Placement: Public Hearing - Quasi Judicial
Action Requested: Motion / Vote
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P22-006 Wawa - Special Exception Use
Location: Southwest corner of SW Port St. Lucie Boulevard and SW Becker Road
Legal Description: Port St. Lucie Section 33, Tract L, Less S 262.18 ft
This is a request for a Special Exception Use (SEU) to allow a convenience store and gas station to be located in a General Commercial (CG) zoning district and to allow a gas station to be located in the Activity Center Subdistrict of the Becker Road Overlay District.
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Submitted By: Holly Price, AICP, Senior Planner, Planning and Zoning Department
Executive Summary: The applicant is requesting approval for a Special Exception Use (SEU) to allow a convenience store with a fuel service station to be located in a CG (General Commercial) zoning district pursuant to Section 158.124(C)(11) of the Zoning Code and to allow a fuel service station to be located in the Activity Center Subdistrict pursuant to Section 2.3.3.1.a of the Becker Road Overlay District Design Standards. The proposed project consists of a 6,119 S.F. convenience store with a 688 S.F. exterior dining area and a gas station with 8 fuel pumps for 16 fuel stations.
Presentation Information: PowerPoint Presentation, 15 minutes by Holly Price of the Planning and Zoning Department and Diana Spriggs of the Public Works Department.
Staff Recommendation: Move that the Board approve with the following conditions:
1) Becker Road Mid-block Driveway Access: Staff finds the requirements of Zoning Code Section 158.224, Driveway Spacing from Intersections, to ensure public safety and high-quality public infrastructure have not been met and staff finds that there are viable alternatives that would not create a potentially hazardous driveway configuration at this location. The proposed mid-block access driveway located on Becker Road shall be removed or relocated from Becker Road. The Conceptual Site Plan shall be updated prior to SEU approval by the City Council.
2) Yacolt Drive Side Street Access: If side street access to the subject site from Yacolt Drive is provided, a right-turn lane from Becker Road to Yacolt Drive shall be provided and Yacolt Drive shall be closed to thru-traffic. These improvements shall be located in the area to the west of the subject site. Such changes shall be reflected on the Conceptual Site Plan prior to SEU approval by the City Council.
3) Buffering on South Perimeter Lot: The Conceptual Site Plan and/or Landscape Plan shall be modified prior to SEU approval by the City Council to indicate either a 6-foot-high opaque fence in the landscape buffer or a hedge in the landscape buffer that is at least 4 feet in height at time of planting to be maintained at a height of 6 feet.
4) Buffering on West Perimeter Lot: Buffering between the Wawa site and the residential houses in the conversion area along Yacolt Drive shall be provided by one of the following:
1) The west side of the site or Phase 2 shall not be cleared until development for Phase 2 is approved. Provided there is enough native vegetation to maintain a visual buffer, the native vegetation may be used for the perimeter area buffer until Phase 2 is developed. 2) If the whole site, inclusive of Phases 1 and 2, is cleared prior to approval of Phase 2 or if there is not enough native vegetation to create a visual buffer, a perimeter buffer along Yacolt Drive with a fence shall be provided as indicated in Landscape Code Section 154.03.C.5.d. The buffer for the west perimeter shall be reviewed at the time of Site Plan Review for the Wawa site, Phase 1.
Alternate Recommendations:
1. Move that the Board amend the recommendation and approve with similar conditions.
2. Move that the Board not approve and provide staff direction.
Background: On September 14, 2022, the Site Plan Review Committee (SPRC) recommended approval with all comments addressed. Some of the comments from Public Works have not been addressed. The applicant requested to proceed with this application and not address the following comments from the SPRC.
1. Public Works does not support the placement of the mid-block driveway located in the Becker Road right-turn lane. [Remove or relocate the mid-block driveway so that it is not in the functional area of the Port St. Lucie Blvd. & Becker Rd. intersection.]
2. Public Works does not support the spacing distance of the mid-block driveway from Yacolt Drive. [The spacing does not meet the minimum 250-foot distance. The proposed spacing is 243.27 feet.]
3. Public Works requested a right-turn lane from Becker Road onto Yacolt Drive. [This street is located on west side of the subject parcel. This right-turn lane correlates with having side street access.]
P22-198 Wawa Variance: On August 2, 2022, the Planning and Zoning Board voted unanimously to grant a variance to allow a proposed mid-block driveway to be located in the right-turn lane on Becker Road.
Issues/Analysis: See staff report.
Special Consideration: N/A
Location of Project: Southwest corner of SW Port St. Lucie Boulevard and SW Becker Road.
Attachments:
1. Staff Report
2. Exhibit A-Conceptual Site Plan
3. Applicant’s SEU Questionnaire
4. Preliminary Landscape Plan
5. Conceptual Elevations and Floor Plan
6. Traffic Auto-turn Analysis
7. Public Works Traffic Memo
8. Application and Deed
9. Staff Presentation