On September 15, 2015, the City Council declared a six-month moratorium on the acceptance of applications and issuance of permits and approvals for certain uses, including blood plasma centers, body piercing establishments, check cashing stores, day labor establishments, pawn shops, tattoo parlors and the cultivation, processing or dispensing of cannabis. The moratorium was intended to allow sufficient time to determine the appropriate location of these uses so as not to create an over-concentration that may lead to blight or downgrading of the surrounding neighborhood.
The proposed ordinance defines “restricted personal service uses” as “commercial retail and service uses, including, blood plasma centers, body piercing establishments, check cashing stores, day labor establishments, pawn shops, tattoo parlors and cannabis dispensing/processing/cultivation enterprises which may tend to have a blighting and/or deteriorating effect upon surrounding areas and that may need to be dispersed from other similar uses to minimize their adverse impacts.” It amends the Land Development Code to establish restricted personal service uses as permitted uses in the C-2, General Commercial and Highway Commercial zoning districts. The City has six existing such uses (two tattoo parlors/body piercing establishments, two pawn shops and two check cashing stores). The City has no existing blood plasma centers or day labor establishments. The cultivation, processing or dispensing of cannabis is (currently) not legal in the State of Florida.
The proposed ordinance provides development standards, addressing setbacks, minimum lot area, minimum lot width, height maximum, parking and design criteria. It creates minimum separation distances from other restricted personal service uses (regardless of jurisdiction), public or private day care centers, places of worship, public parks, libraries, recreation centers, public or private schools and adult uses. Five of the six existing uses are non-conforming regarding the proposed minimum separation distances.
The proposed new language is shown with underlining and deleted language is shown with strikethrough.
Compatibility with Comprehensive Plan:
The proposal is consistent with the following Comprehensive Plan objectives and policies:
- FLU 1.1.2 - To implement this Comprehensive Plan, the City shall continue to implement land development regulations that contain specific and detailed provisions which, at minimum, shall:
h. Ensure the compatibility of adjacent land uses and provide for adequate and appropriate buffering;
- FLU 1.3.2 - The City shall promote commercial development that serves to maintain or enhance the economic health of the City, and to increase job opportunities, per capita income and convenience for residents.
- FLU 1.3.3 - Commercial land uses shall be located in a manner which ensure the compatibility with the type and scale of surrounding land uses and where existing or programmed public facilities shall not be overburdened.