REVIEW COMMENTS
DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT
PLANNING & ZONING DIVISION
MEMORANDUM NO. PZ 02-266
TO: Chairman and Members
Planning and evelopment Board
I .
FROM: Dick Huds., , Senior Planner
<7
N\.:.,... [0:....-
THROUGH: Michael W. Rumpf I
Director of Planning and Zoning
DATE: November 18, 2002
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
Project: Seacrest Scrub Land Use Amendment/Rezoning
Agent: City-initiated
Owner: Palm Beach County
Location: South Sea crest Boulevard approximately V4 mile north of the
intersection of Gulfstream Boulevard
File No: Land Use Amendment/Rezoning (LUAR 02-012)
Property Description: Vacant property consisting of :t53.69 acres, classified Recreational
(R) and zoned REC Recreation
Proposed change/use: To reclassify the subject property from Recreational (R) to
Conservation (CON), and rezone from Recreation (REC) to
Environmentally Sensitive Land (ESL).
Adjacent Land Uses and Zoning:
North: (Northwest) Developed single-family homes designated Low Density Residential
(LDR) with a maximum density of 4.84 du/ac and zoned R1AA (single-family
residential at a density of 5.40 du/ac. (Northeast) Developed residential uses
designated Medium Density Residential (MeDR) with a maximum density of 9.68
du/ac. and zoned R-2 (Duplex residential) with a maximum density of 9.68 du/ac.
South: Single family homes developed with land use and zoning similar to that lying north
of the property. (Northwest) Developed single-family residential designated Low
Density Residential (LDR) with a maximum density of 4.84 du/ac and zoned R1AA
(single-family residential at a density of 5.40 du/ac. (Northeast) Developed
residential designated Medium Density Residential (MeDR) with a maximum density
Page 2
File Number: lUAR 02-012
Seacrest Scru b
East:
of 9.68 dujac. and zoned R-2 (Duplex residential) with a maximum density of 9.68
dujac.
Rights-of-way of the Florida East Coast Railroad and Old Dixie Highway, then
commercial development--those properties lying within the City of Boynton Beach
are designated General Commercial (GC) and zoned C-4 General Commercial; those
properties lying within the unincorporated area of Palm Beach County have the
county equivalent land use and zoning.
West:
Right-of-way of Seacrest Boulevard, then developed single-family homes (Chapel
Hill) designated low Density Residential (lDR 4.84 dujac) and zoned R-1-AAB
Single Family Development.
PROPOSED USE OF THE PROPERTY
The property will remain a permanently preserved native Florida ecosystem, available to the
public for passive, natural resource-based outdoor recreation and education. A management
plan for the property is in place and the County has developed a parking and interpretive area
on the site, which facilitates public access and enjoyment of the natural area.
INTRODUCTION
In 1993, the City of Boynton Beach and Palm Beach County entered into an interlocal
agreement for the acquisition and management of the Seacrest Scrub Ecosite. Under terms of
that agreement, the City was required to amend the land use and zoning to designate the
property for use as a "CONSERVATION" area. At that time the City's Comprehensive Plan had a
"CONSERVATION OVERLAY", which was placed over the future land use designation of all Type
"A" and Type "B" ecosites; it did not have a specific "CONSERVATION" land use or a
corresponding zoning category. The City's "RECREATIONAL" land use classification and
"RECREATION" zoning designation were considered by the City as appropriate to this end since
the definition of the "RECREATION" zoning designation as specified in Chapter 2, Zoning,
Section 5.I.(1).(d). provides for "Preservation or conservation uses intended to maintain the
general openness or vegetation of the land for environmental, educational, archaeological or
open space reasons." The land use amendment to RECREATIONAL for this property was a part
of the EAR-based Comprehensive Plan amendments in 2000. The rezoning to "Recreation" took
place in April 2001.
At the request of the Palm Beach County Department of Environmental Resources Management
(DERM), the City is adding a "CONSERVATION" land use to the Comprehensive Plan and a
corresponding Environmentally Sensitive land (ESl) zoning district in order to complete the
process, as required by the interlocal agreement.
PROJECT ANALYSIS
The parcels, which are the subject of this land use amendment, total :t53.69 acres. Because of
the size of the property under consideration, the Florida Department of Community Affairs
classifies this amendment as a "large scale" amendment. . Following local board review and
City Commission public hearing, a "large-scale" amendment is transmitted to the Florida
Department of Community Affairs for review for compliance with the state, regional and local
comprehensive plans prior to adoption. Following the review period of approximately 60 days,
Page 3
File Number: LUAR 02-012
Seacrest Scrub
DCA provides the City with a report of their findings in an "Objections, Recommendations and
Comments (ORC) Report". The City then has 60 days to either (1) adopt the amendment as
transmitted, (2) adopt the amendment with changes in response to the ORC report, or (3)
determine not to adopt the amendment and inform DCA of that decision. According to Florida
Statutes Chapter 163, large-scale amendments may only be adopted during two amendment
cycles each calendar year. This amendment request is a part of the first round of amendments.
for the 2003 calendar year.
The criteria used to review Comprehensive Plan amendments and rezonings are listed in The
Land Development Regulations, Chapter 2, Section 9, Administration and Enforcement, Item C.
Comprehensive Plan Amendments: Rezonings. These criteria are required to be part of a staff
analysis when the proposed change includes an amendment to the Comprehensive Plan Future
Land Use Map.
Staff has analyzed the amendment and rezoning utilizing the requisite criteria and finds both to
be supported by this analysis.
The proposed amendment is a requirement of the 1995 interlocal agreement for the acquisition
and management of the scrub between the City of Boynton Beach and Palm Beach County.
Concurrent with this Future Land Use Map amendment, the City is amending the text of the
Comprehensive Plan Future Land Use Element to add a "Conservation (CON)" land use
classification. That language reads as follows:
Conservation: The City shall apply a Conservation (CON) land use category to any
natural areas acquired within the City for the purpose of conserving or protecting natural
resources or environmental quality. These areas may be used for wildlife management,
passive recreation and environmental restoration/protection. These natural areas may
include site improvements to support uses that are deemed appropriate and consistent
with the function of the designated area. The City shall coordinate with Palm Beach
County to designate environmentally sensitive lands that are publicly acquired within the
incorporated area as Conservation.
The City is also adding a zoning category, Environmentally Sensitive Land (ESL), to the zoning
code, and will apply that zoning to the property.
CONCLUSIONS/RECOMMENDATIONS
As indicated herein, this request is consistent with the intent of the Comprehensive Plan; will
not create additional impacts on infrastructure that have not been anticipated in the
Comprehensive Plan; will be compatible with adjacent land uses and will contribute to the
overall economic development of the City. Therefore, staff recommends that the subject
request be approved. If the Planning and Development Board or the City Commission
recommends conditions, they will be included within Exhibit "B" and incorporated into the
ordinances accordingly.
ATTACHMENTS
J:\SH IWATA \Planning\SHARED\ WP\PROJECTS\SCRUB\SEACREST\lUAR\ST AFF REPORT LUAR.doc
Location Map
SEACREST SCRUB
i==:~ ':=
',-----.:1
I~
7
-~_._~
, . " ,
-------------,,!-----'If----i-----,
~-
,i~!~!~
-
T
if
'I: :r-~,
'!L,' ,iLJ L..-..:
;i---,f---'if.-J~I
~t-- ,-..---',~ ~I"
'ib c-1HIH' w'l'
l'--L..-....1\ i ':
111 I I; I '.
ir--<-----<'
I ~j
'R3
,H3
f ,-
,- ,,'---.-.-'
~!~
~----...-...,--:;------.:~;
---'..- ~-.-----
--
,
.. ,----r-
~"i:
Iii
,I, .-
'III' I;!'I~,;:'I ~! .
------. '---------;1'-----, ' 'L' I ,!----r- ,'/:,,! ,I : I "I, ;
~ ~ :1' I~, ~:!--..-J /,'-;(/.~O-...._+^~!LJ ':
1 - 'II~I: : il~'li 'i::~~! r-----!:
-===-:-'~-----:,!--, ,:~_-';~'ii '/,---;----:,~ I i ;j:'
, ___ ':C =:c:;, , "~!: SIE 31 ST' A;lfe;
I 111\
----.'-11
i- :r
1:'-""
'L,~i:
~'~':
,'ii
"
,::~:l~'
!1:i~li
), II
i iiW-J!!
f.AI~c:IOt\I'l_Ili'
,
I!
,
I:
I Ii
NIC
I
II",I~ "I I
"ifi'l' ~'I,c=1
'I~' "
c- I- 1-1,'---;
.1, _', ~'I----'"
I-I,~I,- 'i~
~~i~';I-,,'I';-----:
-------,:I~I,rT;i~
c:::;[h LL!!,~
,'I~rliic
11'f----,-,~I~
l.--"",L.i...--II~'''------.J
I ~ \ I
I I ,
I
City Boundary,'
,
r-l ~I
~"~:. :!,
~tAA
II
,I
i,!,
-c
k
~.
-
,
I
I
,I
~E
.
s