Bill Type and Number: Ordinance 2007 - 194

 

Sponsor: Council President at the request of the Office of General Counsel

 

Date of Introduction: February 13, 2007

 

Committee(s) of Reference: LUZ

 

Date of Analysis: February 16, 2007

 

Type of Action: Approving Settlement Agreement

 

Bill Summary: The bill approves a Stipulated Settlement Agreement between the Department of Community Affairs (DCA) , Intervener Valeria Britt, the City of Jacksonville/Duval County, and the Intervener Nichols Creek Development, LLC.  It also authorizes the Administration to execute the Agreement.  Further, per the Agreement, the bill states that the City agrees to consider formally adopting all remedial actions listed in the Agreement within the required time period.

 

Background Information: The Agreement states the DCA has found an inconsistency in an amendment to the City's Comprehensive Plan that changed zoning classification of three parcels, affecting 80.2 acres, from WD-WR to CGC.  This change would allow the construction of 400 residential units and a 250-room hotel on land within the Costal High Hazard Area.  The City's Comprehensive Plan prohibits such zoning changes unless the change does not increase the established hurricane evacuation time.  The City's standard is 16.75 hours; however, the Northeast Florida Regional Council uses 18.75 hours.  The DCA agued that the City's standard is too low.  Further, increased development, as may happen with the adopted zoning changes, could increase hurricane evacuation times. 

 

Remedial actions proposed (Exhibit A), and which the City agrees to consider, are for the City to:

  • Provide additional analysis to support the City's established time of 16.75 hours
  • Revise the amendment to the Comprehensive Plan so as to be consistent with the City's Comprehensive Plan objectives and policies as they relate to development in coastal high hazard areas and evacuation clearance times
  • Provide additional information to show that resolving the first two points, or adopt other remedial actions, will resolve inconsistencies with the Northeast Florida Strategic Regional Policy Plan and with Florida Administrative Code and Statutes.

As remedial action stipulated in Exhibit B of the Agreement, the City will introduce a remedial future land use map amendment, within 60 days, that will reduce the potential density in the general area of the property in question so as to limit development to 400 residential units and a 250 hotel rooms, conserve salt water marsh areas, and reduce potential residential density.

 

Policy Impact Area: Economic development in coastal high hazard areas

 

Fiscal Impact: Undetermined

 

Analyst: Weiss