Alex Dambach, AICP

Planning Supervisor

Peter M. Schwarz, AICP

 Director of Community and Economic Development

Case #CD20-15CPT “OP3D Land Use Plan Amendment”

 A public hearing to consider amending the City of Oakland Park Comprehensive Plan Text and Future Land Use Map for the property generally bound by NE 41 Street (extended), on the east by NE 12 Terrace and NE 13 Avenue, on the south by the North Fork of the Middle River (excluding the Pointe of Middle River development), and on the west by NE 6 Avenue (south of Oakland Park Boulevard) and along the west parcel lines of certain parcels approximately 150 feet west of NE 10 Avenue (north of Oakland Park Boulevard).

Issue Statement:  An amendment to the City of Oakland Park Comprehensive Plan text and Future Land Use Map is proposed to expand the Local Activity Center and provide land use policies for the existing and expanded areas. The proposed amendment includes an increase in the number of dwelling units permitted in the expanded Local Activity Center and an additional allocation of commercial uses.

Recommended Action:  The Planning and Zoning Board recommend that the City Commission adopt the proposed ordinance amending the text and Future Land Use Map of the City’s Comprehensive Plan to expand the area of the Local Activity Center and to provide land use policies for the existing and expanded areas including allowance for additional housing units and additional building area for commerce.

Background:  The City of Oakland Park has commissioned a comprehensive review of the City’s Downtown, including land use, zoning, development regulations, design guidelines, landscaping, parking, and transportation. The result of this effort indicates that redevelopment of the area depends upon the creation and implementation of land use provisions that facilitate a mix of uses and transit-supportive residential density along the Oakland Park Boulevard and Dixie Highway Corridors. The proposed expansion of the Activity Center to include the large, mostly commerce-designated areas south of Oakland Park Boulevard between Northeast 6 Avenue and Northeast 13 Avenue and north of NE 38 Street along NE 12 Terrace and Dixie Highway is intended to attract mixed-use redevelopment with appropriate density and intensity to create a vibrant downtown core for the City, while providing additional housing opportunities.

The City convened a steering committee of Downtown and regional stakeholders who provided guidance to Staff and the City’s design professionals in developing the proposed Comprehensive Plan Amendment. 

Other Reviews:  In addition to this application, a corresponding text and Future Land Use Map amendment to the Broward County Land Use Plan, BrowardNext, is required. The enabling Ordinance associated with this application will also take an action to transmit the proposed amendment to Broward County and the appropriate State of Florida review agencies.

Subsequent to the transmittal of this proposed amendment to the City of Oakland Park Comprehensive Plan text and Future Land Use Map, additional associated items will be brought forward as part of the overall OP3D process:

1. A Text Amendment to Land Development Code to create a new Oakland Park Downtown Development District (OP3D) zoning area with zoning sub-areas with land development regulations that would supersede the existing Downtown Mixed Use District regulations and apply to the current and expanded Local Activity Center.

2. Rezoning of all the properties within the area proposed for the expanded Local Activity Center to the new Oakland Park Downtown Development District (OP3D) and sub-areas.

The City engaged the services of the Zyscovich firm in order to study the existing condition and develop recommendations to improve multi-modal connectivity, enhance residential opportunities and maximize the Local Activity Center's location and inherent features to encourage smart, compact and sustainable growth of the Downtown. the City conducted extensive studies on the level of development activity that has occurred in the Downtown area as well as its potential for redevelopment and commissioned specialists in architecture, urban design, transportation, and urban planning finding that the Comprehensive Plan Land Use designations and policies for the area need updating. 

The current Local Activity Center (LAC) is comprised of approximately 148.2 gross acres and is generally located South of Northeast 42 Street, north of Oakland Park Boulevard, west of Northeast 13 Avenue and east of Northeast 10 Avenue. The LAC allows a maximum of 1,800 dwelling units, consisting of 80 single-family homes, 120 duplex, 700 villas, 500 townhomes and 400 garden apartments, 400,000 square feet of commercial uses, 125,000 square feet of office uses, 100,000 square feet of community facility uses and 200,000 square feet of employment center uses. The proposed expansion of the LAC would incorporate 420 dwelling units and 620,000 square feet of commerce uses (commercial, industrial office and employment center). 

*based on a development standard of 10,000 sf per gross acre

To facilitate development of mixed use buildings with pedestrian-supportive site layouts, housing density able to support local businesses and public transit, a wider range of creative economy oriented commercial activities in the area, and proper transition areas between the Downtown and surrounding neighborhoods, the existing Local Activity Center in the City’s Comprehensive Plan needs to expand. Furthermore, current policies need to be adjusted, allowing for greater flexibility in housing types, to facilitate this redevelopment. Proposed is an expansion of the Local Activity Center to include the area south of Oakland Park Boulevard between NE 6^th Avenue and NE 13^th Street extending south to the Middle River to facilitate riverfront Downtown development including promenades and mixed-use development with river views and to include both sides of Oakland Park Boulevard in the Local Activity Center.  Also proposed are small expansions of the area to the west to incorporate both sides of NE 10^th Avenue, and an expansion to the northeast along NE 12^th Terrace bordering the Florida East Coast Railway to incorporate warehousing and light industrial areas along with the existing Funky Buddha Brewery into the area.  This will give the Downtown planning area supporting a variety of land uses and building types.

The proposed text amendment would:

•  Increase the allowable number of housing units from 2,220 to 2,720 within the expanded area to facilitate mixed use development.

• Eliminate required subcategories of housing units in order to enable greater flexibility in building design and housing types.

• Set aside 15 percent of the newly added 500 housing units (75 units), for moderate-income (workforce) affordable housing.

• Increase the allowable square footage of buildings used or to-be-used for Commerce from 1,006,000 square feet to 1,356,000 within the expanded area to facilitate mixed use and commercial development.

• Increase the minimum required amount of recreation and open space area from 5.47 acres to 12.0 acres.

 Findings and Applicable Codes

The Future Land Use Map and text amendments further the City’s interest in developing a vibrant, pedestrian oriented, mixed-use downtown and incorporate the Middle River frontage as a recreational resource and amenity. These proposed changes would allow developments to provide a range of housing types and housing sizes to serve the needs of different household sizes and levels wealth. The additional area for commerce would expand employment opportunities and increase the shopping and service offerings for local residents. This proposed amendments would accompany a comprehensive set of zoning changes for the area with design guidelines and building standards suitable for Downtown development. 

Analysis

A detailed analysis of the Land Use Plan Amendment is attached as an Exhibit to this agenda item.  The attached review and analysis of the application is governed by the existing Goals, Objectives and Policies of the Oakland Park Comprehensive Plan. Staff has reviewed the policies of the City’s Comprehensive Plan, as well as, reviewed potential impacts of the conversion of the land use to the City’s level of service in the following areas:

• Open Space
• Housing
• Traffic
• Public Water, Sewer, and Solid Waste
• Parks and Recreation
• Natural Resources
• Soil Conditions
• Fire Safety Resources
• School Facilities

Due to the addition of a total of 500 dwelling units, an increase of 3.53 acres to the City's adopted Parks and Recreation level of service is anticipated. The proposed amendment would require a minimum of 12.0 acres within the Local Activity Center boundaries be reserved for parks and recreation uses at buildout, an increase of 6.53 acres. Policies included within the OP3D Zoning Code will address the need for additional park acreage, requiring new development to provide parks, open spaces and public plazas.

Staff analyzed impacts to the transportation roadway network. The proposed changes to the comprehensive plan, with credits for increased pedestrian, bicycle, and transit usage, along with transportation credits for mixed-use development indicate that automotive traffic will increase by approximately 119 trips in the afternoon rush hour at the long-range planning horizon.