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Planning board recommends ordinance to tighten rules for car-rental facilities
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Summary
The Cocoa Beach Planning Board recommended Ordinance 17-10 to the city commission, shifting travel and car-rental uses in the CT zoning district to a special-exception process and adding limits on servicing, outdoor speakers, driveway access, hours, signage and water recycling for onsite car washes.
The Cocoa Beach Planning Board voted to recommend Ordinance 17-10 to the city commission after staff presented changes that would move travel and car-rental facilities in the CT zoning district to the special-exception process and add specific operating and design limits.
Staff member said the draft treats travel and car-rental facilities as uses that must be permitted through a special-exception review by the Board of Adjustment rather than as uses by right, and that "servicing or repair of vehicles is prohibited," to avoid these sites becoming maintenance or repair operations that can be "unsightly" and incompatible with surrounding uses.
The ordinance also would ban outdoor speakers and paging systems, prohibit a separate driveway access point for the facility, limit hours of operation to 7 a.m. to 9 p.m., and restrict signage to what is allowed for the primary use. On the subject of car washes, staff said a car wash "must be within a structure with a roof and include a water recycling system" and should "recycle and reuse at least 50% of wash and rinse water" to prevent detergent and phosphate discharge into storm systems.
Staff framed the change as giving the Board of Adjustment a clearer set of criteria to evaluate special exceptions. "Whether the applicant has demonstrated that the request including density, height, scale, and intensity, hours of operation, design" and other land-use considerations will be addressed was read as part of the criteria the board should rely on, the presenter said, adding this will help the board compile "competent substantial evidence" should decisions be litigated.
Board members voiced general support. "I love it... it's fabulous," said a committee member, while another said the draft was "a very, creative, a solid solution" to prior concerns about how applicants and residents have been balanced under the code.
The board moved to recommend the ordinance to the city commission; the motion passed with one member opposed. The recommendation will be forwarded to the city commission for final action.
