Commission Meeting Agenda Item

On Thursday, July 28, 2022, the Town of Lady Lake received a New Major Site Plan application from Jeff Gelman with Linden Street Development, LLC for the Lady Lake Luxury Apartments proposing a 330-unit Multi-family Apartment Complex spread out amongst six buildings and featuring 648 parking spaces including 15 ADA Florida Accessible parking spaces, featuring a Clubhouse, Amenity Area, Tree Preservation Area, Trash Compactor and Loading Zones, Maintenance Building, Car Wash, and Landscaping Buffers. The property was rezoned from Lady Lake Manufactured Home High Density (MH-9) and Lady Lake Heavy Commercial (HC) Lady Lake Planned Commercial (CP) in September 2021. The property is developed in accordance to the terms and guidelines of the Memorandum of Agreement Ordinance 2021-10.

EXISTING CONDITIONS

An Environmental Ecological Site Assessment was performed on December 7, 2020, which indicated that the site has been heavily impacted by surrounded land uses, so approximately 17.38 acres of the subject property is classified as disturbed lands. The other two other areas of the property totaling 9.85 acres consists of a mix of hardwood trees species including live oak trees, laurel oak trees, earpod trees, longleaf pine trees, scrub plum and choke cherry. A 100 percent gopher tortoise burrow survey was also conducted on the property which resulted in the observation of twenty-five potentially occupied burrows. All gopher tortoise burrows within proposed construction areas and adjacent 25 feet will require a relocation permit through the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) to a permitted recipient site. No active bald eagle nests are located within a 2-mile radius of the project area.

According to the Soil Survey for Lake County, Florida, the site includes mostly Apopka Sand and Candler Sand, gently sloping and excessively drained soils found on rolling uplands of central ridge.

There is a portion of the parcel that is in a special flood hazard area and freshwater emergent wetland.

PROPOSAL

The development proposal consists of constructing a 330-unit Multi-Family Apartment Complex amongst six buildings and featuring 648 parking spaces, Clubhouse (swimming pool, fitness center, business center, outdoor grill and picnic), Recreation Amenity Area (consisting of pickleball, tennis and basketball courts), Trash Compactor, Loading Zones and Landscaping Buffers.

The apartment complex will feature:

150 units are 1-bedroom units, and

180 units are 2–3-bedroom units

In order to be serviced by Town Utilities, the applicant is connecting to an existing 8-inch PVC water main. The applicant will jack and bore and establish a 4-inch PVC sanitary sewer forcemain and establish a 4-inch PVC reclaim water main for future connection.

On August 7, 2023, the Town Commission approved utility easements on two properties on Citrus Lane for the project to be able to connect at two locations for dual water feed capability. This allows the apartments to have water service if problems arise at either end of the system, help with water quality by eliminating a dead-end water line, and help overall hydraulics of the water system. The Developer will fund the waterline extension.

TRAFFIC

The multi-family complex is projected to generate a total of 2,192 daily trips with 162 PM peak hour trips (102 entering the site and 60 exiting the site) and 125 AM peak hour trips (30 entering and 95 exiting the site). The distribution of the proposed development trips indicates that approximately 55 percent of the trips are likely to be directed to/from the north while the remaining 45 percent are likely to be directed to/from the south. The apartment complex fronts SR 500/US Hwy 27/441 which is undergoing a Town-wide Road widening project; therefore, the proposed development does not cause this roadway segment to exceed its capacity.

STORMWATER

The applicant’s engineer of record, Joseph Schofield, has submitted an Environmental Resource Permit application, civil plans, and drainage report to the St. John’s River Water Management District Environmental Resource Permit No. 188672-1 has been issued as of April 18, 2023.

The permit allows for the construction and operation of a Stormwater Management System for an 18.55-acre project known as Lady Lake Luxury Apartments, as per plans received by the District on March 20, 2023.

COMMERCIAL DESIGN STANDARDS

In accordance with the Land Development Regulations, Chapter 20, Section 20-3C).3).A)., new buildings should adopt and must closely follow one of the four recommended architectural styles: Frame Vernacular, Craftsman/Bungalow, Mediterranean, or Mission. The applicant will incorporate the Craftsman/Bungalow Design Style on the proposed buildings.

The elevations feature exterior building materials and elements that can be linked to the Craftsman Architectural Style including gable roof ends, decorative dormer, cementitious board siding (green), stone veneer, wooden hand painted railing (white), Framed window insulated with e-coating., asphalt shingles, etc. Please see elevations enclosed.

TREE REQUIREMENTS

In accordance with Chapter 10-Landscape and Tree Protection, the site is required to provide approximately 4,451.2 tree caliper inches based on the 27.82-acre site development area (160”x 27.82). The applicant is providing 4,568 tree caliper inches retained in developed areas and 5,864 tree caliper inches retained in wetland.

The following number of trees are being planted:

• 51 Live Oak trees at 3.5 tree caliper inches each minimum
• 8 Southern Magnolia trees at four tree caliper inches each minimum
• 34 Allee Lacebark Elm trees at 3.5 tree caliper inches each minimum
• 29 Dwarf Southern Magnolia trees at 5 tree caliper inches each minimum
• 12 Bald Cypress trees at four tree caliper inches each minimum
• 3 Sabal Palmetto trees at 14’-16’ Clear Trunk each minimum
• 9 Japanese Privet trees at 2.5 caliper inches each minimum
• 34 Muskogee Myrtle trees at 2.5 caliper inches each minimum
• Walter and Sweet Viburnum shrubs at a minimum of 36” with three feet over center

It was found that the applicant has designed location and planting of landscaping in accordance with the Town’s landscaping code as it refers to spacing, native vegetation, water use requirements, while taking into consideration site visibility and overcrowding of plant material.

The applicant has accommodated landscaping buffer class “B” along the north, east, and south with existing mature tree canopy clusters.

REVIEWS CONDUCTED

The site plan was reviewed to determine if it follows the Land Development Regulations (LDRs) including drainage, grading and erosion control. The application was determined to be in compliance with the Land Development Regulations (LDRs) and the Comprehensive Plan.

The civil engineering plans, consisting of 30 sheets, have been submitted on 24" x 36"sheets and certified by Joseph Schofield, Professional Engineer with Alliant, drawn on April 6, 2023, with final revisions drawn and signed and sealed on August 1, 2023. Landscaping and Irrigation plans consisting of 13 sheets have been submitted on 24" x 36"sheets and certified by Andrew Dance, Registered Landscape Architect with Alliant with final revised plans dated August 9, 2023. Sight Lighting and Photometric Plan consisting of two sheets are drawn by Christopher Cordell with Duke Energy Outdoor Lighting Solutions with final revised plans dated January 23, 2023. Architectural Elevation Renderings consisting of two sheets are drawn by Conconcreto Designs, LLC, dated March 4, 2022.

Town staff, Neel-Schaffer Engineering, and the Fire Inspector completed reviews. The following items are included in the packet:

Review Number 3 for the general site development completed by Neel-Schaffer Engineering, dated May 1, 2023 (Satisfied).

Review by Fire Inspector Kerry Barnett dated January 31, 2023 (Satisfied).

Review by Lady Lake Building Official Branko Dimovski with MT Causley, Inc., dated August 1, 2022 (Satisfied).

Review by Lady Lake Public Works Utility Supervisor Butch Goodman dated August 15, 2022 (Satisfied).

Lake County Public Works Comments dated January 5, 2023 (Satisfied).

SJRWMD Permit No. Environmental Resource Permit No. 188672-1 has been issued as of April 18, 2023.

Lake County School Board Concurrency Capacity Reservation Agreement to with worked out with Lake County School Board Officials.