Planning commissioners recommend approval of two downtown standalone parking lots

The Winter Haven Planning Commission on Dec. 1 recommended approval of two special-use requests for standalone parking lots on Bates Avenue Southwest intended to support nearby medical offices.

In the first case, Cypress 3 LLC sought special-use approval for a 0.66-acre lot at 129 Bates Ave. SW. Senior planner Heather Reuter told the commission the site currently contains 43 paved spaces and the petitioner proposes 38 additional paved spaces “for a total of 81 parking spaces” to serve the New Millennium Physician Group medical office. Reuter said the parcel is zoned C-1 (commercial downtown) and that, because the unimproved areas have been used for parking prior to special-use approval, the property is subject to a pending code-compliance case. Staff recommended the commission forward the request to the city commission with conditions included in the agenda packet; commissioners voted to recommend approval by voice vote.

The commission then considered a second special-use request by 6 10 LLC for a 0.23-acre lot on the south side of Bates Avenue SW, roughly 115 feet west of 1st Street South. Reuter said that surface has been used as an unstriped parking area without prior site-plan or special-use approval and that approval would require a subsequent site-plan review, striping, and other standard improvements. One condition noted by staff is installation of a 5-foot sidewalk along the frontage to connect pedestrian routes to adjacent parking areas.

During public comment, Elizabeth Davis, who identified her business address as 114 Bates Ave. SW, told the commission she relies on her driveway for client parking (she said it holds four cars) and said the proposed sidewalk and future redevelopment could eliminate those spaces. “Putting a sidewalk through it will … end up parking in the sidewalk,” Davis said, and asked how the sidewalk would affect her ability to park and whether the new private lot would reserve spaces for her clients. Reuter replied that the sidewalk would be placed within the public right-of-way and would not remove private property; staff also said the proposed lot would be privately owned and that Davis had been told informally by the applicant she could use spaces there but that arrangement might change if the lot were redeveloped in the future.

Commissioners and staff discussed site geometry, drainage at the site, how sidewalk placement typically traverses driveway aprons, and that on-street parking is allowed along that stretch of Bates Avenue. After closing public comment, the commission moved and seconded motions recommending approval of both special-use requests with the conditions recommended by staff; both motions were approved by voice vote.

Next steps: each approval is a recommendation to the city commission and both properties must complete required site-plan reviews and any conditions in the agenda packet before construction or striping can occur.