AGENDA DOCUMENTS
PLANNING AND ZONING DEPARTMENT
MEMORANDUM #97-085
Staff Report
Board of Zoning Appeals
Meeting
Date:
March 17, 1997
Petition:
Case No. 231
File No:
BZA V 97-003
Location:
Lot 1 in Quantum Corporate Park, north of N.W. 22nd Avenue,
approximately 1000 feet east of Congress Avenue.
Owner:
Boynton Beach Hospitality, Inc., (contract purchaser)
Project
Name:
Hampton Inn
Variance
Request:
Variance to Section 7.H.4 of Chapter 2 of the City's Land Development
Regulations to allow an increase in density from the allowable twenty (20)
units per acre to thirty (30) units per acre.
BACKGROUND
The subject property, Lot 1 in Quantum Corporate Park, is located north of N.W. 22nd
Avenue and immediately west of the Lake Worth Drainage District (LWDD) E-4 Canal,
approximately 1000 feet east of Congress Avenue, see Exhibit A - Location Map.
According to the recorded plat, Lot 1 - the subject of this variance request, contains two
drainage tracts that have separate lot designations that are referred to as Lot 1-A. The
eastern drainage tract is an 87.5 feet wide canal easement. The western tract is a wet
drainage retention area (lake), see Exhibit B - Survey. The tax map however conflicts
with the recorded plat of record since only a portion of the eastern tract is tied to the
subject property (Lot 1).
Boynton Beach Hospitality, Inc., the contract purchaser of the property, has a contract
to buy, and intends to develop Lot 1 only, to construct a 107 room Hampton Inn, see
Exhibit C - Site Plan. Lot 1-A will be separated from Lot 1 and recorded as a separate
tract of land and taxed separately as the owners of each will be different.
Lot 1 contains 3.58 acres. Construction of a 107 room hotel on Lot 1 would bring the
hotel density to 29.9 units/acre. The maximum hotel density allowed in the PID zoning
district is 20 units/acre.
The following is a description of the zoning districts and land uses of the properties that
surround the subject property:
North -
Undeveloped Lot 2 in Quantum Corporate Park, zoned PID
East -
LWDD E-4 Canal and farther is undeveloped Lot 21 in Quantum
Corporate Park, zoned PID
West -
Shoppes of Boynton shopping center, zoned Community
Commercial (C-3)
South -
Right-ot-way ot 22nd Avenue and farther south is the Motorola PID.
I
Page 2
Memorandum No. 97-085
Hampton Inn
Case No. 231
Staff Report - Board of Zoning Appeals
ANAL YSIS
The City of Boynton Beach Land Development Regulations, Chapter 2 - Zoning sets out
the following requirements for hotel density within properties zoned PID:
Hotel and motel density. Permitted density for hotel and motel development shall
not exceed twenty (20) units per acre.
Since by the tax map, a portion of Lot 1-A (a .70 acre drainage tract) is part of Lot 1, it is
understood that the combined acreage of both lots (4.28 acres), can be used for density
calculations. In that case, the hotel density, with an assumed construction of 107 room
hotel, would be 25 units per acre, which is still above the maximum level of 20 units per
acre, but less than the 30 units per acre requested. Since the applicant is intending to
separate all drainage tracts from Lot 1 and develop the hotel on this lot only, the actual
acreage of Lot 1 of 3.58 acres must be used for density calculations, thus increasing the
hotel density to 29.88 units per acre, requiring a zoning variance (see Exhibit D -
Application).
Among the justifications outlined in the petitioner's statement of special conditions (see
Exhibit "E"), the applicant discusses net density and gross density calculations. For
clarification, gross density includes land areas (acreage) that are dedicated for such things
as roads, recreation parcels and open space/preservation parcels. Therefore, when
computing the calculation, a lower density is yielded because the number of units per acre
is mathematically spread over a larger land area. Conversely, net density does not allow
inclusion of land area that is not occupied by buildings, driveways, parking and setbacks.
To allow only lot 1 to be credited with all or any of the drainage tracts would preclude other
vacant lots later on, that also depend on these drainage tracts for drainage, from doing the
same thing.
Regarding the Quantum Park master plan, the plan proposes more than one hotel site
within the park. As an industrial park, it was realized that hotels, not motels, including a
full range of up-scale services would be necessary for Quantum Park as an employment
center. The proposed inn, by zoning code definition, is a hotel and not a motel because
although it does not have services other than sleeping rooms, the sleeping rooms do not
have separate outside entrances. Also, the floor area that is proposed for extra units
would, in a typical hotel, be allocated to other services (restaurants, meeting rooms, etc.).
Lastly, it should be pointed out that the market that the proposed inn will tap is different
than the market demand that other hotel sites in the park will fill. Therefore, it is not
anticipated that the proposed increase in units will compete with attracting another hotel
to the park.
As a point of information, the applicant is proceeding concurrently with the request for site
plan approval to allow construction of a 107 room hotel on Lot 1 and is scheduled to
appear before the City Commission on April 15, 1997.
xc: Central File
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George F. White
A.I.A., and Associates Inc.
STATEMENT OF REASONS JUSTIFYING REQUESTED VARIANCE:
A. Lot is zoned for a density of 20 rooms per acre. Hotel
requires density to be revised to thirty (30) per acre for
a total of 107 guest rooms.
B. Special conditions and circumstances are not a result of
actions of the applicant.
c. Granting this variance will not confer any special privilege
on the applicant that is denied to other lands, buildings,
or structures in the same zoned district.
D. Literal interpretation of this zoned district would prohibit
a reasonable density for a hotel and would work unnecessary
and undue hardship on the applicant.
E. The variance requested is the minimum variance that will make
the use of the land reasonable for the hotel.
F. The variance is in harmony with the intent and purpose and
will not be injurious or detrimental to the public.
File:96271.124
5455 North Federal Highway Boca Raton, Florida 33487 (561) 997 6698
,4
SUPPLEMENT TO JUSTIFICATION FOR
HAMPTON INN DENSITY VARIANCE
Explanatory Note. The following additional information is provided in support of the
request for a density variance on the Hampton Inn, Lot 1, Quantum Park. The application was
filed January 29, 1997, by George F. White, A.I.A & Associates.
A general description of the proposed development is set forth. Following that general
description, the six factors for consideration are set forth in italic type, with the analysis of each
factor following it.
General Description. Proposed is a 107 unit Hampton Inn hotel on Lot 1 at the western
end of Quantum Park, PID, along Gateway Boulevard. Lot 1 is 3.58 acres. The hotel will
consist of a four story, forty-five foot tall hotel building. Access is from Gateway Boulevard.
The property is bordered on the south by Gateway Boulevard, on the east by the Lake Worth
Drainage District ("LWDDII) E-4 Canal, on the north by Lot 2 of Quantum Park, and on the west
by a water management tract platted as Lot 1 A of Quantum Park. A copy of the subject
portion of the Quantum Park Master Site Development Plan ("Master Planll) is found as
Attachment A.
All the property development regulations are met on lot 1. Parking, landscaping,
setbacks, and other property development regulations are met on Lot 1. Only water management
is provided separate from the Lot, and that is adjacent to the Lot.
The hotel is not a full-service hotel; it is a limited-service hotel. It does not include an
attached restaurant, only Continental breakfast will be served. It does not include a lounge or
any entertainment facilities. Finally, it does not include large meeting rooms to accommodate
seminars, meetings, and the like.
It is designed to cater to the business functions of Quantum Park and Motorola. It will
accommodate the business traveler working with the businesses in and around Quantum Park.
As such, it provides a necessary service to the industrial park users.
1
I~
Factors to be Considered.
Generally.
There are two important facts which should be considered. These two facts relate to
most of the six criteria. First, the layout of Quantum Park on the western end along Gateway
provides a sense of openness. To the east is the lSD-pius foot wide LWOO E-3 Canal. To the
west is a 4.43 acre lake/water management area. The canal has more than 180 feet of
frontage along Gateway, and the water management tract to the west has 273 feet of frontage.
These will remain as open space in perpetuity. The Hampton Inn property itself has 450 feet
of frontage. Thus, the with the canal and water management tract constituting approximately
450 feet of frontage in open space, and the Hampton in with approximately 450 feet of
frontage, the sense of openness exists. Of the 900 feet of frontage from the E-3 canal west,
one-half of it will be open space.
The second important fact is the nature of the Hampton Inn hotel. A typical hotel
includes large meeting rooms and often has facilities to accommodate seminars and large groups
for meetings. They include lounges and often entertainment. They sometimes include
accommodations that border on convention facilities. These more intensive facilities require more
land than what is proposed for the Hampton Inn. The LOR's are written taking into account the
typical hotel, not the smaller-scale operation of the Hampton Inn.
The Hampton Inn proposed for Lot 1 is a limited-service hotel. It does not have large
meeting rooms. It does not have a lounge. As such, it does not require as much land as a full-
service hotel. Thus, the density calculations of the LOR's don't quite fit the Hampton Inn
situation - they are unduly restrictive.
The Six Criteria.
a. That special conditions and circumstances exist which are peculiar to the land, strocture,
or building involved and which are not applicable to other lands, stroctures,or buildings
in the same zoning district.
The calculation of density is done on a net basis. The water management tract to the
west and E-3 Canal to the east have not been included in the City's calculation. If the water
management tract alone were included, the density could be much higher than what is proposed.
This layout of the western end of Quantum Park is a special circumstance because one doesn't
typically find a site between an extremely wide canal and a water management tract.
2
'1
In addition to the layout, the drainage for the Hampton Inn lot will be provided by the
water management tract to the west. Off-site drainage is another special circumstance that is
not typical. Usually drainage would be provided on site, and hence the land area necessary for
water quality and storage would be included in the calculation of density.
The third special circumstance involves the nature of the Hampton Inn. Being a limited-
service hotel, it does not fit within the typical category addressed in the density provision of the
LOR's.
b. That the special conditions and circumstances do not result from the actions of the
applicant.
The LOR's necessarily deal in broad categories and cannot take into account the details
of particular uses. The layout of the area and the application of the LOR's to these special
conditions and circumstances do not result from the actions of the applicant.
c. That granting the variance requested will not confer on the applicant any special privilege
that is denied by this ordinance to other lands, bUIldings, or structures in the same zoning
district.
Typically water management is provided on the same parcel as the principal use. In the
Quantum Park PIO, Lot 1 is separated in ownership from the area providing water management.
No special privilege will result from the variance because sense of openness is ensured by the
water management tract and canal. The feel of the property will not be any more intense or
dense than that of other properties in the zoning district.
d. That literal interpretation of the provisions of this ordinance would deprive the applicant
of rights commonly enjoyed by other properties in the same zoning district under the terms of
the ordinance and would work unnecessary and undue hardship on the applicant.
A literal interpretation of the LOR's will result in a substantial diminution in the use of
the western end of Quantum Park. With the nature of the Hampton Inn being a limited service
hotel and the openness of the area including and west of the E-3 Canal, not granting the
variance will result in the site being under-utilized. Not only would this be a hardship on the
applicant, but it would be a hardship on the business-users of Quantum Park. The business
tenants of Quantum Park are going need sufficient units to meet the long-term needs of their
business travelers.
3
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e. That the variance granted is the minimum variance that will make possible the reasonable
use of the land, building, or structure.
The proposed Hampton Inn has 107 units. Lot 1 is 3.58 acres. Lot lA lying south of
the western prolongation of the north boundary of Lot 1 is 2.1 acres. Together, these amount
to 5.68 acres. At 20 units per acre the allowable number of units considering only this portion
of Lot 1 A together with Lot 1 is 113. Thus, the sense of openness protected by density
limitations is protected because only a portion of the area that provides that sense of openness
needs to be considered in a mathematic approach to the variance.
Also, the nature of the hotel requires at least 107 units. Because Hampton Inn is a
limited-service hotel, it must be of sufficient size to take advantage of economies of scale. An
hotel with fewer rooms will not result in a cost effective operation. Simply put, a smaller hotel
in this setting is not cost effective.
f. That the grant of the variance will be in hannony with the general intent and purpose
of this chapter and that such variance will not be injurious to the area involved or otherwise
detrimental to the public welfare.
There is no impact to the area as a result of the increase in the number of units. The
property development regulations are met on site, with the exception of water management. The
facility is not "too big" for the property. The hotel sits on a water management tract to the
west that provides a sense of openness. To the east the E-3 Canal also provides a sense of
openness. The building does not exceed the height limitation of forty-five feet or the limitation
on the number of stories - four.
The size and use of the facility are in harmony with the area, and will provide a needed
service to the industrial park users. The need for the variance is simply a result of the layout
of Quantum Park west of the E-3 Canal and the nature of the hotel being limited-service.
~ect~ully s~bmitted, /" ;/ .A-
\/~ a/~t+-.IJ ,-
Richard W. Carlson, Jr., Esq.
4
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