boardname
ARCHITECTURAL APPEARANCE COMMITTEE
Meeting Date: JANUARY 6, 2026
title
RISING TIDE CAR WASH
projectinfo
Request: Building Design
P&Z# 25-12000026
Owner: Racetrac Petroleum INC & Silver Oak Advisors
Project Location: 2901 W Atlantic Blvd
Folio Number: 484233450010
Land Use Designation: C (Commercial)
Zoning District: B-3 (General Business)
Commission District: 5 (Darlene Smith)
Agent: Paola West
Project Planner: Jonathan Cady (954-786-5578 / jonathan.cady@copbfl.com)
otherinfo
Summary:
The applicant is requesting Major Building Design approval and Vernacular or Superior Design Alternative approval for a new 3,500 square foot car wash with 500 square feet of covered vacuuming spaces, and related site and landscape improvements with CPTED modifications. The project site abuts single-family residential properties to the north, a vacant parcel to the east, and retail to the west. The project proposes a Type B landscaping buffer as included in the project and CPTED-approved fencing will be provided along Atlantic Boulevard, as well as an 8-foot wall along NW 1 Street.
The applicant is requesting approval for Vernacular or Superior Design Alternative to allow relief from the Commercial Design Standards regarding fenestration and transparency related to the 30% minimum requirement for the street-facing facade area of the ground-level floor of buildings that must be occupied by windows or doorways facing West Atlantic Boulevard:
§155.5602. C.7.a: Fenestration/Transparency
“At least 30 percent of the street-facing facade area of the ground-level floor of buildings (as measured from the grade to the underside of the eave, top of the parapet, or the story line denoting the second floor) shall be occupied by windows or doorways.”
Based on the elevations, the front facade of the car wash, facing West Atlantic Boulevard, does not comply with the minimum requirement of 30% fenestration. The applicant has chosen Option #1 of the Vernacular or Superior Design Alternative Criteria.
Option #1 states: The proposed features or elements contribute to the overall design and helps the project achieve excellence by creating a project of distinction, and thus exceeds the deviation from the Code Requirements in terms of aesthetic quality.
Based on the applicant's Superior Design Alternative Narrative, the proposed express car wash is described as a contemporary project that uses modern sustainable materials and the design dynamism of the different planes of the façade. The innovative insertion of trees within the depth of the front façade is a distinctive, state-of-the-art feature that the applicant believes complies with the City Code requirements for aesthetic quality in a contemporary building. The applicant states that the proposed architectural qualities of the façade, including the proportion of the volume, the structural design of the exterior front of the south façade, and the use of materials, make the contemporary design cohesive. The applicant also states that their overall proposal to the AAC, which includes the proposed three-dimensional design derived from traditional architecture, helps the project achieve excellence by creating a project of distinction and therefore exceeds the Code requirements in terms of aesthetic quality. Based on these points, the applicant requests that the Architectural Appearance Committee evaluate the project as a superior design alternative to the minimum ground-level facade transparency requirements outlined in Section 155.5602.C.7.a of the City’s Zoning Code.
Pursuant to Section 155.2205 of the Code of Ordinances, the Architectural Appearance Committee may require changes in plans and specifications as, in its judgment, are necessary and appropriate to ensure that the exterior appearance of buildings and structures enhances the aesthetic character of the surrounding development by complying with the architectural appearance standards of this Code and approved design guidelines.
The subject property is located north of Atlantic Boulevard, between NW 30th Avenue and NW 28th Avenue.
Location | Zoning District | Existing Uses:
A. Subject Property: B-3 (General Industrial) | Vacant Parcel
B. Surrounding Properties:
North: B-2 (Community Business) / B-3 (General Business) | Single-Family Homes
South: T (Transportation) | W Atlantic Blvd / Drainage Canal
East: B-3 (General Business) | Vacant
West: B-3 (General Business) | Commercial/Automotive Retail
Staff Conditions:
If approved by the Architectural Appearance Committee, staff recommends including the following conditions:
1. Obtain approval from the Architectural Appearance Committee for the Vernacular or Superior Design Alternative request detailed above in the staff report.
2. Standard Conditions of Approval and/or Specifications required prior to Building Permit / Zoning Compliance Permit issuance:
a) The applicant shall provide evidence of compliance for the 12 points listed in the Sustainability Narrative as submitted to the DRC in accordance with Table 155.5802: Sustainable Development Options and Points.
b) Plans are subject to compliance with all applicable Code requirements, including but not limited to DRC comments issued for this site plan.
c) Landscape and Irrigation Plans must comply with all Zoning Code requirements as verified by the City’s Urban Forestry Division.
d) A copy of the CPTED plan approved by the Broward Sheriff’s Office must be submitted for Zoning Compliance Permit approval.