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April 21, 1997 VIA HAND -DELIVERY Indian River County Board of County Commissioners Commissioner Fran Adams, Chair Commissioner Carolyn Eggert Commissioner John Tippin Commissioner Caroline Ginn Commissioner Kenneth Macht 1840 25th Street Vero Beach, FL 32960 Re: Proposed Sam's Club ("Sam's")/State Road 60/Vero Beach Dear Commissioners: Our law firm represents Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. ("Wal-Mart") which is proposing to build a new Sam's Club adjacent to the Wal-Mart SuperCenter on State Road 60. Soon after the approval of the expansion of the Wal-Mart into a Supercenter last October 1, 1996, Wal-Mart representatives started meeting with County staff to develop plans for the Sam's. There had been substantial discussion at the October 1 County Commission meeting about the construction of a Sam's on the site. At several meetings to discuss the Sam's plans last fall, County staff informed Wal -Mart's representatives, Kimley-Horn, that all that would be necessary to obtain site plan approval for the Sam's was an administratively approved site plan amendment. The amendment was necessary because the Sam's proposed for construction is approximately 15,000 square feet (15,0001) less in size than what was proposed at the time the original Wal-Mart was also approved. Subsequently, it was determined by staff that the Planning and Zoning Board had to approve the amended site plan. The Sam's site plan will now be scheduled for review by the Planning and Zoning Board in approximately two weeks. Last fall, staff informed Wal-Mart that the site plan amendment had to comply with the following four specific State Road 60 Corridor Plan concerns: State Road 60 buffer; 2. Foundation landscaping (around perimeter of building); 3. Building architectural articulation; and 4. Restrictions on free-standing signage. Wal-Mart prepared plans which addressed these issues and even agreed to tear down the existing 58th Avenue pylon sign. Staff originally stated that Sam's could have as an alternative a sixty-four square foot (64') monument sign. Later staff corrected this "mistake" and informed Kimley-Horn that only a thirty square feet (30') sign would be permitted. In its plans, Wal-Mart also agreed to provide far more landscaping than is required by Code and to provide split faced block on the front of the Sam's. Staff expressed no major concerns with the proposed site plan until the Technical Review Committee ("TRC") meeting of April 9, 1997 at which staff raised two new issues. These issues create a severe detriment to Wal-Mart. At the TRC meeting, staff insisted that Wal-Mart must provide split -faced block on all four sides of the building rather than just the front. Additionally, staff is now insisting that the proposed twenty-four feet (24') high facade signage on the building must now be reduced to seven feet two inches (77") in height. The rationale for these changes to the site plan is that the State Road 60 Corridor Plan, although not formally approved as yet by you, requires these changes. On behalf of Wal-Mart we must strenuously object to these additional requirements at a point in the approval process which would cause significant delays in terms of commencement of construction as well as a huge financial cost to Wal-Mart. This is a location that has a far smaller trade area than other Sam's in Florida because of the existence of Sam's in both Fort Pierce and Melbourne. Additional costs, therefore, are a most critical issue in terms of building this store. 35 B00r, 110i FAG€ ZJJ April 22, 1997