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REVIEW COMMENTS PLV~ MEMORANDUM January 13, 1987 TO: Chairman and Members Downtown Review Board FROM: James J. Golden Assistant City Planner RE: Water's Edge Marina - Parking Lot Variance Section 5-144(c)(4) of the Code of Ordinances requires that when a variance to Section 5, Article X, Parking Lots is requested, the Technical Review Board must forward to the Downtown Review Board a recommendation, and that the recommendation forwarded is to be made part of the public hearing proceedings. To that end, this memo is forwarded, consistent with Section 5-144(c)(4). Craig Livingston, agent for J & J Ventures of Florida, has requested two such variances: (1) A variance to Section 5-141(m) "Fire Lanes", of the Parking Lot Regulations which requires that all shopping centers, retail-office complexes, and retail establishments for which the gross floor area is fifteen thousand (15,000) square feet or greater shall have fire lanes along the front of all buildings which shall allow efficient access to the fronts of all buildings by fire protection vehicles. In this instance, the applicant is requesting relief from the requirement for fire lanes along the fronts of the buildings on the north side of Casa Lorna Boulevard and the retail building that fronts on Ocean Avenue; (2) A variance to Section 5-141(H)(2) "Maneuvering and Access Areas", which requires that maneuvering and access areas shall be of sufficient size to permit vehicles to enter and exit the parking lot in a safe and efficient manner. More specifically, the design standards within the Parking Lot Regulations require that a 27 foot wide access aisle be provided adjacent to a row of parking stalls set at a 90 degree angle. The Water's Edge Marina is proposed to be located on the Intracoastal Waterway between Ocean Avenue and East Boynton Beach Boulevard extended. For an explanation of the code requirement, the nature of the variance requested, and the variance justification, please refer to the attached Notice of Public Hearing and application. 1 On Tuesday, January 6, 1987 the Technical Review Board (TRB) met to review the plans and documents submitted, and to formulate a recommendation with regard to the variances requested. After review and discussion, the TRB recommended that both variances be approved in part and denied in part. With respect to the recommendation for approval of a variance to Section 5-141(M}, the TRB made findings that requiring the applicant to construct a fire lane along the front of all the buildings would impose an unreasonable hardship owing to the overall configuration of the parcel, particularly the narrowness of the area between the right-of-way for Cas a Loma Boulevard and the seawall on the south side of the inlet. Therefore, the TRB recommended approval of this variance request subject to the condition that fire sprinklers and standpipes be provided for all buildings that are inaccessible to fire apparatus. With respect to recommending approval for a variance to Section 5-141(H)(2), the TRB made findings that requiring the applicant to provide the required 27 foot wide access aisle would also impose an unreasonable hardship for the reason previously stated; that the overall configuration of the parcel, particularly the narrowness of the area between the right-of-way for Casa Lorna Boulevard and the inlet, poses a severe constraint on the developability of this area with respect to the requirements of the City's Parking Lot Regulations. Therefore, the TRB recommended approval of this variance request subject to the following conditions: 1. That the T-turnaround be eliminated in favor of a cul-de-sac with a minimum diameter of 73 feet, extending from the southern right-of-way line for Cas a Loma Boulevard north to the boardwalk in front of the restaurant. This will require elimination of at least four parking spaces and the westward relocation of the restaurant stairway. It was the consensus of the TRB that providing a cul-de-sac as opposed to a T-turnaound would serve as a much more effective mechanism in maintaining traffic flow and mitigating congestion on Casa Lorna Boulevard, particularly at times of peak hour use. 2. That a detail be included in the plans submitted for sign-off showing the integration of the cul-de-sac and the Casa Loma Overlook park to meet the approval of the Recreation Department and the City Engineer. ~ b. .wL ES ~. GOLDEN flat cc: Ci ty Manager . Technical Review Board Central File 2