Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Small Business topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Committee recommends rezoning for 500 Southland Drive to B1; variances postponed for further review
Summary
The committee recommended that the property at 500 Southland Drive be rezoned from professional office (P1) to neighborhood business (B1) for conversion to a coffee shop and record store, while postponing requested variances (front yard and vehicular-use-area buffers) to allow staff and applicant to resolve pedestrian-safety concerns.
On May 7 the committee recommended approval of a zone change for 500 Southland Drive (PLN MAR 26-11) to Neighborhood Business (B1) to accommodate a proposed coffee shop and vinyl-record store, but deferred action on four requested variances.
Planning staff Ryle Browning described the property, roughly 0.684 net acres, and recommended approval of the rezoning because it would repurpose an existing building for neighborhood-serving retail while retaining the site's scale and character. Staff also listed four variance requests: increase maximum front yard from 20 feet to 50 feet; reduce the vehicular use area perimeter buffer from 8 feet to 0; reduce interior landscaping from 10% to 0%; and reduce interior vehicular tree canopy from 30% to 0. Staff expressed particular concern that granting the full perimeter-buffer variances could create a pedestrian safety issue by allowing the parking area to abut the sidewalk.
Applicant counsel Tony Barrett said the owner (Vinny Paiva) and tenant (John Cable) would work with staff, could withdraw the building-line variance and did not propose a drive-through. A neighborhood resident, Brandon Gross, spoke in support and suggested bollards or planters to protect the sidewalk. After discussion the committee voted to recommend rezoning to B1 and to postpone consideration of the variances until the applicant provides revised plans and staff completes a safety review.
Next steps: the rezoning will proceed to the planning commission with the committee's recommendation; the applicant will work with staff on revised variance requests addressing pedestrian safety.
