The Jacksonville Planning Commission on June 26 recommended approval of two similar multifamily developments by rezoning 6.95 acres in North Jacksonville and 3.3 acres in Mandarin.
Jacksonville-based Southern Impression Development LLC is the developer of both projects. The LLC’s registered agent and manager is Daniel E. Blanchard, a planning commission member. He recused himself from discussion and voting.
Southern Impression Development seeks to develop vacant property as planned unit developments with an alternate option to follow residential medium density-D development code standards.
The proposed PUDs would allow multifamily quadraplexes potentially under individual ownership. Proposed lots would be a minimum of 4,200 square feet in size and don’t require on-lot parking and street frontage. Internal roadways will be private and common areas will be maintained by an owners’ association.
Ordinance 2020-0135 seeks rezoning for Barkoskie Villas at 4349 Barkoskie Road, east of Old St. Augustine Road and the Gate Express Carwash in Mandarin. The land use is residential-professional institutional. The proposed zoning would be less intense by changing from commercial office to PUD to allow 12 residential quadraplex buildings lots comprising 48 units.
Ordinance 2019-0878 seeks rezoning for Biscayne Villas along the west side of Biscayne Boulevard, south of Mar Vic Lane and east of Dunn Avenue in North Jacksonville. The land use is medium density residential. Zoning would change from residential and commercial uses to PUD to allow 11 quadraplex buildings lots comprising 44 units.
Zoning exceptions
The planning commission also approved zoning exceptions for:
• Owners of Keg & Coin, the bar offering beer and wine while playing arcade games from the 1980s and ‘90s at 1269 King St., to expand into the adjacent building at 1261 King St. as a new business offering beer and wine for on-premise consumption without a restaurant in the commercial community general-2 zoning district. A companion waiver of liquor distance reduced the minimum required separation of 1,500 to 300 feet from the Riverside Baptist Church at 2650 Park St. A companion administrative deviation reduced required parking from 38 to zero. The approval is conditional upon limiting alcohol to beer and wine, maximum occupancy of 85 people, no outside service or seating, no outside amplified music, and providing off-site parking for employees.
• Jax Tires & Auto Services Inc. at 10663 Lem Turner Road, at southeast Leonid and Lem Turner roads, to allow the sale of new and used tires in the commercial community general-1 zoning district.
• Starratt Road Adult Living Facility at northwest Starratt and Webb roads, to allow the development of a 49,697-square-foot adult congregate living building with 64 units and 72 beds on 8.34 acres in a 2007 mixed-use PUD.
• Lighthouse Christian School at 6800 W. Fifth St., immediately east of Interstate 295 in West Jacksonville, to bring an existing school into compliance in residential medium density-A zoning.
• The Hidden District LLC at 2026 Walnut St., south of Carmen Street in Springfield, the former Walnut Inn bar that closed in November, to allow sales and service of beer and wine for on-site consumption in the industrial light zoning district. . A companion waiver of liquor distance reduced the minimum required separation distance from 1,500 to 575 feet from the Gospeler Ministries at 2076 N. Liberty St.
• Babaji Shivram USA RE Holdings LLC at 320 Dundas Drive, between Balmoral Circle East and North Main Street, to allow a church in industrial business park zoning. The church will occupy about 5,000 square feet in a 26,212-square-foot office warehouse building.
• Normandy Liquors LLC at 5220 Normandy Blvd., east of Lenox Avenue, to allow a 3,288-square-foot addition to an existing liquor store to serve all alcohol for on-site consumption in a commercial community/general-2 zoning district. A companion waiver of liquor distance reduced the minimum required separation distance 1,500 to 670 feet from The Potter’s House Christian Fellowship at 5310 Lenox Ave.
• Enterprise Leasing Co. of Florida LLC at 7945 Blanding Blvd., at northeast Hicks Road and Blanding Boulevard, to bring the existing automobile rental business into zoning compliance and expand the property to accommodate additional customer and employee parking.
Land use amendments and rezoning recommendations
The planning commission recommended approval for land use changes and rezonings for:
• Ordinance 2020-0170, which seeks a small scale land use amendment for seven parcels comprising 7.18 acres of saltwater marsh on the north and south side of Heckscher Drive and east of Browns Creek. The property owners - the National Park Service, the Nature Conservancy and Clovis Wood - request a change from water dependent/water related to conservation. A companion Ordinance 2020-171 would rezone the property from industrial water to conservation.
• Ordinance 2020-0170, which seeks a small scale land use amendment for 6.3 acres at 2731 Arnold Road, between Pecan Park and Veterans Cemetery roads. It would change from agriculture-4 to light industrial to allow a trucking business. Companion Ordinance 2020-0173 would rezone the property from agriculture to industrial light.
Land use amendments and rezonings require approval recommendations by the City Council Land Use and Zoning Committee and then full Council approval.
