Planning and Zoning Board OKs major site plan for former Festival Flea Market at 2900 W. Sample Road

The Pompano Beach Planning and Zoning Board on Sept. 24 voted 6-0 to recommend approval of a major site plan to redevelop the former Festival Flea Market site at 2900 West Sample Road into three warehouse buildings and ancillary office space.

City Principal Planner Max Weems read staff’s report and recommendation into the record, describing the 25-acre site as an I-1 zoning district that received land-use and rezoning approval in 2022. “This is the site plan review for the festival industrial redevelopment,” Weems said, adding that building sizes range from about 60,000 to almost 300,000 square feet and that all buildings will be under 44 feet in height.

The board’s recommendation included 10 conditions of approval, with condition 1 modified to require ongoing compliance with a previously granted variance (referred to in the staff reading as “variance 25-11000013 and its five conditions”). Other conditions require coordination between this industrial redevelopment and a separately permitted racetrack/gas-station outparcel on the same property, an amended plat and nonvehicular access line (NVAL) notes, evidence of vacated easements or rights-of-way, a cross-access easement for a designated outparcel, a perimeter landscape strip at a specified service parking area, a two-foot right-of-way dedication on NW 20 Seventh Avenue, a master sign program before any sign permits, and written Broward County approval of driveway lengths for driveways 3 and 4 before building permits are issued.

Dennis Meeley, attorney for the applicant, told the board the applicant had closed on the portion of property being developed and showed renderings and site plans. “We closed today on the property that you see outlined in yellow,” Meeley said. He explained the site layout, truck courts placed between buildings to separate truck circulation from car parking, and that the project had been reviewed by the Development Review Committee (DRC), the Architectural Advisory Committee (AAC), and the Zoning Board of Adjustment (which approved the driveway-stacking variance the week prior).

Board members and staff discussed traffic and circulation, including proximity to a nearby elementary school and bus routes. Staff and the applicant said multiple traffic analyses had been prepared: an earlier study for the 2022 land-use amendment showed a theoretical capacity of more than 700,000 square feet, while the current site plan totals about 474,000 square feet. The applicant said truck movements were evaluated with auto-turn software and that four access driveways would distribute traffic between Sample Road and 20 Seventh Avenue. Staff confirmed the Sample Road driveways had DOT sign-off and Broward County would need to finalize approvals for the 20 Seventh Avenue driveway stacking lengths as required by condition 9.

Questions from board members also covered parking and tenant flexibility. The applicant said the site provides 422 parking spaces where 296 are required to allow flexibility for different mixes of office and warehouse uses and to accommodate single large tenants or multiple smaller tenants with demising walls. The applicant said buildings are configured to allow various tenant sizes and that roll-up doors and loading areas are located to minimize visibility from public rights-of-way.

Security and site maintenance during the pre-construction period were discussed after a board member noted observing people camping on the site. Meeley said the applicant planned to secure and maintain the property once county approvals were complete and that the plat and NVAL amendments had been filed with Broward County and were expected on the County Commission agenda within roughly 60 days.

After closing the public hearing with no speakers, a board member moved to recommend approval of the site plan with the 10 conditions as amended; another board member seconded. The roll call vote was: Tundra King — yes; Paul Fisher — yes; Gigi DuBeck — yes; Marion (Mary Ann) Edge — yes; Robert Hartsell — yes; Fred Stacer — yes. Board member David Mingus was absent. The motion passed by a 6-0 vote with one absence.

Votes at a glance - Major site plan (PNC 24-124, Festival/Flea Market redevelopment), 2900 West Sample Road: Recommendation for approval with 10 staff conditions (condition 1 modified to require compliance with variance 25-11000013 and its five conditions). Vote: 6 yes, 0 no, 0 abstain, 1 absent (Mingus).