Title:
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Jain Society Special Exception - Consider a Special Exception to allow an existing civic assembly use to expand in the A-1 (Agriculture) and R-1AA (Single-Family Dwelling) zoning districts on 1.93 acres, located on the northwest corner of Citrus Street and Laura Avenue; (BS2025-02); (Jain Society of Central Florida, Applicant); District3 - Constantine; (Hilary Padin, Planner).
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Division:
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Development Services
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Authorized By:
Joy Giles, Planning Division Manager
Contact/Phone Number:
Hilary Padin/407-665-7331
Background:
The Applicant is requesting approval of a Special Exception to expand an existing civic assembly use known as Jain Society, located on 1.93 acres. The existing civic assembly development is comprised of two (2) buildings; a 4,622 square-foot single-story worship hall containing approximately 112 seats, and an 8,065 square-foot single-story multi-purpose building. The Applicant proposes to demolish the 8,065 square-foot single-story multi-purpose building and construct a 15,043 square-foot two-story multi-purpose hall in its place. The proposed new building will contain a dining hall with a serving kitchen on the first floor, and several multi-purpose meeting and meditation rooms, including a 160-seat auditorium, on the second floor. This civic assembly use is classified as a community facility, which is designed to accommodate a larger number of people for a wider geographic area than neighborhood facilities.
The facility operates primarily on Sundays from 10:00 am to 1:30 pm. However, the worship hall is available to members during the day, seven (7) days a week.
The Applicant has acquired two (2) adjacent lots to the rear of the site, to provide fifty (50) parking spaces for the use of the church. Combined with the existing thirty-two (32) spaces, the property will have a total of eighty-two (82) parking spaces. The required parking count for this assembly use is sixty-eight (68) parking spaces. Including the additional proposed parking lot, the site will provide an excess of fourteen (14) spaces above the minimum required under the Seminole County Land Development Code (SCLDC). The site must also meet all regulations under the SCLDC, such as buffering and site lighting.
As previously stated, the Applicant proposed to demolish the existing single-story 8,065 square-foot multi-purpose building and construct a two-story 15,043 square-foot building in the same footprint. The existing footprint does not meet the minimum required front yard building setback of fifty (50) feet; therefore, the Applicant must obtain approval of a front yard setback variance from the Board of Adjustment in the event this request is approved.
The proposed parking addition on the west side of the property is to be accessed from Highland Street, which will require improvements by the Applicant.
Staff has received five (5) letters of opposition, four (4) of which are located within 550 feet of the subject site and are reflected on the support and opposition map.
Staff Findings:
In reviewing special exception requests, Section 30.3.1.5(a) of the Seminole County Land Development Code, requires that the Planning and Zoning Commission hold a public hearing to consider the proposed Special Exception and submit written recommendations to approve with conditions or deny the request to the Board of County Commissioners for official action. After review of the Special Exception request and a public hearing, the Board of County Commissioners may approve the request if it is determined that the use requested:
(1) Is not detrimental to the character of the area or neighborhood or inconsistent with trends of development in the area:
Staff Analysis:
The Jain Society is an existing civic assembly use located on the corner of Citrus Street and Laura Avenue, which are classified as local roads within a residential neighborhood. The existing trend of development in the area is single-family residential with a forty (40) acre county park on the north side. A community civic assembly facility is intended to accommodate a larger number of people than a neighborhood civic assembly facility for a wider geographic area. A 15,043 square foot, two (2) story community civic assembly facility directly abutting a neighborhood of single-story single-family homes is not in character with the trend of development. Therefore, the proposed use would not be in character with the surrounding area or consistent with the trends of development in the area.
(2) Does not have an unduly adverse effect on existing traffic patterns, movements and volumes:
Staff Analysis:
Although the additional parking should help alleviate the existing on-street parking concerns, it does not necessarily address the potential increase in traffic associated with the expansion of the facility. The proposed parking lot would provide additional on-site parking and is expected to reduce the existing overflow parking along the surrounding right of way. However, the proposal would increase the size of the multi-purpose building by 6,978 square feet, an approximately 87 percent increase, introducing dining hall, meeting rooms and meditation rooms. These additional facilities could substantially increase the number and frequency of people attending activities at the site, particularly if multiple areas are used concurrently. Therefore, while the additional parking may address the existing parking deficiency, the expanded intensity of the civic assembly use could increase traffic volumes and vehicle movements within the surrounding residential neighborhood.
To limit the intensity of the expanded use and reduce the potential for overlapping activities, a condition to the Development Order has been included capping the total occupancy of the entire site, including both buildings and all indoor and outdoor activities, to no more than 160 people at any given time.
(3) Is consistent with the County’s Comprehensive Plan:
Staff Analysis:
The subject property has a Future Land Use designation of Low Density Residential. Pursuant to the Seminole County Comprehensive Plan, the purpose and intent of this land use designation is to provide appropriate locations for residences at a maximum density of four (4) dwelling units per net buildable acre, with a limited list of public purpose and Special Exception uses. Permitted uses include single-family residences, public schools and Special Exception uses such as group homes, houses of worship, daycares, guest cottages, home occupations, public utilities, and publicly owned parks and recreation areas.
Since houses of worship are a Special Exception use under Policy FLU 5.2.1(c) of the Comprehensive Plan and there is an existing church operating on the property, this request is consistent with the Low Density Residential Future Land Use designation.
(4) Will not adversely affect the public interest:
Staff Analysis:
Within the A-1 (Agriculture) district, civic assembly is a common use that typically supports the surrounding residential community. The established church is located on approximately 1.3 acres and the addition of the two (2) rear lots increases the site to approximately 1.9 acres. The additional parking is necessary to support the continued use of the existing church.
However, the proposal also includes replacing the existing 8,065 square foot, single story multi-purpose building with a 15,043 square foot, two story building, an increase of 6,978 square feet. Although a condition of the Development Order will limit the total occupancy of the site to no more than 160 people at any given time, the proposed expansion would substantially increase the scale and intensity of the use. The site is primarily accessed by local residential roads that also serve a county park, and the proposed two-story building would be inconsistent with the predominantly single-story, single-family character of the surrounding neighborhood. Therefore, the granting of the subject Special Exception will adversely affect the public interest.
(5) Meets any special exception criteria described in Additional Use Standards;
Section 30.6.17.5 of the Land Development Code states that the following review criteria shall be used to determine the appropriateness of the Special Exception application:
(1) Protects Residential Neighborhoods. Outdoor use areas, including vehicular use areas, must be located and designed to minimize potential negative impacts on residential zoning districts and residential uses in approved PDs, including but not limited to mitigation of light spill-over, glare, noise (from mechanical equipment, recreational facilities, outdoor classrooms, etc.), and any other negative impacts associated with the type of civic assembly use proposed. Assembly uses in residential zones may not apply for a permanent license to sell alcoholic beverages for on-premise consumption.
Staff Analysis:
The church’s vehicular use areas will be required to include buffering from adjacent residential property to minimize potential impacts. However, the proposed two (2) story, 15,043 square-foot multi-purpose building, due to its size, is incompatible with and will adversely affect the residential character of the surrounding neighborhood.
(2) Traffic. Vehicular ingress, egress, and on-site circulation must be designed and constructed to ensure the least possible impact on neighboring properties and residential streets. Primary ingress and egress must be from the highest service level adjacent street, unless otherwise approved by the Planning and Zoning Commission and Board of County Commissioners. Per SCLDC Section 30.6.17.5(2) vehicular access for Community and Regional assembly facilities must be from a collector of four lanes or more, or an arterial street. Parking areas must be designed and located to minimize conflict with pedestrian and bike pathways.
Staff Analysis:
This community assembly facility is accessible only from two-lane local residential roads and therefore does not satisfy the requirement that access be provided from a collector roadway with four or more lanes or from an arterial roadway. The property is located at the intersection of three (3) local roads and has an established history of parishioners parking across sidewalks and within the right-of-way, including in front of nearby residences. Staff received four (4) letters in opposition based on existing traffic and parking concerns; one of which provided photographs and a video documenting these conditions.
(3) Noise Abatement. Civic Assembly uses often involve groups of people arriving and departing at one time (as is common with many assembly uses), outdoor gatherings, or sound amplification. Therefore, issues related to noise from gatherings, events, vehicles, and equipment must be addressed through conditions of approval for a special exception permit. Conditions including, but not limited to, the location of outdoor use areas on the property, limitations on hours or days of operation, and additional noise abatement strategies may be required.
Staff Analysis:
A condition of approval of no outdoor sound amplification without a permit from the County has been included in the proposed Development Order and is recommended by staff. Also, buffering will be required on the site to abate any potential noise from impacting the surrounding neighborhoods.
(4) Lighting. Lighting of outdoor areas must be cut-off or fully shielded to reduce glare and prevent light overspill into adjacent properties. Lighting for sports fields and outdoor recreation areas, where operational characteristics prevent the use of cut-off or fully shielded lights, must be turned off no later than 10:00 p.m. or be located such that the lights are not visible from a residential zoning district or residential uses in an approved PD.
Staff Analysis:
The site will not contain a sports field or outdoor recreation areas. Outdoor lighting of the parking areas will be limited and evaluated at the time of site plan to ensure compliance.
(6) Meets the following additional requirements if located in the applicable zone:
If located in A-10, A-5, A-3, or A-1:
(i) Is consistent with the general zoning category of the rural zoning classifications; and
Staff Analysis:
The proposed expansion of the existing church is not consistent with the already established use and character of the area, as discussed above.
(ii) Is not highly intensive in nature; and
Staff Analysis:
The existing civic assembly use, together with the proposed expansion, is highly intensive in nature relative to the size of the site and the surrounding residential neighborhood. The proposed building’s height, scale and capacity would be inconsistent with the predominantly single-story, single-family residences surrounding the property.
(iii) Is compatible with the concept of low-density rural land use; and
Staff Analysis:
The church is in the A-1 zoning district; however the surrounding properties are single-family residential zoning districts. The proposed request is not compatible with low-density rural land use. However, this site is designated Low Density Residential and meets the intent of the Low Density Residential Future Land Use designation.
(iv) Has access to an adequate level of public services such as sewer, water, police, fire, schools and related services.
Staff Analysis:
If the proposed Special Exception and associated Development Order is approved, the expansion of the multi-purpose building will require the Applicant to connect to the County’s potable water service. The development currently utilizes an on-site septic tank system, the Applicant proposes to replace, including the drain field. However, if sanitary sewer service is available from the City of Altamonte, the Applicant will be required to connect to the City’s sewer system. The site has adequate access to all other services.
Community Meeting
In compliance with Seminole County Land Development Code Sec. 30.3.5 - Community meeting procedures, the Applicant conducted a community meeting on April 24, 2025. An additional community meeting was required to be held upon the proposal of the additional property for parking and was held on May 4, 2026. Details of each community meeting have been provided in the agenda package.
Requested Action:
Staff requests, the Planning and Zoning Commission, recommend to the Board of County Commissioners denial of the Special Exception and associated Development Order as per the following motion:
Based on Staff’s findings and the testimony and evidence received at the hearing, the Planning and Zoning Commission finds the request does not meet the identified portions of the Land Development Code and recommends the Board of County Commissioners deny the Special Exception and associated Development Order to allow an existing church to expand in the A-1 (Agriculture) and R-1AA (Single Family Dwelling) zoning districts on approximately 1.93 acres, located on the northwest corner of Citrus Street and Laura Avenue.