Local Planning Agency Meeting Minutes

1. Local Planning Agency Meeting Minutes – July 6, 2022

Commissioner Kussard made a motion to approve the LPA minutes from the meeting on July 6, 2022; Commissioner Holden seconded.  Motion carried 5-0.

2. Ordinance 2022-09 — Small Scale Future Land Use Comprehensive Plan Amendment — An Ordinance Amending the Lady Lake Future Land Use Comprehensive Plan of One Lot Being Approximately 0.15 Acre, Located in Orange Blossom Gardens Unit 3, Owned by Martha K. Friedman, Referenced by Alternate Key Number 2684232.

Growth Management Director Thad Carroll summarized the project. He stated that Martha Friedman submitted an application to amend the Future Land Use designation of a property located in Orange Blossom Gardens at address 990 Tarson Boulevard that is approximately .15 acres. The present use of the property is vacant residential. The existing Future Land Use designation is Lake County Medium Urban Density, and the proposed Future Land Use designation is Lady Lake Manufactured Home High Density. Development within the proposed designation is limited to manufactured homes with density that cannot exceed nine units per acre. The property is non-contiguous with the existing municipal boundary, but annexation is allowed.

There will be no impact on town services.

Member Freeman made a motion to approve Ordinance 2022-09; Member Hannan seconded. Motion carried 5-0.

3. Ordinance 2022-12 – Large-Scale Future Land Use Comprehensive Plan Amendment — Changing the future land use designation from Lake County Rural to Lady Lake Single Family Medium Density for property owned by Joseph H. O’Dell and Julien and Diana Malkiewicz; being approximately 172.707 acres; Referenced by Alternate Key Numbers 1283582, and 1283523, within Lake County, Florida.

Growth Management Director Thad Carroll summarized the project. Current Future Land Use (FLU) of the property is Lake County Rural and the proposed FLU is Lady Lake Single Family Medium Density. Current use is Residential/Agricultural. The proposed FLU is limited to single family units unless a PUD is implemented which, in this case, would also allow for multifamily units and limit the density to about four units per acre.

The Large-Scale Future Land Use Amendment will allow for needed housing by providing single-family detached homes, age-restricted single-family homes and attached townhomes. Another benefit to the Town will be an increase in property tax revenue.

The extension of public facilities will be required for the development to move forward and the cost for the extension of water and sewer lines will be borne by the developer. Also, the developer will contribute heavily to roadway improvements.

The proposed development potential of the subject properties, considering four dwelling units per acre would generate an estimated demand of 172,750 gallons per day. The Town’s current potable water capacity is approximately 300,000 gallons per day and an adjustment may be made by St. Johns River Water Management District potentially expanding potable water capacity in 2026.

The Town’s new wastewater treatment plant is slated for completion in 2024 and it will ensure adequate capacity.

At four dwelling units per acre, the impact on schools is estimated to be, at a maximum, 109 elementary-aged students; 55 middle school aged children; and 79 high school aged students which represents an overcapacity of the schools. Mr. Carroll talked to a representative of the Lake County School Board who said that number does not factor in the 240-seat expansion that will be coming online in 2025 so there will be adequate seats during the 5-year to 7-year buildout.

Regarding transportation, assuming four dwelling units per acre, the impact of the PUD for the entire development encompassing 331 acres is 5,694 daily trips and 599 pm peak hour trips. A traffic analysis was conducted finding that the PUD is not projected to cause Level of Service deficiencies in the area.

The proposed PUD will include approximately 130 acres of open and recreational space.

Regarding Stormwater, the project will adhere to St. John’s River Water Management District guidelines, drainage, and best management practices. The property contains portions of Flood Hazard Area “A” but no wetlands.

If Ordinance 2022-112 is passed at first reading, it will be transmitted to the Department of Economic Opportunity for their feedback and will likely come back before the Commission in November for the second and final reading.

Greg Beliveau – LPG Urban and Regional Planners, Inc.

Mr. Beliveau made some comments regarding transportation. He, Kolter Development, Public Works and MPO discussed the new designs of roundabouts at the entrances to the proposed development and the problems with Rolling Acres along that leg of the road. Since that was part of the road program by both the MPO and the county, they discussed how the construction of the road system could be accelerated.   One possibility was to use part of the property share allocation from the Hammock Oaks PUD to accelerate the PD&E study. The second possibility would be to use the property share dollars and allocate it to construction through matching grant funds. The county said that both options were acceptable.

Also performed was an analysis on the amount of impact fees that would be generated from their projects and from other projects that affect Rolling Acres Road in Lady Lake and north Fruitland Park.  From Hammock Oaks and The Reserve, $2.2 million would be generated.  The County Commission recently decided at a meeting to increase impact fees which would triple the current fees to about $6.6 million. Those dollars would be available in one or two years. Analyzing all the projects underway that are in Lady Lake and in areas adjacent to the town, the total available funds generated would be $5.7 million. Triple that amount and the total would be almost $18 million generated for road impact fees in the area.  MPO and the county would need to be convinced to extract enough money from the total to improve Lady Lake’s roads. Kolter Development would be able to help. Other partners would be needed for that effort.

Commissioner Freeman said he was at the county workshop where impact fees were discussed. He would like to see all the numbers being discussed committed to paper. MPO does what they want to, and lobbying does not guarantee anything.

Mr. Beliveau said according to MPO and the county, if cash is put on the table, activity will be stimulated.

Mr. Beliveau said, regarding schools, that the impact fees generated from both Hammock Oaks and The Reserves are $15,000,000 to be used toward improvements.

Mr. Carroll emphasized that the county meeting related to impact fees was a workshop, so nothing has been finalized.

Commissioner Freeman asked Mr. Carroll what his recommendation of projects is based on. Mr. Carroll responded that he ensures all basic requirements are met and that the project makes sense; he went into detail about what he looks for in project applications. It is a process that takes into account many elements of development and growth management.

In response to a concern raised by Commissioner Freeman commenting that we have done this kind of project before so that means we need to move forward with this one, Town Attorney Schroth said any annexation request can be denied by the Commission if it is found to not be in the best interest of the town. The problem would be if annexation is granted, and the entitlements are vested then there is no going back.

Commissioner Kussard asked if the townhomes will be purchased or rented. Also, in the PUD, multi-family is mentioned, will those be apartment buildings.

John Curtis - Project Manager – Kolter Homes

Mr. Curtis answered that there will not be any rentals and that multi-family refers to villas and townhomes. The multi-family area would have its own CDD or it may be affiliated with the Hammock Oaks CDD and HOA.

Member Kussard made a motion forward Ordinance 2022-12 to the Town Commission; Member Hannan seconded. Motion carried 3-2 with Freeman, Holden dissenting.