04/22/1981
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FINDINGS OP'FACT
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Thi. case i8 her.e presented f~~ decision fOllowing
a public hearing of January 15, 1981, leading, to the denial
of the Petition6r's request for special exception as set forth
in the Issue statement of this order. The tape transcr.ipt
to that meeting may be found as City's Exhibit NO.4, admitted
into evidence. The denial of the special exception was by
decision of the Board of Adjustment and Appeal on Zoning,
City of Clearwater, Florida. On March 25, 19B1, a hearing
was conducted before the Division of Administrative Hearings
to consider the subject of this special exception and this
order results from that hearing.
On December 22, 1980, the Petitioner applied for a
special exception to zoninq for purposes of constructing the
aforamentioneu warehouse at 1169 Gould Street, Clearwater,
Florida, which is at Lot 5, RH Padgetts Subdivision, Section
lS, Township 295, Range 15E. The present zoning for the area
in question is CG--Business Purposes, as Iound in Sections
131.l40 through 131.146, city of Clearwater Building and
Zoning Regulations. The details of that application may be
found in the City's Composite Exhibit No.3, admitted into
evidence, which is a copy of the application and other materials
related to the application.
A sketch of the lot and proposed building structure
may be found as city Exhihit No.2, admitted i.nto evidence.
Some of the prominent features of that plan depict the lot
as being 50 feet wide and lSO feet long with the warehouse
being 30 feet wide by 120 feet long. The front of the ware-
house is 20 feet from the gtreet, the side yard setbacks are
shown as 10 feet and the distance to the rear of the lot froM
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t..~: ".;" -:,' . ..:' t:he ; back edge of the proposed warehouse is shown to be 8 feet.
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it~Jj)~;,,:!i'.'J': '."The' Petitioner proposes to erect a corru'gated metal buildinq
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.i!:":{{~~:~'~~~"'r' :'to serve "the warehouse 'function. There are no :olans to con-
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", "'J..:~~1'f:f::B~~C~'''p'''ri'V~CY b~rriers on the si,c1e vards.
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West of the property in question may be found a
.ingle tamily dwelling, ea.t of the property iu a vacant lot,
and there is another vacant lot acro.. the Btreet. There is
very little vegetation on the lot, to provide buffering. Gould
street, at this point, is 20 feet in width, which is very
narrow. The street right-of-way is 30 feet as opposed to
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the standard 60 foot right-of-way.
The area is described as a distressed area and the
construction of the warehouse would have little impact on
this area as it exists today, but it is intended that the
area become high density housing and professional us~ center.
in the future pursuant to the Land Use Plan for the city of
Clearwater. The warehouse is not compatible with those future
e plans.
(I)
The design as presented in its off-street parking
features is such that vehicles would be required to back into
the public street to obtain egress, a violation of Section
13l.218(1), city of Clenrwate~ Building and Zoning Regulations.
In addition, there is a problem with parking space No. 2 as
depicted, in that the door opens into that parking space and
is not in keeping with traffic engineering department standards
within the meaning of Section l3l.2l8(2), city of Clearwater
Building and Zoning Regulations. (The Petitioner has offered
to modify his site plans to comply with the off-street parking.)
An associated problem concerns the possibility of
loading and unloading of semi-tractor trailers, in that to
do so they would block travel on the street. Although the
?etitioner indicates that only light and medium duty trucks
will be utilized normally, he does concede the possibility of
the utilization of the semi-tractor trailer type of vehicle.
City's Exhibit No. I is a photoqraph of the lot and
,i '"";',:,:.:, ::>thit' Petd.tio~er.' ~ ,Exhibits Nos. 1 through 21, are photo~ra,,?hB
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CONCLUSIONS OF LAW
1. The Division of Admini.trative H8&rings. has
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jurisdiction over the subject matter and the parties to this
action in keeping with Section 120.65(6), Plorida Statutes,
and Section 35.10, Code of Ordinances of the City of Clearwater.
2. Section 131.016(g), City of Clearwater Building
and Zoning Regulations, sets forth certain considerations to
be examined in making a decision on ~roving a special excep-
tion request. Those provisions are:
(g) ~ame--Considerations. In determining
whether to approve any regulated special
exception, the board shall consider the
following, where applicable:
(1) Ingress and egress co property
and proposed structures thereon with
particular reference to automotive
and pedestrian safety and convenience,
traffic flow and control, and access
in case of fire or catastrophe;
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(2) Off-street parking and loading
areas where required, with particular
attention to the items in subsection
(l) above, and economic, noise, glare
or odor effects of the special excep-
tion on adjoining properties and prop-
erties generally in the district;
(3) Refuse and service areas, with
particular reference to the items in
subsections (1) and (2) above~
'(4) utilities with reference to loca-
tions, availability and compatibility:
(5) Screening and buffering with
reference to type, dimensions, and
character;
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(6) Signs, if any, and proposed exterior
lighting with reference to glare, traffic
safety, economic effect, and compatibility
and harmony with properties in the district;
(7) Required yards and other open space:
(B) Height~
(9) Landscaping;
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In granting any special oxception, the
board of adjustment may pre.cribe appro-
priate conditions and safeguards in con-
formity with this chapter. Violation of
such oonditions and ..feguard., when made
a part of the terms under which the special
exception is granted, shall be deemed to
be a violation of this ohapter and punilh-
able as provided by this chapter.
Under those items, the plan of the Petitioner nresents Droblem~
in ingress and egress to the propertYt p~obl~m8'a9Bociated with
the property related to automotive traffic flow and the safety
and convenience of automobile operators and pedestrians, and
potentially presents problems if a fire or other catastrophe
occurs.. The screening and buffering of the building in que~-
tion can not be achieved by natural barriers and there is no
statement in the plan to provide for such screening and
.~
~ buffering artificially.
t~hile the proposed use is reasonably compatible with
the surrounding area at present, it is not in keeping with the
Land Use Plan contemplated by the City which would upgrade
this area and utilize it for high density housing and profes-
sional of.fice complexes.
The project, as now proposed, presents problems in
off street parking related to egres~ according to Section
13l.2lB(1), city of Clearwater Building and Zoning Fegulations,
and related to traffic engineering department standards in
terms of the configuration of parking space No. 2 and its
proxir.1i ty to the building. See section 131. :n8 (2), City of
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Clearwater Building and Zoning Requlation. These problems are
magnified by the narrow nature of the street u~on which the
lot abuts.
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Finally, although Section 13l.142(4), City of Clear-
'. .' '.. water Building and Zoning Regulations, conteml?lates the
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".;f,:.;;:~;;,~;.:,~',,;::..;~:"pO~,si~il~tY .of 'Bu~h ~ warehouse facility as a special exception
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l,~. '", ';':. . ., ::. under:'the 'CG General Business Dist.rict Zoning, the facility
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(~.~~..;:::~~~~q',.'le.~'s ,tha.n.,S,OOO square feet of stor~ge area, this "
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r~t.'~'o'f;:Section" l31.016,.;and .ns stated . before, 'there ..are .
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