints on the property as it related to the usage of the front parking lot and the rear buffer area.
The applicant is requesting the following two (2) waivers from the City’s Land Development Code:
1. Section 2.07.00 Density. A RPUD with multi-family land use designation is permitted to have up to 15 units per acre. The applicant is requesting 28 units, or 20.6 units per acre. A density bonus of approximately 5 units per acre is requested, for the 28 1,281 square foot 3-bedroom apartments. The infill project received a previous minor site plan approval for 13 town home units and met all applicable code sections. However, the applicant desires to develop the property as an apartment flat style with one additional waiver to the northern transitional buffer (waiver request below). The applicant is providing 34% open space when the credit is given for the use of semi-pervious brick pavers. The applicant is exceeding the landscape requirement and is providing a bioswale toward the sides of the property and a transitional landscape buffer toward the rear. The site plan consists of 83% native, including native grasses, with the only non-native planting being Alexander and Sylvester Palm trees. The applicant is providing for new housing opportunities in a site that is currently an undeveloped infill lot. Staff recommends supporting the granting of the density bonus for this site.
2. Section 6.04.06. Land Use Transitions and Landscape Buffers. The buffer width requirement for a two-story multi-family use adjacent to multi-family use is 30’ along the rear side. The applicant is requesting a consistent 15’ wide landscape buffer along the northern and eastern property lines, where the proposed multi-family use is abutting an existing multi-family community (Estates of Stuart), including a 6’ high perimeter wall. Within this zone, there is a proposed landscape buffer consisting of two rows of tree plantings. The applicant is required to install 39 shade trees. The applicant is preserving, relocating or planting 49 shade trees, not including the Queen myrtle and palm trees as under story trees.