boardname
PLANNING AND ZONING BOARD
Meeting Date: SEPTEMBER 24, 2025
title
STACKING LANE DISTANCE CODE AMENDMENT
projectinfo
Request: Text Amendment
P&Z# 25-81000004
Owner: Not Applicable
Project Location: Not Applicable
Folio Number: Not Applicable
Land Use Designation: Not Applicable
Zoning District: Not Applicable
Commission District: Not Applicable
Agent: Dennis Mele, Greenspoon Marder LLP
Project Planner: Max Wemyss (954-786-4671 / max.wemyss@copbfl.com)
otherinfo
SUMMARY AND EVALUATION:
The applicant, Foundry Commercial, for the Festival Industrial Redevelopment Major Site Plan has proposed a Zoning Code Text Amendment to Article 5 of the Code (Development Standards) to amend Table 155.5101.G.8.B: Minimum Stacking Lane Distance for Parking Lot Entrance Driveways. The proposed amendment would reduce the required stacking lane distance for certain properties based on the total number of points of access to the property.
Without this proposed code amendment, developments must provide the required stacking lane distance (derived from the number of proposed parking spaces) to each point of access to a site. This may result in excessive stacking for large properties with multiple driveways. The applicant uses their pending site plan application, PZ24-12000024, as the example for the amendment. The site proposes 422 parking spaces. Based on the number of parking spaces, current code requires each of the four proposed driveways on the site plan to provide a driveway stacking distance of 100 feet. The applicant’s position is that the stacking distance applicable to properties with only one (1) driveway should not apply in this instance, where there are four (4) driveways.
Staff has expressed the concern that this revised code language may encourage applicants to propose more driveways than needed just to reduce the staking lane distance requirement. For this reason, the applicant has proposed to require a traffic study “to determine that the proposed ingress/egress driveways are the minimum necessary for the development and comply with Section 155.5101.G.3, Vehicular Access Management.” Additionally, concerns for unintended consequences have resulted in limiting the applicability of the amendment to industrial development on properties 10 acres or greater.
Staff supports the amendment as proposed.
CODE AMENDMENT, AS SUBMITTED BY THE APPLICANT
CHAPTER 155: ZONING CODE
…
ARTICLE 5: DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS
…
155.5101. ACCESS AND CIRCULATION
…
|
TABLE 155.5101.G.8.B: MINIMUM STACKING LANE DISTANCE FOR PARKING LOT ENTRANCE DRIVEWAYS |
|
NUMBER OF OFF-STREET PARKING SPACES 1 |
MINIMUM STACKING LANE DISTANCE (FT) 2,3 |
|
1 - 49 |
25 |
|
50 - 249 |
50 |
|
250 - 499 |
100 |
|
500 or more |
100 + 15 ft for every additional 50 spaces beyond 500 |
|
NOTES: 1. Entrances into parking structures may be credited towards the stacking lane distance requirement provided the parking structure entrance is accessed from a development driveway and not a primary drive aisle. 2. Stacking lane distance is measured from the intersection of the driveway with the street right-of-way, along the centerline of the stacking lane, to its intersection with the centerline of the first entrance into a parking area or other internal intersecting driveway. 3. For Industrial Development on properties of 10 acres or greater, divide the total parking spaces required by the number of ingress/egress driveways on the subject site to determine the number of off-street parking spaces to utilize for determining minimum stacking lane distance required. A traffic study is required to determine that the proposed ingress/egress driveways are the minimum necessary for the development and comply with Section 155.5101.G.3, Vehicular Access Management. |
REVIEW STANDARDS FOR A CODE AMENDMENT:
Per Section 155.2402.C of the Code, in determining whether to adopt or deny the proposed amendment, the City Commission shall weigh the relevance of and consider whether and the extent to which the proposed amendment addresses the following review criteria. Each of the criteria are listed below in bold with the Applicant’s justification below each in italics.
1. Is consistent with the comprehensive plan;
Applicant Response: This text amendment would provide for a modification that reflects commonly applied traffic engineering practices that ensure safe access to and from adjacent roadways. The text amendment would promote safe and orderly development in the City where large parcels are served by multiple driveways without overburdening large parcels with stacking areas that are larger than necessary.
Objective 01.02.00 - Right-of-Way Protection and Accessibility
Protect the existing and future right-of-way from building encroachments and ensure proper accessibility with the roadway and transit network.
Policy 01.02.01 - Require a traffic impact analysis for development projects when necessary to determine post-development conditions of adjacent roadways and the local multimodal transportation system.
2. Does not conflict with any provision of this Code or the Code of Ordinances;
Applicant Response: This is the only section of the Code that addresses minimum stacking lane distance requirements. Therefore, the Code amendment does not conflict with any other provision of the Code or the Code of Ordinances.
3. Is required by changed conditions;
Applicant Response: It may be impossible to create a zoning code that anticipates and addresses every situation that can occur in a municipality. As a result, codes are written to address the general characteristics of a community. In this case, there are very few parcels in the City that have the exact size, configuration, platted driveways and multi-jurisdictional responsibilities like this one. Only now that this unique property is proposed to be redeveloped have the shortfalls of this driveway stacking language been revealed. This amendment is required due to the redevelopment of a large parcel with unique conditions that weren’t revealed at the time the Code was adopted.
4. Addresses a demonstrated community need;
Applicant Response: The Applicant proposes to redevelop a very visible parcel at the western gateway to the City. Several years ago the owner determined that the prior use of the property was not making financial sense and began to wind down the business. The buildings are now vacant and need to be replaced to promote a positive image of the City at this gateway. The owner applied for, and the City granted a land use plan amendment and rezoning to allow the proposed use on the property. The Applicant’s redevelopment plan will implement the existing land use and zoning designations on the property. The redevelopment plan will also provide a significant number of jobs and improve the City’s tax base to support the needs of the community as a whole.
5. Is consistent with the purpose and intent of the zoning districts in this Code, or would improve compatibility among uses and would ensure efficient development within the city;
Applicant Response: The text amendment would allow for a redevelopment plan that will replace the existing commercial buildings with a warehouse/office/showroom complex that is consistent with the underlying land use and zoning designations for the property. Similar uses are located in the surrounding area. Therefore, the proposed text amendment would allow for development that is compatible with uses in the area. The text amendment would ensure more efficient development in the City because it will not overburden large parcels that have multiple driveways with stacking lane distances that are longer than needed to provide for safe on-site and off-site traffic circulation.
6. Would result in a logical and orderly development pattern; and
Applicant Response: The text amendment would provide for logical and orderly development of large parcels with several platted driveways such that the stacking lane distance doesn’t overburden the property. The revision would not be detrimental to on-site or off-site traffic circulation because it is consistent with commonly implemented traffic engineering standards.
7. Would not result in significantly adverse impacts on the natural environment, including but not limited to water, air, noise, storm water management, wildlife, vegetation, wetlands, and the natural functioning of the environment.
Applicant’s Response: This text amendment would merely apply commonly applied traffic engineering practices when determining the acceptable stacking lane distances for large parcels with multiple driveways. This amendment would not result in adverse environmental impacts in the community.