Commission Meeting Agenda Item

On Tuesday, March 22, 2022, applicant Martin L Dzuro with the Villages Operating Company, filed a Major Modification to Site Plan application for property located at 992 Del Mar Drive, within the town limits of the Town of Lady Lake, Florida.

The Van Patten House is a two-story, 53-foot building located within Lot K of the Spanish Springs Village Center Planned Commercial Master Plan. At this time the applicant has proposed to convert the internal second floor square footage to seven residential apartment units, as well as a 3,707-square-foot Future Office area. The civil plans indicate the proposal includes three 1-bedroom apartments and four 2-bedroom apartments.

The square footage of the apartments are as follows:

Unit A- 1,490 SF

Unit B- 1,768 SF

Unit C- 1,734 SF

Unit D- 1,662 SF

Unit E- 1,400 SF

Unit F- 1,655 SF

Unit G- 1,043 SF

The scope of work will also feature 3,707 square feet for a Future Office Area, 2,646 square feet dedicated to Corridors and Common Space, and 480 square feet for the existing ground floor lobby.

The engineer of record indicated that since the conversion is internal, there are no proposed exterior improvements to the building, nor alterations to sidewalks, driveways, parking areas, landscaping, drainage, stormwater, nor utilities facilities system changes. Drainage improvements and detention/retention ponds are all existing and remain in operation as originally approved. Environmental considerations are not applicable for the scope of work.

In review of the Civil Plans, the proposed seven apartment units derives 16 parking spaces, including one Florida ADA Accessible parking space. Additionally, the developer will be installing a bike rack providing eight spaces to be located along the east elevation of the building. The residents and the future office tenant will have access to two dumpster enclosures for garbage disposal and will be required to establish a loading zone for deliveries, moving trucks, and/or similar drop off services.

The property is zoned Planned Commercial (CP), and the future land use is Commercial General – Retail and Services (RET). The Van Patten House Building site lies in Section 06, Township 18 South, Range 24 East, in Lake County, Florida and is located south of Del Mar Drive and west of Alvarez Avenue within the Spanish Springs Town Center.   The Town’s Comprehensive Plan Policy 1-10.1 states, “Some residential land uses are allowed within the Commercial land use areas.” However, staff and the Town have historically classified multi-family dwelling units (apartments) as permitted commercial uses as assigned in the Land Development Regulations in the categories of Light Commercial, as well as Heavy Commercial, and the appropriate Future Land Use Designation for these categories is Commercial General. Commercial General is the Future Land Use Designation assigned to the Villages Downtown Center.  Planned Commercial is the zoning designation which is assigned to the subject property which has permitted uses under a Memorandum of Agreement executed on October 2, 1995, with a subsequent amendment executed on February 2, 1998. In accordance with the MOA executed on October 2, 1995, “Any commercial use …”, is a permitted use.  Thus, under staff’s interpretation, apartments are permitted on the subject property by way of consistency with the comprehensive plan, as well as the Land Development Regulations.

UTILITIES CONNECTION

The project will be serviced by the Villages Central Water and Central Sewer Facilities. There are no changes to the existing potable water main system including size, specifications, or locations of valves, services, and hydrants as originally approved. The existing Sanitary Sewer lines or laterals will remain as originally approved.

TRAFFIC IMPACT

The conversion of 10,752 square feet of commercial space into seven apartment units and the 3,707-square-foot future office area results in an anticipated reduction of 1,505 daily trips, or a decrease of 88.95%.  In the PM peak hour, there is an expected decrease of 108 trips, resulting in a reduction of 75.52%.

CONSISTENCY REVIEW

The site plan was reviewed to determine compliance with the Land Development Regulations (LDRs) including, parking, drainage, stormwater, and utilities facilities. The proposed improvements are permitted as per the Town’s Land Development Regulations and the Town’s Comprehensive Plan based on the proposed density.

The civil engineering plans, consisting of three sheets, have been submitted on 24" x 36" sheets and certified by Stephen M. Campbell, Professional Engineer with Clymer Farner Barley, Inc. signed and sealed dated March 22, 2022.