Commission Meeting Minutes

Draft Minutes of the November 21, 2022 Special Commission Meeting

The special conceptual meeting of the Lady Lake Town Commission was held in the Commission Chambers at Lady Lake Town Hall, 409 Fennell Blvd., Lady Lake, Florida with Mayor Rietz presiding. The meeting convened at 5:30 p.m.

A. Call to Order

Mayor Jim Rietz

Commissioner (Ward) Present
Hannan (Four) YES
Kussard (One) YES
Holden (Two) YES
Freeman (Three) YES
Rietz (Five) YES

STAFF PRESENT

William Lawrence, Town Manager; Thad Carroll, Growth Management; Wendy Then, Senior Planner; Becky Higgins, Development Coordinator; Mike Burske, Parks and Recreation Director; C.T. Eagle, Public Works Director and Nancy Wilson, Town Clerk

A. NEW BUSINESS

Consideration of the Updated Architectural Elevations for the SAP Property Holdings - New Major Site Plan MJSP 05/18-001, consisting of approximately 4.84 +/- acres of land along Hwy 466, addressed as 871 Hwy 466, approved for nine buildings with two tenants per building, identified by Alternate Key 1279721.

Growth Management Director Thad Carroll said that in 2018, Town Staff received a new major site plan application and plans on behalf of SAP Property Holdings, for the construction of a multi-tenant medical/office complex. The property is zoned “Planned Commercial” (CP) as per adopted Memorandum of Agreement Ordinance 2017-05. The Future Land Use is RET-Commercial General – Retail Sales and Services, which allows for the proposed land uses and is compatible and consistent with the Town’s Comprehensive Plan.

Initially, the plan was to develop the site for the construction of a multi-tenant medical, professional, office complex consisting of nine buildings with two tenants proposed per each building. The project proposes twelve tenants with 1,925 square feet of building of gross leased area and six tenants with 1972 square feet of gross leased area. The site originally provided 197 parking spaces, including eleven ADA accessible spaces ADA Accessible Parking Spaces. Months later an additional 24 parking spaces were added bringing the total to 221 parking spaces anticipating the needs of a medical complex. The Town of Lady Lake will service the water, sewer, and reuse utilities for this project.

COMMERCIAL DESIGN STANDARDS

Staff has learned that the first building erected at the project (Bldg. 200) does not match the Architectural Design Standards originally proposed by the Developer and approved by the Town Commission at the January 23, 2019, meeting.

In accordance with 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. At the time, the applicant elected the Mediterranean Revival Architectural Design and the exterior building elevations featured elements such as red clay Spanish barrel tile, overhanging balconies, prominent arched casement windows, decorative rondel on parapets, exposed rafter tails, and Spanish-style medallions alongside elevations.

Due to the exterior building design not being in alignment with what was approved, the project is required to come back before the Town Commission to request a Commercial Design Standards Waiver.

Growth Management Director Carroll said that the normal process is to ask for the waiver from one of the permitted four styles before getting the site plan approved. It is common for this commission to grant waivers.

Brian Ehlers – General Contractor for the project

Mr. Ehlers said he was not part of the initial site plan process. He is assuming that as part of the site review process a concept needs to be submitted. The three partners did not feel compelled to stick to the original plan. The first building is 85-90 percent complete so the image being projected does not represent the final project, but it is close.

Growth Management Director Carroll described the four original elevation choices.

Mayor Rietz asked if the big awning is all that is missing; Mr. Ehlers confirmed that it is. Mr. Ehlers said there are eight other buildings owned by SAP Partnership that they also want to complete which are similar to what has been presented with the original building. He is representing Dr. Abrantes who is paying him to build the building.

Commission Kussard asked if all the buildings are going to be part of the group of doctors or are other businesses going to be considered. Mr. Ehlers answered that the completed project will be a medical park and will look similar to the building that is almost complete. The units will be rented as medical offices.

Commissioner Kussard asked if the design falls under any of our four designs. Mr. Carroll responded that there are elements that comply with our four architectural designs but as a total building the answer is no. He does feel that the buildings can be modified to meet our requirements.

Commissioner Hannan said he is not in favor of granting the waiver. The elevation has no style and does not comply with the Town’s LDR’s.

Commission Holden said the building is very bland and it is obvious to him that they built it the way they did in order to save money. If a waiver is granted, the town will set a bad precedent.

Commissioner Freeman said when he hears about other situations of non-conformance, he wonders if those other people got their non-conformance approved prior to building. Mr. Carroll answered in the affirmative. Commissioner Freeman asked why the principals did not attend. His conclusion is that the buildings need to be fixed.

Mr. Ehlers asked what he should do next. Mr. Carroll said that the waiver was denied so updated architectural elevations, complying to our four styles, need to be brought back before the Commission. The Commission wants a new proposal mirroring the allowed designs.

There was consensus to deny the request for the updated architectural elevations for SAP Property Holdings and have the applicant bring back updated architectural elevations that more closely adhere to our four architectural styles.

Public Comment

There were no public comments.

K. Adjourn

There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 5:44 p.m..

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Nancy Wilson, Town Clerk

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Jim Rietz, Mayor