Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Land Development Regulations topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Planning & Zoning Board backs package of land-development code changes to streamline reviews
Summary
The Planning & Zoning Board unanimously recommended a set of land-development code changes on Jan. 21 that staff said will streamline commercial permitting and reduce repetitive reviews.
The Planning & Zoning Board voted on Jan. 21 to recommend a package of amendments to the City of St. Augustine Beach land development regulations intended to streamline permitting and reduce repetitive review steps.
What changed: Key proposed changes in the package the board reviewed and recommended included: - Permitting certain uses in commercial districts without conditional-use hearings (examples cited: catering businesses, childcare/daycare centers, veterinary clinics without outdoor kennels and vocational schools) when consistent with other code requirements. - Changing landscape-plan review procedures so that CPAC (the sustainability/environmental advisory committee) is not an automatic additional reviewer for commercial landscape plans; decisions to rely on code-based review would rest with planning staff and the board. - Removing the concept-review meeting step for projects (an information-only hearing) and consolidating review steps to reduce duplicate meetings. - Raising the threshold for "major" commercial development from 3,000 square feet to 10,000 square feet so that small commercial projects move through an expedited process. - Clarifying sign-offs by a building official or designee and adding a neighborhood-meeting requirement for projects above the major-development threshold.
Board discussion: Staff explained the commission'initiated effort focused on reducing red tape and making the city more attractive to certain businesses seeking to annex or locate in the city. Board members asked about how notices and neighborhood meetings would be handled and confirmed that required notices would still be mailed to residents within a 300-foot radius.
Vote and next steps: The board moved and seconded a motion to recommend the proposed ordinance package to the city commission as drafted; members voted in favor and the motion carried. The measures will be forwarded to the commission for two hearings and the commission will decide whether to adopt the ordinance amendments.
