The Jacksonville Planning Commission approved a zoning exception Thursday that allows Taverna restaurant in San Marco Square to expand into an adjoining retail space.
The exception permits the sale of all alcoholic beverages and the outside sale and service of food and all beverages.
The commission also approved a waiver of liquor distance from the required 500 feet to 345 feet from Southside Baptist Church and an administrative deviation to reduce the required parking spaces from 92 to 0.
Taverna, at 1988 San Marco Blvd., had similar applications approved in 2013.
Neighbors spoke Thursday against the applications, citing traffic and parking concerns. A San Marco Preservation Society board member spoke in support of the expansion.
Taverna presented a traffic study that supported the Planning Department’s recommendation for approval to the Planning Commission.
Representatives of the restaurant said Beachside Buggies plans to offer alternative transportation to the area in 2019.
Zoning exceptions
The commission also approved zoning exceptions for:
• Stud’s Pub, at 9039 Atlantic Blvd., to continue operating as an adult dancing venue.
In business since the 1970s, the exception was required for an ownership change.
Also approved were a waiver of the minimum liquor distance with adult dancing from 1,500 to 878 feet from Restoration Church and a variance from the minimum distance of 500 to 420 feet from a residential zoning district.
• A church at 5850 Collins Road in a Residential Medium Density-A zoning district. Jorge Reyes of Arquicon Inc. was the applicant. The property is owned by the Polish American Club and previously was used as a private club.
• Redevelopment of a 0.92-acre vacant car wash site at 8647 Blanding Blvd. Convenient Car Care LLC will demolish the car wash and build a 1,200-square-foot minor repair service garage and associated parking.
• A helicopter landing pad at the proposed Baptist Health facility at Argyle Forest Boulevard and Merchants Way west of Oakleaf Town Center. The pad will be adjacent to a 19,000-square-foot emergency department building.
Minor modifications
The commission approved minor modifications to allow the Flagler Center PUD at Flagler Center Boulevard to add 200 multifamily units. The development’s multifamily space would increase from 2,150 to 2,350 units.
Land use and rezoning
The commission recommended land use and rezoning approval for:
• Ordinance 2018-558, which seeks a small-scale land use amendment with a companion rezoning of 9.76 acres at 7443 and 7439 Wilson Blvd.
The application proposes to change the land use designation of Residential-Professional-Institutional to Community/General Commercial and rezone by Ordinance 2018-559 from Public Buildings and Facilities-1 to Planned Unit Development to develop an automobile service garage for all repairs and other commercial and office use.
The property formerly was Fire Station No. 31 and the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles inspection center.
• Ordinance 2018-560, which seeks a large-scale land use amendment of an undeveloped 317.54 acres of a 506-acre parcel at Newcomb Road, north of Interstate 295 and west of Lem Turner Road.
The amendment proposes to change the designation from Light Industrial to Low Density Residential. The balance of the property is designated as LDR. The application represents the transmittal round to be forwarded to the state for review.
Once completed by the state, the application will be reviewed again and accompanied by a rezoning application for Planned Unit Development for single-family residential.
• Ordinance 2018-561, which seeks a small-scale land use amendment of 0.6 acres and companion Ordinance 2018-562 that would rezone the total property of 2.1 acres for a Wawa convenience store at Emerson Street and Spring Park Road.
The land use amendment will change from Low Density Residential to Community/General Commercial and the rezoning will change Residential Low Density-60, Commercial Office, Commercial Community/General-1 and 2 to Planned Unit Development.
• Ordinance 2018-052, which would rezone 9.1 acres owned by Lakeview Christian Fellowship Inc. at 8300 Merrill Road from Public Buildings and Facilities-2 to Residential Low Density-50.
Kendall Town Developers plans to add the property to the adjacent Kendall Town single-family subdivision.
• Ordinance 2018-564, which seeks to rezone 271.4 acres for Eastland Timber LLC and E Town Development Inc. The land is east of Florida 9B and E-Town Parkway.
The applicant seeks to rezone the property from Community Commercial/General-1 to Planned Unit Development for mixed-use development, including office, institutional, commercial, recreational and multifamily residential.
The land use amendments and rezonings will require City Council Land Use and Zoning Committee approval.