12/08/2015 (4) - Laserfiche WebLink

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Other than the Future Land Use Map, the goals, objectives, and policies are the most important parts of the comprehensive plan. Policies are statements in the plan that identify the actions which the county will take in order to direct the community's development. As courses of action committed to by the county, policies provide the basis for all county land development decisions. While all comprehensive plan policies are important, some have more applicability than others in reviewing rezoning requests. Of particular applicability for this request are Future Land Use Element Policies 1.17 and 1.18. • Future Land Use Element Policies 1.17 and 1.18 Future Land Use Element Policy 1.17 states that all commercial/industrial uses must be located within the county's Urban Service Area. Future Land Use Element Policy 1.18 states that the commercial/industrial land use designation shall permit uses that include retail, office, and service commercial development. Since the subject property is located within the County's Urban Service Area and the requested CG district is intended for uses permitted within the commercial/industrial land use designation, the request is consistent with Future Land Use Element Policies 1.17 and 1.18. While the referenced policies are particularly applicable to this request, other Comprehensive Plan policies and objectives also have relevance. For that reason, staff evaluated the subject request for consistency with all applicable, plan policies and objectives. Based upon that analysis, staff determined that the request is consistent with the Comprehensive Plan. Compatibility with the Surrounding Area Staff's position is that either the current zoning district or the requested zoning district is appropriate for the site and that development under the requested zoning district will be compatible with surrounding land uses. Generally, sites such as the subject property that front on major roads and are not adjacent to residential areas are appropriate for any one of several different commercial zoning districts, including CL, CG, and CH. Like the subject property, land to the north and south is zoned CH. Land to the east and west is zoned CG. Since CH and CG are both commercial districts, since the requested zoning district is an expansion of the zoning district to the east and west of the subject property, and since this site is separated from other sites by Oslo Road, Old Dixie Highway SW, and the FEC Railroad, no incompatibilities with adjacent properties are anticipated with the rezoning of the subject site from CH to CG. For those reasons, it is staff's position that development of the site under the requested CG district will be compatible with surrounding areas. Potential Impact on Environmental Quality The subject property is an undeveloped site with native and non-native invasive species of vegetation. A 2002 survey of the property identified ±0.81 acres of jurisdictional wetlands on the eastern portion of the parcel adjacent to the FEC railroad right-of-way. County environmental planning staff has determined that the subject wetlands are impacted and have a relatively low 7 139