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Minutes 07-23-02 REVISED MINUTES OF THE PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT BOARD MEETING HELD IN COMMISSION CHAMBERS, CITY HALL, BOYNTON BEACH, FLORIDA, ON TUESDAY, JULY 23, 2002 AT 7:00 P.M. Present Mike Friedland, Chairman Woodrow Hay, Vice Chair Ed Curder William Cwynar Mike Fitzpatrick Edward Hiilery Maurice Rosenstock Bob Ensler, Alternate Alice Otis, Alternate David Tolces, Assistant City Attorney Lusia Galav, Principal Planner Dick Hudson, Senior Planner Eric Johnson, Planner 1. Pledge of Allegiance Chairman Friedland called the meeting to order at 7:05 p.m. and Vice Chair Hay led members in the Pledge of Allegiance. 2. Introduction of the Board Chairman Friedland introduced the Board Members, Assistant City Attorney Tolces and staff. Commissioners Ferguson and McCray were introduced and welcomed. 3. Agenda Approval Motion Mr. Rosenstock moved to approve the agenda. Motion seconded by Vice Chair Hay and unanimously carded. 4. Approval of Minutes Motion Mr. Cynwar moved to approve the minutes. Motion seconded by Vice Chair Hay and unanimously carried. Meeting Minutes Planning and Development Board Boynton Beach, FL July 23, 2002 5. Communications and Announcements A. Planning and Zoning Report 1. Final disposition of the June 25, 2002 Planning and Development Board Meeting agenda items: Ms. Galav reported that the City Commission voted to transmit the South Congress Residential Land Use Amendment and Rezoning Amendment to DCA. it is now under review and will be coming back to the Commission. The approval decision of this Board for the site plan and master plan modification for Grove Plaza were ratified by the City Commission. Mr. Rosenstock asked if there were any additional comments on the South Congress item when it was transmitted to DCA. Ms. Galav stated there were no new comments. He also asked if staff's report was included and Ms. Galav stated that it was. Chairman Friedland read into the record a letter from Scott Pape of 2715 SW 4"~ Street, Boynton Beach, a copy of which is included with the original minutes of the meeting. Also included with his letter was a petition containing 75 signatures. 6. New Business: A. PUBLIC HEARING Land Use Plan Amendment/Rezoning Project Name: Agent: Owner: Location: Description: Bethesda Hospital Physician Parking (LUAR 02-004) Jaime Gentile, Kilday and Associates, Inc. Bethesda Memorial Hospital; Sintilien Georges; Jesus and Joan Santiago 2700 Block of SW 4th Street Request to Amend the Comprehensive Plan Future Land Use Map for a 1.43- acre parcel fro m Low Density Residential (LDR) to Public and Private Government/Institutional; and Request to Rezone a 1.43-acre parcel from R-l- AA (Single Family Residential-5.40 du/ac) to PU (Public Usage). Attorney Tolces administered the oath to all persons who would be testifying. Meeting Minutes - Planning and Development Board Boynton Beach, FL July 23, 2002 Mr. Dick Hudson, Senior Planner, presented the item on behalf of the City. He reported that staff also received petitions, which he presented into evidence. Mr. Currier reported that he also received a letter from Mr. Pape with a petition that contained 155 signatures, which he entered into evidence. Mr. Hudson reported that the Land Use Amendment is considered a small-scale amendment, which means if it were approved, it would be adopted by the City prior to transmittal to DCA. The area in question is surrounded on the north, south and west by single family homes in the Seacrest Hills Subdivision that are designated Iow density residential and zoned R1-AA. To the east is land owned by Bethesda Memodal Hospital, which is designated public and private and governmental/institutional and zoned public use. Mr. Hudson explained that when reviewing amendments to the Comprehensive Plan, staff must follow eight criteria. When reviewing the amendment, staff determined that the use would be very intense and equates to a light-industrial use or a heavy-commercial use. This being the case, the City would require a buffer wall between residential and commercial-industrial and there should also be a solid vegetative screening between the uses. Mr. Hudson further pointed out that there is an intense nature of mechanical equipment located behind the Hospital that has created conflicts between the uses. Staff determined that the amendment would be contrary to the established land use pattern and would create an isolated distdct unrelated to the adjacent districts equating to a special privilege being granted to an individual property owner. Staff has determined that this would create an intrusion into a residential neighborhood and could have a negative effect on property values. Another consideration was whether the change in conditions would make the proposed rezoning desirable. Mr. Hudson stated that the Hospital submitted an application in 1999 for parking with 11 different options. Of the 11 options presented, the option presented tonight was not included. He also noted that staff has asked the Hospital to submit their long-range expansion plans to the City, but to date no such planS have been offered. With regard to impact on the utility systems and the roadways, approved, it would decrease the demand for water and sewer, services, and possibly demand for additional roadways. if it were recreation Staff must also determine if the vacant property could be developed under the existing zoning, which staff feels it could. Staff must also determine if the proposed amendment is related to the needs of the neighborhood. Staff feels that this is merely a temporary band-aid to solve the Hospital's parking needs. The parking situation should be handled through a comprehensive parking plan. 3 Meeting Minutes Planning and Development Board Boynton Beach, FL July 23, 2002 Staff feels that the amendment is not consistent with the intent of the Comprehensive Plan and would have a negative effect on the residential properties. Staff recommends denial. If the Board does approve the amendment, staff would insist on the construction of a solid 6' masonry wall and heavy landscaping around the boundary of the property to separate the uses. Kieran Kilday, the land planner representing the Hospital, said he would be presenting a series of visual aids during his presentation. He introduced Robert Taylor, Vice President of Finance for Bethesda Hospital; Jaime Gentile, Project Manager; Keith Chambers, Architect; and Dan Hrabko, an appraiser. Mr. Kilday requested that he be permitted to speak after public audience. Mr. Kilday pointed out the expansion property on the aerial photograph. Bethesda Hospital was founded in 1959 and has draStically changed in 40 years. Currently the Hospital is expanding on the site and many properties in the area have converted to medical office uses. Mr. Kilday concentrated on the area immediately behind the hospital, which has been the service area of the Hospital since its inception. There is a utility building in this location that contains the air coolers. The incinerator, laundry room and service delivery area are also located here. Mr. Kilday explained that the doctors park in the back and enter the Hospital at the lower level. All patient records are maintained at this entrance so that a doctor can pick up his patient's records when he enters and leaves them off when he exits. The Hospital feels it is very important to make the Hospital convenient for the doctors and they do not want doctors to stop coming to Bethesda Hospital. There are 619 physicians that have permits to park in this area and there are 73 marked parking spaces for doctors. Because the Hospital is undergoing construction, the dumpsters are also located in the service area. Normally the dumpsters are in another area. Mr. Kilday acknowledged that all these services are a problem and the Hospital invited its neighbors along SE 4th Street to a meeting to discuss these problems. The neighbors spoke about the ugliness and the various sounds emanating from this area. The Hospital started to correct some of the issues by.doing some landscape improvements and baffles were put in to muffle the sound. The hours of operation of the exhaust have been limited. It is being requested is that six lots be used for additional physician parking that would be at the same grade level of the Hospital, but the parking area would be enclosed. It is anticipated that an additional 73 parking spaces would be added. The buildings and the landscaping would wall off the area from the neighborhood and there would be no access onto SE 4th Street. The property that would be utilized for the project would include a house on the north lot and a series of 4 Meeting Minutes Planning and Development Board Boynton Beach, FL July 23, 2002 vacant lots, which are all owned by the Hospital, plus a house on the south side that was purchased by the Hospital a year ago. The Hospital was approached by two property owners that indicated that they would be willing to sell their homes that abut the service area. This was agreeable to the Hospital and would permit the Hospital to run a barrier across the entire area adjacent to the' service area. These two additional properties are also included in the proposal. The physician parking would be located behind the new barrier. By doing this, it would allow a physician to enter the garage and be adjacent to the physicians' entrance. The parking facility would be 30' from the property line and would not be visible from the street because of the landscaping. Mr. Kilday noted that there were concerns that the aesthetics of the residential neighborhood would be destroyed. To address these concerns, the parking structure will be two separate structures and the rooflines would be scale to the homes in the area. Mr. Kilday said that the Hospital would be amenable to providing mature landscaping that would hide the entire structures and artists' renderings of how this would look were presented. These plans were the result of a second meeting with the homeowners. Mr. Kilday presented a drawing of a two-story parking garage located at the new Tuscany Apartments that was completely hidden by the landscaping. This is the type of landscaping that the Hospital is proposing for its garage. Mr. Kilday said that a new sidewalk would be built on the right-Of-way and they would agree with staff's recommendation that a 6' wall be built. Anyone looking across the street would have their line of sight cut by the building and landscaping so that the uses in the service area would not be visible and protected from the neighborhood. Dan Hrabko did a property analysis and the results of the analysis will be presented. Mr. Hrabko looked at the difference in property values that exist between properties that abut parking areas and houses that do not abut parking areas. Dan Hrabko, 1674 Park Tree Place, Delray Beach, with an office at 1639 Forum Place, West Palm Beach, stated that he performed the analysis at the request of Mr. Kilday. He did not know of any parking garages in residential areas and decided to look in the _immediate area to houses that back up to parking lots. He compared those houses to houses that did not abut parking lots. They located 11 sales of houses backing up to parking lots dating back to December 1999. By using the County Property Appraiser's records, he was able to determine the adjusted square footage of living area, which he divided into the recorded sale price to get the price per square foot. The average of houses backing to parking lots was approximately $93 per square foot. Sales of homes in the same neighborhoods that did not back to parking lots had an average sales price of $92 per square, showing that there is little difference between the two homes. 5 Meeting Minutes Planning and Development Board Boynton Beach, FL July 23, 2002 Mr. Kilday pointed out that two houses that abut the Hospital's service area were less than the average, which means that the service area is having a negative effect on property values as opposed to houses that abut a landscaped wall/parking area. In response to some of staff's concerns, Mr. Kilday stated that the Hospital is undertaking an overall parking study and noted that parking has traditionally been a problem. However, the study is not affected by this project because this project is for the doctors. The Comprehensive Plan language for Iow-density residential areas indicates that public/private, government/institutional land uses may sometimes be located in these areas. Additional permitted uses are churches, schools, city-owned and operated facilities, and nursery and daycare. These uses could locate on the properties adjacent to the Hospital. The Hospital feels that this is the best use for the property given the layout of the Hospital. The design will cure the problem, it would stabilize the neighborhood, and would seal off the Hospital from further sprawl into the neighborhood. Mr. Rosenstock asked if any study was done regarding the line of sight for those neighbors whose homes abut the service area when the improvements are put in. He also inquired if the noise emanating from this area from the dumpsters, fans and machinery would be decreased. Mr. Kilday said no decibel studies have been done. With the proper landscaping, Mr. Kilday feels that the Hospital would be almost completely out of sight except for the roofline. Mr. Rosenstock inquired if mature landscaping would be planted or would the residents have to wait 20 years for a tree to grow. Mr. Kilday said a full infill landscape program would be put in and felt that they could put in products that could be utilized to diminish the noise. Mr. Hillery reported that he received the petition and spoke with representatives of the Hospital, but was not given any materials that were not supplied to the city. Chairman Friedland also said he visited the Hospital to look at the area and spoke to Mr. Kilday for his input. Mr. Fitzpatrick said that he met with Bob Taylor and Bob Hill on Friday. Mr. Fitzpatrick inqUired about the power line that runs along the property line and asked if there was an easement for this. Mr, Kilday said that it is an easement and it has been addressed in the site plan and the building would be set back from the easement. Mr. Cwynar said that he spoke with Mr. Kilday, as well as a resident of the neighborhood who telephoned him. Mr. Cwynar asked about the status of the existing parking spaces. Mr. Kilday stated those would remain. Some parking 6 Meeting Minutes '~-, Planning and Development Board Boynton Beach, FL July 23, 2002 spaces along the property line will be eliminated to allow access to the new parking area. Further, Mr. Cwynar felt that there was a big difference in the elevation between the homes and the Hospital. He asked how many new spaces would be going in and Mr. Kilday responded there would be 85 spaces in the new structure, plus the existing spaces, for a total of 146 spaces. Mr. Cwynar asked why the doctors could not park in the existing parking area near the outpatient area since doctors are always advocating walki:ng. He also suggested that the Hospital should have provided some alternative parking areas and felt there were other areas that could be used for doctor parking. Mr. Hay inquired if the Hospital had any alternative plans. Mr. Kilday pointed out other areas that could be used for parking; however, patients and visitors usually occupy these spaces. He said that they cannot dictate to the doctors what is good for the health and what they should be doing. Mr. Kilday said that the doctors dictate to the Hospital and have stated that there are other hospitals that provide covered parking and are more convenient. The doctors want the same service at Bethesda. Mr. Cwynar suggested free valet parking for the doctors. Mr. Hillery asked if the doctors practice in many hospitals and select where they send their patients, which Mr. Kilday confirmed was true. Chairman Friedland opened up the Public Audience. Scott Pape, 2715 SW 4th Street, Boynton Beach presented handouts. Mr. Pape said that the neighborhood residents got together and selected seven representatives to speak tonight. Chairman Friedland agreed that all seven speakers could have five minutes to speak. Mr. Pape passed out a comparative analysis of the property values in the neighborhood, as well as some additional petitions and noted that 203 residents have signed petitions. Mr. Pape is opposed to the rezoning and said that the applicant is required to present substantial evidence to support its request. The neighborhood was originally established in 1957 and is exclusively single-family homes. The proposed use would create incompatibility on the north, south and west sides of the neighborhood. He felt this was spot zoning and was the granting of special privilege to the applicant. When Mr. Pape asked for a site plan of the Hospital from the City, he was told that there was none available. He said that the Hospital has created its own problems by constructing new wings without considering parking. He suggested that the Hospital could build parking decks on their existing property or could put in a physicians' parking area on the left side of the building. Mr. Pape compared property sales for the last few years of properties on the east side of SW 4th Street, which were approximately $13,000 to $25,000 less than 7 Meeting Minutes ~ Planning and Development Board Boynton Beach, FL July 23, 2002 property sales on the west side of the Street during the same time period and with the same square footage. Mr. Pape said that this is sufficient evidence to deny the application. He also noted that the City would be losing revenue streams. Michele Hoyland, 926 Sunset Road, Chapel Hill, is a Senior Planner for the City of Delray and a member of the City's Community Redevelopment Agency. Ms. Hoyland is in opposition to the expansion and said that all the residents present today are in opposition to the expansion. Ms. Hoyland said if the Hospital wanted to buffer itself from the single-family hOmes, they should construct a wall with heavy landscaping. This would help cut down on noise and pollution from the equipment. Even though she is not immediately impacted by the expansion, property values in the entire subdivision could be decreased and ail five subdivisions rely on each other to keep their property values up. Ms. Hoyland pointed out that staff's report stated that the use of the Hospital is incompatible with the abutting residential uses. Since it is already incompatible, she did not see how an incompatible use could be expanded into a stable, residential neighborhood. Ms. Hoyland suggested that the Hospital utilize one of the 11 alternatives for doctor parking. They would support one of the alternatives and noted that the proposal presented tonight is not stated in their 1999 parking expansion alternatives. She stressed the importance of buffering the Hospital from the neighborhood; this cannot be achieved by placing a parking garage in the neighborhood. She further stated that the parking garage when built would be over 30' in height. John Lewis, 2420 SW 5t~, Boynton Beach, lives a block away from the Hospital. Mr. Lewis feels that this is the worst time for the Hospital expansion. He noted that Americans are losing their money due to corporate greed and fraud and now Bethesda wants to rezone into a mature, well-maintained neighborhood as a solution to their complete lack of planning. Mr. Lewis felt that his biggest asset, his home, would loose value as Bethesda continued to encroach into the neighborhood. To him, Chapel Hill is a part of paradise in a City that continues to see a decrease of opportunities for growth. He requested that Bethesda be stopped and not be allowed to expand into Chapel Hill and compromise their quality of life. Mr. Lewis also stated that Bethesda should be held accountable for current land use such as using residents' yards for employee breaks, placing a mobile home on its eastern border, permitting shabby maintenance on the western border, and lastly operating a smelly eye-sore of an incinerator of questionable compliance and regulation in the middle of the neighborhood. 8 Meeting Minutes Planning and Development Board Boynton Beach, FL July 23, 2002 Mr. Lewis urged that the neighborhood be saved and to hold Bethesda accountable for their current shortcomings and prevent them from further degradation of Chapel Hill and the City itself. William Hazard, 2631 SW 4th Street, Boynton Beach, resides directly across the street from the proposed parking garage. He and his wife have five children and just purchased the house in June. He felt when they purchased the home that this was the ideal neighborhood for his family. He knew the Hospital was there, but there was nice landscaping in place :and was told by the prior owner of the house that Bethesda would be replacing the rusted chainlink fence around the properties and converting some of the empty lots into community playgrounds for the children in the neighborhood. Mr. Hazard never knew of Bethesda's plan to tear down four beautiful homes and destroy the current landscaping and tall pines and put in a parking garage. If the trees were Cut down, he would have a direct view of the incinerator. He hears the noise all night emanating at the trash containers. He also noted that the employees of the Hospital use the private property in the area for picnicking. He would like a pdvacy fence put up so that this would not be visible. He paid a lot more money for his home and if he knew what the Hospital's plans were, he would never have purchased the house. Stella Rossi, 625 Whispering Pines Road, Boynton Beach has lived in Chapel Hill since 1961. To Ms. Rossi, there is parking-lot sprawl and she questioned when all this would stop. Bethesda needs to build a parking garage on the existing parking lot that is north of the Hospital or somewhere else on their property. She noted that Bethesda just finished putting in a new parking lot across from the Hospital on Seacrest Boulevard and she was against the rezoning. Jeff McGlinnin, 2419 SW 4th Street, Boynton Beach, is 12 years old and attends St. Joseph's Episcopal School. He was born on SW 4th Street. He plays with his friends in their yard, which is directly across the street from the proposed garage. On behalf of the children on his street, they do not want the garage and want the street to stay the way it is. If the street changes, his parents will move and he does not want to move. Jeff McGlinnin, 2419SW 4th Street, Boynton Beach, is the father of young Jeff McGlinnin. He asked that the Board not approve the rezoning of the lots on SW 4th Street. He was born in Bethesda Hospital and was raised in Boynton Beach and is also raising his family in the City. He has seen many changes in the City and has seen nice neighborhoods deteriorate. He pointed out that Chapel Hill has withstood the test of time, and the quality of life that he wanted for himself and his family he found in Chapel Hill. He pointed out how the City helped the neighborhood by installing traffic calming devices and the value of the homes have steadily increased. He always thought that he could depend upon the steady appreciation of his home, but now this is being threatened. A parking 9 Meeting Minutes Planning and Development Board Boynton Beach, FL July 23, 2002 garage in any form will hurt the value of his home. He does not want to see a parking garage built that would be functioning 24-hours per day. He urged the Board not to change the zoning. Chairman Fdedland closed the Public Hearing and asked the Board members for their comments. Mr. Hay stated that after listening to all the testimony, he has heard nothing that would convince him to change his mind. He respects family life and when people buy a home it is with the intent to remain there for a long time. He feels that the Hospital could come up with some other alternative plans and he could not support changing the zoning. Chairman Friedland noted that during the testimony it was mentioned that five physicians were moving to another area because they cannot drive into the Hospital, park their cars, enter the Hospital to do their business, and return to their cars because of the parking situation. Chairman Friedland noted that Bethesda Hospital is the only Hospital in the City and the City continues to grow. Chairman Friedland does not want to see physicians leave the area because of inadequate hospital parking. Chairman Friedland noted that Mr. Hay had to leave the meeting and his chair would be replaced by Bob Ensler, Alternate. Attorney Tolces stated that a member who was not sitting on the dais during the quasi-judicial proceeding could not join the proceedings in the middle of the hearing and vote. Mr. Hay said he would remain until the vote. Bill Cwynar said he has known Mr. Kilday and Mr. Taylor for a long time and that his three children were born at Bethesda. He feels the services received at the Hospital are good, but thinks more research needs to be done and that he opposes the rezoning. Mr. Hillery was concerned that Bethesda could suffer if doctors did not refer their patients to the Hospital and this could hurt the Hospital. He pointed out that the Hospital is one of the largest employers in the City. He said he lives next to the boat ramp along North Federal Highway and a nightclub that are very noisy. He felt that the buffers would work. He was familiar with the noise complaints emanating from the incinerator behind the Hospital when he was with the Boynton Beach Police Department. He went to the Hospital with decibel meters to take readings and it was determined that the noise coming from 1-95 was louder than the noise coming from the incinerator. He felt that the new buffering would help the residents and buffer the noise coming from that area. Mr. Hillery was in favor of the project. Mr. Rosenstock stated that the Hospital has been a bad neighbor in the past and now wants to make amends. He would have liked to have seen this landscaping 10 Meeting Minutes Planning and Development Board Boynton Beach, FL July 23, 2002 built a long time ago to shield the residents from the noise and sight pollution. Mr. Rosenstock was not sure what would be worse--encroaching upon the neighborhood for parking or building a five~story parking garage. He said it was important to keep the Hospital viable and if more parking facilities were needed, he would encourage this. Mr. Fitzpatrick said at first he thought that voting against the parking garage would have been a shoe in, both personally and politically. He knows a lot of people that live in Chapel Hill and stated' that the petition presented was well done. He pointed out that staff also recommended denial of the project and the reason given for the parking garage was that doctors needed easy access to their records. Mr. Fitzpatrick has spent five to ten hours a week in the emergency room of the Hospital over the last 11¼ years. He pointed out that doctors have special skills and expect special privileges. Mr. Hill's job is to keep the operating rooms fully scheduled and maintain a large roster of competent doctors. Mr. Fitzpatrick felt that doctors would stop going to Bethesda if they had to walk an extra 50 yards. He further pointed out that a decline of the Hospital would hurt the entire City. Bethesda is still an independent, non-profit Hospital with an administration that is highly community oriented. Bethesda Hospital donated $25,000 to help build Kid's Kingdom. Mr. Fitzpatrick wants the Hospital to remain independent with good doctors. Mr. Fitzpatrick pointed out that the service area is where the fire trucks go in and out and he would not want to have to drive a fire truck through a parking garage. Retaining good doctors is more important than bulldozing three houses. He said that the buffer design presented is bland and useless for the neighborhood. He suggested putting in a linear park with sidewalks and a two-foot high wall for people to sit on. He would like to have this park be a destination point with a drinking fountain for people and a doggie water basin for joggers and a lot of native plants. He said he was in favor of the project because the City needs to keep the Hospital strong and growing. Mr. Ed Currier stated that a buffer was needed at this location for a long time and now that the Hospital wants something, they are proposing to put in buffering. He requested to make a motion. Chairman Friedland requested to speak before any motions are made. Chairman Friedland spoke about the role the Hospital played in forming Visions 20/20 in the City. He asked Mr. Taylor how many patients are seen at the Hospital over the course of one year. Bob Taylor, Vice President of Finance for Bethesda Memorial Hospital, 4 Via Lago, Boynton Beach, stated that there are approximately 18,000 admissions per year. They treat approximately 52,000 emergency room patients and there are 11 Meeting Minutes Planning and Development Board Boynton Beach, FL July 23, 2002 over 80,000 outpatient visits at the Hospital. The Hospital employs approximately 2,000 employees. Mr. Friedland inquired how many doctors practice at the Hospital and Mr. Taylor stated over 600 doctors have staff privileges. These same doctors have privileges at other hospitals in the area. Mr. Taylor said there was a lot of competition for patients in the community and most hospitals offer the same thing; therefore, it is important for the Hospital to remain competitive. They conduct a bi-annual survey among the medical staff in order to assess exactly what they want to meet their expectations. One of their biggest needs is immediate access to good parking and access to the infrastructure needed to serve their patients. This has come out number one in the past two surveys. Motion Mr. Currier moved to deny the Request to Amend the Comprehensive Plan Future Land Use Map for a 1.43-acre parcel from Low Density Residential (LDR) to Public and Private Government/Institutional. Motion seconded by Mr. Cwynar. The Recording Secretary called the roll. The motion failed 3-4 (Chairman Friedland and Messrs. Fitzpatrick, Hillery, and Rosenstock dissenting.) Motion Mr. Hillery moved to approve the Request to Amend the Comprehensive Plan Future Land Use Map for a 1.43-acre parcel from Low Density Residential (LDR) to Public and Private Government/Institutional. Motion seconded by Mr. Rosenstock. The Recording Secretary called the roll. The motion passed 4-3 (Messrs. Currier, Cwynar and Hay dissenting.) Motion Mr. Rosenstock moved to approve the Request to Rezone a 1.43-acre parcel from R-l-AA (Single Family Residential - 5.40 du/ac) to PU (Public Usage). Motion seconded by Mr. Hillery and carried 5-2 (Messrs. Cwynar and Hay dissenting.) Attorney Tolces explained that this Board recommends to the City Commission and the City Commission will make the final decision. Attorney Tolces suggested amending the agenda to move Item C up to be heard before Item B. 12 Meeting Minutes Planning and Development Board Boynton Beach, FL July 23, 2002 C. New Site Plan (Heard out of Order) 1. Project Name: Agent: Owner: Location: Description: Bethesda Hospital Physician Parking (NWSP 02-011) Jamie Gentile, Kilday & Associates, Inc. Bethesda memorial Hospital; Sintilien Georges; Jesus and Joan Santiago 2700 Block of SW 4th Street Request for new Site Plan Approval for a 31,672 square foot parking garage in a proposed Public Usage (PU) zoning district on a 1.43-acre parcel. Motion Mr. Currier moved that the request for new site plan approval for a 31,672 square foot parking garage in a proposed Public Usage (PU) zoning district on a 1.43- acre parcel be denied. Motion seconded by Mr. Hay. Attorney Toices said that the item cannot be voted upon until it is presented to the Board and requested that the motion be withdrawn. Mr. Currier withdrew his motion. RECESS WAS DECLARED AT 9:05 P.M THE MEETING RECONVENED AT 9:15 P.M. Motion Mr. Rosenstock moved that Item C be moved up on the Agenda to be heard before Item B. Motion seconded by Mr. Hillery and unanimously carried. Mr. Hay left the meeting and Mr. Ensler assumed the dais. Ms. Galav presented the case on behalf of the City. Bethesda Memorial Hospital is requesting approval to build two parking garage buildings separated by a 60' park area for a total of 85 parking spaces for physician parking. Ms. Galav pointed out that most of the information is contained in the staff report. The buildings have been designed to look like residential units, but the windows would be open. Mr. Rosenstock inquired if the open windows would be facing the Hospital and Ms. Galav responded that all the garage windows are open. Landscaping will be typical to a single-family area and staff is concerned about the design and the security. Ms. Galav pointed out that there is no fencing around the entire garage. Also, staff was not informed about the use of the park area nor was any design for the furniture presented. Also, no pedestrian way has been designated. For 13 Meeting Minutes - - Planning and Development Board Boynton Beach, FL July 23, 2002 security purposes and because of the incompatibility of the design in the residential neighborhood, staff is recommending denial. Mr. Kilday suggested putting in a retaining wall that would run along the front of the site with a passive park between the two buildings. It is intended that the area would be used by employees as a break area and would be sealed off from the street. With regard to security, a fence would be placed in the landscaping between the two buildings. He noted that people stated that they would like to have the landscaping in front for use by the neighborhood, and they are willing to consider this. Mr. Kilday considered redesigning the landscaping with the 8' pathway meandering through the area for use by the neighborhood. The Hospital is sensitive to neighborhood concerns and Mr. Kilday felt that they could accomplish both goals, which would be to provide something that the residents could use and to provide a buffer. Mr. Friedland noted that there were 24 staff conditions and asked the applicant if there were any conditions they wished to address. Mr. Kilday replied that they agreed with all conditions and would be amendable to meet with staff regarding the park. Mr. Hillery questioned why there were no comments from the Police Department. Ms. Galav said she has no additional comments. Mr. Hillery said that there could be a problem with security and that the parking garage needs to be sealed off to prevent theft. He asked if the garage would have lighting at night and Mr. Kilday said there would be some lights at night. Mr. Kilday noted that there needs to be a certain amount of openings in the garage. Mr. Ensler pointed out that Condition #24 recommended that the parking garage structure be eliminated or redesigned. Ms. Galav responded that staff feels that it should look like a parking garage and should be buffered with a 6' wall and heavily landscaped. For clarification purposes, Mr. Ensler stated that staff is not recommending that the entire garage be redesigned, but that the garage needs to be isolated from the neighborhood. Staff feels that the parking garage should not be allowed. Ms. Galav said that staff has not looked at redesigning the structure at this point. Mr. Ensler pointed out that staff has not had an opportunity to look at the design of the structure to get their detailed comments and he would like staff to have more time to review the site plan. Mr. Kilday agreed with this and stated that the applicant is agreeable to postponing the site plan to meet with staff in order to incorporate their comments, to address the linear park, the security concerns and the window treatmentS. 14 Meeting Minutes Planning and Development Board Boynton Beach, FL July 23, 2002 Motion Mr. Rosenstock moved that at the request of the petitioner that Item 6.C.1. be tabled until the petitioner is prepared to bring the item back. Motion seconded by Mr. Currier and unanimously carded. 7-0. B. Rezoning 1 .Project Name: Agent: Owner: Location: Description: Bethesda Hospital Rezoning (REZN 02-004) Jamie Gentile, Kilday and Associates, Inc. Bethesda Memorial Hospital South side of Southwest 23rd Avenue Golf Road) between South Seacrest Boulevard and Interstate 95 Request to Rezone a 10.37-acre parcel from PUD (Planned Unit Development District to PU (Public Usage) Dick Hudson presented the item on behalf of staff. This is a rezoning request only. The land use is already public/private, governmental/institutional. The request, if approved, would provide some consistency. Mr. Hudson noted that in 1986 the Hospital was granted a PUD zoning. At that time all uses that are in the Hospital proper were listed. Since no additional development is anticipated on the property, the rezoning would only serve to ensure that the zoning would be consistent with the land use designation. Therefore, staff recommends approval. Mr. Kilday stated that this request is simply a housecleaning issue. If the item were approved, the entire Hospital site would have the same zoning. Motion Mr. Rosenstock moved to approve the request to rezone a 10.37-acre parcel from PUD (Planned Unit Development) district to PU (Public Usage). Motion seconded by Mr. Currier. Mr. Cwynar questioned the location of the subject property, which states the "south side of SW 23rd Avenue between south Seacrest Boulevard and Interstate 95". Mr. Hudson responded that this is merely a general location. Motion carried 7-0, Mr. Kilday stated that they would continue to work with the neighborhood to come up with a good site plan. 15 Meeting Minutes Planning and Development Board Boynton Beach, FL July 23, 2002 C. New Site Plan Project Name: Agent: Owner: Location: Description: Medical Arts Professional Center (NWSP 02-009) Anthony Polera, Vitcar Consulting Co., Inc. Hematology Oncology Associates Properties, Inc. NE Corner of Golf Road & Congress Avenue Request New Site Plan approval for a 42,824 square foot medical facility in a C-1 zoning district on a 3.197 acre parcel. Edc Johnson presented the case for the City. The property is currently zoned C- I and is the property known as Alhambra Square North. The 1987 Stipulation and Settlement Agreement between the City and Leisureville contains four conditions. Those four conditions are included in the conditions of approval for this project. The project also meets the traffic performance standards of Palm Beach County. There will be two points of egress/ingress, one on Golf Road and one on Congress Avenue. The parking requirements are one parking space for each 200 square feet of gross floor area,: or a total of 215 parking spaces. The site plan indicates that there will be 234 parking spaces. The design of the building will contain an open courtyard in the interior and a canopy will cover the entranceway to the courtyard. The style of the building is Southwestern and will be unique in the City. Colors of the building were reviewed. Staff recommended toning down the colors somewhat. Mr. Johnson noted that there are 35 conditions of approval and the applicant has agreed to all conditions. Staff recommends approval, subject to the conditions of approval. Chairman Friedland inquired if the applicant agreed with staff's comments regarding the colors. Tony Polera, Vitcar Consulting Co., Inc., was present with Conrad Kwok, representing PGAL, the architect for the project. Mr. Kwok would be reviewing the colors of the project. Mr. Kwok explained how the design of the building came about and that they were looking for something that would show the natural colors that radiate during sunset. Because staff thought the colors were too intense for the neighborhood, they were toned down to various shades of tan. Instead of using southwest granite, coral rock would probably be used. Mr. Rosenstock inquired if a drug store would be located on the property. Mr. Kwok stated that it would be all medical professionals, which Mr. Johnson confirmed. 16 Meeting Minutes Planning and Development Board Boynton Beach, FL July 23, 2002 Mr. Fitzpatrick inquired about the access on Congress. Mr. Kwok responded that there would be no access on Congress for traffic heading south, only traffic going north. Mr. Fitzpatrick thought there should be some kind of access from Fire Station #2 to the property, which could be accomplished by removing dumpster #7 and puffing in a roadway from the station to the property. He feels that this type of building will generate calls because of the type of patients that would be treated. Mr. Kwok did not see a problem with this and Mr. Fitzpatrick suggested that he speak with the Fire Department. Mr. Fitzpatrick said he could not make a policy for the Fire Department. Ms. Galav said that this idea had been reviewed with the City's Project Manager and it was determined not to follow through with this. Mr. Rosenstock inquired if the neighbors had been notified of the project and was informed that they were. None of the neighbors have responded to the notice. Mr. Friedland suggested that if Mr. Fitzpatrick's suggestion were possible that it be included as a condition to the approval. Attorney Toices said that the Board could request this. Mr. Ensler asked about the lighting and whether it would spill into the neighborhoods. Mr. Kwok said that the lighting would not spill into the residential neighborhood and the lights would be turned off at 11:00 p.m. Any pole lighting adjacent to the residential area would be shielded. Mr. Johnson stated that the lighting would be reviewed at the time of permitting. Mr. Ensler felt that there was a need for this type of facility in this area and preferred the tan colors. Mr. Ensler did not think that a Southwest design would blend well with the neighborhood. Mr. Kwok said they were trying to create something that would be compatible with nature and wanted to stay away from the Mediterranean design. Mr. Kwok pointed out that the building was a one- story building that should fit very nicely into the neighborhood with a height range of 18'to 22'. Mr. Currier thought the building was beautiful and he liked the design. Chairman Friedland also liked the Southwestern design. Mr. Rosenstock thought that the Planning Department had a design concept for the neighborhoods so that new buildings would be compatible with the other buildings in the neighborhood. Mr. Johnson stated that staff's theme is to comply with Chapter 9 of the Land Development Regulations, which is not to discourage individuality, while assuring that the designs would be somewhat compatible. 17 Meeting Minutes Planning and Development Board Boynton Beach, FL July 23, 2002 Motion Mr. Currier moved to approve the request for New Site Plan approval for a 42,824 square foot medical facility in a C-1 zoning district on a 3.197-acre parcel, subject to all staff comments and with the additional condition that since there are 19 extra parking spaces, if staff determines that by using three or four spaces at Mr. Fitzpatrick's suggestion to make another ingress/egress to the facility to the benefit of everyone. Motion seconded by Mr. Fitzpatrick. Mr. Rosenstock asked about the landscaping. Mr. Kwok stated that there is a landscape plan and the landscaping is quite dense. Mr. Friedland noted that the plan called for 82% of native plants. Mr. Currier also amended his motion to add that any landscaping would come up to or exceed what zoning requires. Mr. Fitzpatrick agreed to amend his second of the motion. Mr. Ensler noted that the City is changing the parking requirements in the future to require that parking spaces be 9¼' and since the applicant has extra spaces, he requested that. the applicant keep this in mind. Mr. Kwok stated that they agreed to all staff conditions except for comment #20 regarding the buffer wall. Mr. Kwok noted that staff is recommending a 6' stucco wall around the residential area. The applicant would like to put in a precast concrete wall. Mr. Kwok had discussed this with staff and they agreed to this, which Mr. Johnson confirmed. Motion, as amended, carried 6-1 (Mr. Ensler dissenting). Mr. Rosenstock left the meeting at 10:00 p.m. and Ms. Alice Otis assumed the dais. Project name: Agent: Owner: Location: Description: Monahan & Monahan (NWSP 02-010) Dale Meaux, A.P.I. Group, Inc. Sean Monahan NW 7th Court and Boynton Beach Boulevard Request new site plan approval for a 1,809 square foot office building in a C-2 zoning district on a 0.22-acre parcel. Max Ducoste presented the case on behalf of staff. Mr. Ducoste stated that this is a permitted use in a C-2 zoning district. Currently the property is a vacant tot with a row of Australian Pines along the north property line and a Mahogany Tree on the east property line. The proposed building is a one-story 1,809 square foot office building. The height of the building will be 23'6" that meets Code. A traffic 18 Meeting Minutes Planning and Development Board Boynton Beach, FL July 23, 2002 statement was submitted by the applicant and sent to the County Engineering for review, but their comments have not been received as yet. There will =be one driveway located 80' from the intersection of NW 7th Court and Boynton Beach Boulevard that will provide a two-way drive out, going east and west. Code requires six parking spaces, but the applicant is providing nine, including one handicap parking space. Landscaping will meet Code. There will be a 30' buffer along Boynton Beach Boulevard. Along the north property line, the applicant is required to provide a 6' wall. The building will be of Spanish-Mexican design and has been designed to enhance the overall appearance of Boynton Beach Boulevard. The architectural design of the building will fit in with the two adjacent buildings constructed in the past. There will be one 14' square foot wall sign and one monument sign that will be 4' high and 6'4" in width. Staff recommends approval, subject to 17 conditions of approval, to which the - applicant has agreed. Dale Meaux, A.P.I. Group, Inc., Boca Raton, had no comments. Mr. Fitzpatrick inquired if there was a tenant for the building. Mr. Meaux responded that the building would house the law office of Sean Monahan. Motion Mr. Cynwar moved to approve the request for New Site Plan approval for a 1,809 square foot office building in a C-2 zoning district on a 0.22-acre parcel at NW 7th Court and Boynton Beach Boulevard, subject to all staff comments. Motion seconded by Mr. Currier and unanimously carried. D. Major Site Plan Modification Project Name Agent: Owner: Location: Description: Tri-Rail Expansion (MSPM 02-004)) George E. Thomas, Tumer Associates Tri-Rail Commuter Authority 2400 High Ridge Road Request for Major Site Plan Modification approval for an 18,812 square foot expansion of an existing rail station in a PID zoning district on a 2.28-acre parcel. Mr. Johnson presented the case on behalf of staff. The Tri-Rail Station is located in the Quantum Park PID. The current station is 10,000 square feet. The applicant has submitted a traffic study, but the County has not yet determined if it 19 Meeting Minutes Planning and Development Board Boynton Beach, FL July 23, 2002 meets the traffic performance standards of the County. Staff requests that the requirement be added that the performance standards be approved by Palm Beach County prior to the issuance of a building permit. The Engineering Division is recommending that the review of specific drainage issues be deferred until the time of permit review. The existing four driveways will not be altered as a result of the expansion. The expansion is proposed on the eastern portion of the site. There is no need for any additional parking, which staff has agreed to. However, if the demand exists, there is a condition of approval that Tri-Rail would re-evaluate the parking situation. There will be new trees and shrubs added to the project with 13 Royal Palm Trees at the entrance. There is no specific height requirement for the Tri-Rail Station, but staff would require that the project be less than the City's maximum. Staff is recommending approval of the site plan, subject to 26 conditions of approval. Mr. Johnson said that the project does not have to be reviewed by the Quantum Park ,Architectural Review Committee. This was relayed to Mr. Johnson today by Mr. McGillicuddy, but he does not have anything in writing to support - this. All the parties have agreed upon the colors of the project and the applicant has agreed to place signage on the trash receptacles and the accent color on the canopy would also be the color of the benches. Mr. Johnson said that staff was excited about the expansion of Tri-Rail in the City. Attorney Tolces administered the oath to Jim Hinda. Jim Hinda, of Tri-County Rail Constructors, the design contractor for the applicant, assumed the podium. He testified that the existing single-platform station would be replaced with a two-platform station with a pedestrian overpass. The project is located in a public transportation-zoning district. Tri-Rail is embarking on a double tracking project to reduce congestion and increase the effectiveness, safety and efficiency of public transportation in the State. Construction is scheduled to begin in the fourth quarter of this year. George Thomas, the architect of record, was introduced. Mr. Cwynar asked if there would be any interruption in service and Mr. Thomas said there would be none. Mr. Ensler inquired if the project would be infringing on the neighborhood. Mr. Thomas responded that the lighting is under the canopy and would project down onto the platform. There would be no projection onto the tracks or into the neighborhood. Also, there would be no lights on poles. 20 Meeting Minutes ...t Planning and Development Board Boynton Beach, FL July 23, 2002 Mr. Curder inquired if there would be elevators in the platform and was informed that there were elevators to meet the needs of the handicapped. Mr. Hillery inquired how far the expansion project would go and Mr. Thomas stated it was the full 76 miles of the line to Opa-laka. Mr. Hillery asked about power outages and safety. Mr. Thomas discussed the safety issues in the event of a power failure and stated that these concerns have been addressed. Motion Mr. Currier moved to approve the Request for Major Site Plan Modification approval for an 18,812 square foot expansion of an existing rail station in a PID zoning district on a 2.28-acre parcel, subject to all staff comments. Motion seconded by Ms. Otis and unanimously carried. 8. Other - None 9. Comments by Members Mr. Ensler asked if the entire Congress Avenue Corridor Study was submitted to DCA. Ms. Galav responded that staff's report for the Land Use Amendment and Rezoning did, but the study was not accepted by the Commission and therefore did not go to DCA. It was also noted that staff's recommendations for denial were submitted to DCA, along with the applicant's justification for the project and the minutes of the meeting. 10. Adjournment There being no further business, the meeting properly adjourned at 10:30 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Barbara M. Madden Recording Secretary (three tapes) (July 25, 2002) 21