Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Economic Development topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Commission backs Sanford Commerce Center rezoning but directs staff and applicant to resolve parking concerns
Summary
The Planning & Zoning Commission recommended approval of a small-scale future-land-use amendment and PD rezoning for the Sanford Commerce Center (approx. 142,800 sq ft flex space) but asked staff and the applicant to continue negotiations on parking ratios after commissioners raised precedent and operational concerns about a proposed reduction.
The Seminole County Planning & Zoning Commission recommended that the Board of County Commissioners adopt a small-scale future land use map amendment and concurrent rezoning to allow the proposed Sanford Commerce Center — a flex-space project of about 142,800 square feet on roughly 17.23 acres — while directing staff to continue working with the applicant to refine the parking approach.
Annie Silhouay, planning staff, said the applicant proposes a PD amendment to allow C3 and M1A uses across the site, increase a west-side building setback, and provide a 25-foot landscape buffer adjacent to the Bookertown neighborhood. Staff recommended retaining a minimum parking ratio of two spaces per 1,000 square feet to accommodate a diverse mix of permitted uses and to avoid future parking shortfalls.
Drew Thigpin, a founder of Pelican Industrial and one of the project principals, described the product as a flexible "shallow bay" or light industrial/office hybrid intended for many small local service tenants. He said the developer’s market analysis anticipates an office/warehouse mix that would require fewer parking spaces than the county recommendation and that the design provides loading courts that could be striped for additional parking later if tenants require it. "We estimate we will deliver the project for about $30 million and generate roughly $2.5–4 million in annual tax revenue," Thigpin said.
Commissioners raised questions about uncertainty in future tenant mixes and the risk of inadequate parking if retail or C1-style uses occupy a larger share of space. After extended discussion the commission voted to recommend approval of the land-use amendment and rezoning per staff findings and added direction that staff and the applicant continue to negotiate parking ratios and potential limits on high-demand retail uses before the Board of County Commissioners hearing.
The commission also recorded an informal agreement that the applicant will provide a proposed augmented parking/striping plan showing where additional spaces could be added if market conditions require.
