City Council is to conduct a quasi-judicial review of this case.  Any ex parte communication shall be disclosed at the beginning of the meeting. 

Analysis:

Existing Conditions:

The site is 0.23 acres located on the north side of Main Street, approximately 100 feet east of Adams Street. The site contains a building with two tenant spaces that was constructed in 1959.  Pedestrian access to the property is provided by Main Street and an alley to the north.  Parking is available on a parking lot along the alley and on street.  The western half of the site is undeveloped and contains mature live oak trees.  

Proposal: 

The applicant intends to lease the building to office and retail tenants.   Off-street parking is provided behind the building via an alley. On-street parking is provided in front of the subject property and across the street in the City-owned parking lot. 

The site has previously been occupied by non-conforming office uses. Office and retail uses are not permitted uses in the MF-14 Medium Density Residential District.  The request is to rezone the property to Downtown District, which is concurrent with the Downtown land use category.

Concurrency Review:

To ensure that the rezoning will meet concurrency standards, an availability and demand analysis is performed for the maximum potential development.  Concurrency is determined by comparing the available capacity of a public facility/service with the total demand of the subject site, which is measured by determining the potential demand minus the demand generated by the existing uses.

• Traffic:

  The Land Development Code requires a transportation study for proposed projects that generate more than 50 trips per day in the PM peak hour of operation. The office and retail uses will generate less than 50 trips per day in the PM peak hour of operation.  No traffic study is needed.

• Sanitary Sewer:

  Sanitary sewer treatment will be provided by the City’s wastewater treatment facility, which is designed to handle 7.5 million gallons per day (gpd).  From the 7.5 million gpd, Pasco County is allotted a capacity of 3.0 million gpd, which leaves the City with a capacity of 4.5 million gpd.  The total daily flow is approximately 5.0 million gpd, allowing for a 2.5 million gpd surplus capacity.  The proposed rezoning is expected to generate demand of 108 gpd with the office (assuming two full-time employees) and retail uses, which is serviceable by the City. 

   

• Potable Water:

  The City of New Port Richey will provide water service and the City is supplied water by Tampa Bay Water.  The present design of the City’s water treatment facility is 11.1 million gpd.  The approximate average daily flow is 3.5 million gpd with a surplus of 7.6 million gpd.  The proposed rezoning is expected to generate demand of 108 gpd with the office (assuming two full-time employees) and retail uses, which is serviceable by the City.   

   

• Solid Waste:

  The City does not provide solid waste service.  This is provided through franchise agreements with independent haulers.  The City has an interlocal agreement with Pasco County for solid waste disposal and the County is responsible for providing adequate dumping sites.

   

• Drainage:

  The City handles drainage demand through the development review process at the time such development occurs.  Post-development drainage patterns cannot exceed pre-development patterns.  The majority of run-off from the proposed development is anticipated to flow south to Main Street. 

   

• Recreation:

  According to the adopted level of service for future recreation needs (Table 5, Recreation and Open Space Elements, Comprehensive Plan), the City of New Port Richey has a surplus of facilities for a population of 20,000 and over, depending on the type of facility.    

   

• Fire & Emergency Medical Services:

  Fire and emergency medical services will be provided to this property by Station #1 is located at 6333 Madison Street.  The Fire Department will continue to serve this property and the rezoning will not adversely affect fire and EMS service and response time. 

   

• Police:

  The City of New Port Richey administers police service.  There are currently 44 officers that offer police protection to the residents of the City.  Community policing service will be provided through the City’s zone system and officers in the field.

   

  Compatibility with Comprehensive Plan:

  The proposal will be consistent with the following Comprehensive Plan objectives and policies:

   

• FLU Policy 1.1.3 - Future development and redevelopment in the City shall be consistent with the requirements of the Future Land Use Map categories set forth in the companion table to this policy (see Table FLU 1.1.3). Only those land uses, densities and intensities specified for the Future Land Use Map category are permitted unless uses, densities and intensities specified in the zoning regulations are more restrictive. In such cases, the zoning regulations shall prevail.

• FLU Table 1.1.3 – The purpose of the Downtown Category is to encourage and maintain the redevelopment of Downtown as the financial, commercial, governmental, cultural and recreational center of West Pasco through continued enhancement to its multi-modal accessibility, appearance, historic resources, utilization and facilities.

• FLU Table 1.1.3 – The primary uses in the Downtown Category include residential, transient accommodation, office, retail, public/semi-public and recreation/open space uses.