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HomeMy WebLinkAbout12.02.65Zoning and Planning Commission Minutes of Regular Meeting, Thursday December 2, 1965 - 8:00 P.M. City Commission Room, City Hall Present: Members: Clifford W. McRibbin, Jr.- Chairman Donald Bishop, Jr. William Bush Arthur Harris Robert E. Karns City Manager W. E. Knowles Absent: Members: S. ,Joe Davis A. W. Lee, Jr. Dr. Brooke Smith Mason H. Wharton Building Official Lin Risner The Chairman called the meetint to order. The minutes of October 21, 1465, were read regarding the action of the public hearing held on that date on a rezoning request from that of R -1, residential to that of C -1, neighbor- hood commercial of the property situated on the southwest corner of West 25th Street and Poinsetta Avenue; legal being Lots 16 and 17, Block 3, Palm Terrace, in an estate of Walter Fallen, deceased and with Attorney C. Vernon Mize representing the property. The Chairman then announced that the Board was called into session on the request of the City Commission in order to review their prior recommendation of denial on the rezoning to commercial whereby at their public hearing, the City Commission had received a letter from the County Commission, the County being an abutting property stating that they had no objection to the re- zoning of the property in question. A lengthy discussion followed with Mr. Bush making the following observation. The County Commission refuses to have any concern with the City's internal affairs as far as it concerns zoning. That is the sole intent of this letter and no more. When they say they have no objection, they certainly by no stretch of the imagination mean that they are for it. All they mean is Z & P minutes 12/2/65 2 LY I: m La n* ,:} n 0 KE r tv ua J that they, - as a matter of policy that they have a keep hands off attitude. There is danger that the City Commission and the applicants may have attached undue weight to this letter. The modern planners the seven- county area and the Orange- Seminole urban area and the local City of Sanford and the County of Seminole very unanimously agree that it is a fallacy to say that a road improvement changes the land use along the side of that road because a read improvement is made to move traffic. It does not automatically follow that, that road should also be made commercial, or strip zoning as they call it. This has been drilled into our County Board here for at least 7, 8 or 9 years. The City Zoning Board was over -ruled on West First Street and on French Avenue, which is the most recent tragedy. I will never be convinced personally that the hamburger stand adds any value to the entrance of the Dreamwold Section, one of the latest and greatest tragedies to occur to the City of Sanford. I believe that these people living in Dreamwold, 25th Street, and Mellonville have the right to preservation of some of the values that they have invested. Because 25th Street is widened, it does not change the character of the traffic any. The traffic on it. is going the same place that it went before. It is ,just going there more safely. Because the County does not object to a piece of property being changed to make it contiguous to another piece of the same zoning classification doesn't mean a thing because, if our Board changes this piece, then the next real estate agent will come up tomorrow to change the next piece because it is contiguous and the first thing you know every- thing will be contiguous strip zoning until it goes through all the way to Mellonville Avenue and turns left and moves its way all the way to the lakefront. I don't think it has ever been the policy of this Board to change zoning for investment perspective /speculative reasons. We have operated this Board on the basis of what is in the best interest for the citizens of the City of Sanford. With all due respect to the Commissioners, I think it was courteous of them to return the matter to us in view of the Countyls letter. However, I make a motion that the application in this matter again be denied on the basis that I cannot see that this significantly changes the prior study. Thereupon, the members concurred wholeheartedly on the observation and motion to again deny the request with Mr. Bishop Z & P minutes 12/2/65 3 seconding the motion . Motion to deny being carried unanimously. A further discussion was then centered around the fact that the City's Zoning Ordinance and land use map was adopted in 196.1, and a competent professional planning engineer should be employed, even if only on a prrt -time basis, to bring the data and the land use map up -to -date. This too could possibly eliminate and bear out some Qf the recent controversial re- zoning problems. It was moved by Mr. Harris, seconded by Mr. Bush and carried that a recommendation.be submitted to the City Commission, as outlined above and that monies be made available for such an evaluation and to further implement the plan. Next under consideration was a request for a feasibility study for setting a public hearing to rezoning the North 50.2' of Lot 10, Block 7, Tier 6, from R -3 multiple family to commercial. Location being the east side of Elm Avenue between 5th and 6th Streets; a present non- conforming grocery known as the West Side Grocery, owned and operated by Joseph C. and Pauline Owens. A report showed that the Owens had an offer of sale to . Clay Williams, and if rezoning could be accomplished he would operate a billiard, pool room, hall in the rear of the structure with a concession in the front with the selling of soft drinks and sandwiches. After a lengthy discussion, Mr. Harris moved to deny the request to set a Public Hearing on the basis that, it would constitute "spot zoning ", the neighborhood was predominately residential, an elementary school located with a half of a block from the site whereby a pool room could be a detriment if beer were to be sold, and the fact it would be a noise factor in a residential neighborhood with regards to its keeping late hours. Motion seconded by Mr. Karns to deny. Motion was carried unanimously. There being no further business, the meeting adjourned. Chairman Secretary