Title:
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Vantage Bank Special Exception - Consider a Special Exception to allow the use of a bank in the OP (Office) zoning district on approximately 1.52 acres, located at the corner of SR 434 and E Lake Brantley Dr; (BS2025-12); (Vanessa Johnson, Vantage Properties LLC, Applicant); District3 - Constantine; (Annie Sillaway, Principal Planner).
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Agenda Category:
Public Hearing Items
Department/Division:
division
Development Services
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Authorized By:
Joy Giles - Planning Manager
Contact/Phone Number:
Annie Sillaway/407-665-7936
Background:
The Applicant is requesting a Special Exception to reinstate the operation of a bank on the subject property. The property has a Future Land Use of Office and OP (Office) zoning, which allows for the use of a bank if approved via a Special Exception.
The property was originally approved to operate as a bank by the Board of Adjustment on September 17, 1984. In 1996, the Board of Adjustment approved a Special Exception to reinstate bank use after the facility had been vacant for more than 180 days, causing the previous Special Exception to expire. Pursuant to Section 30.3.6 of the SCLDC (Seminole County Land Development Code), when a Special Exception use is discontinued or abandoned for 180 days or longer, the future use of the land shall revert to the permitted uses in the district in which said land is located, and a new Special Exception is required for the proposed use.
Due to the property not being used as a bank for more than 180 days, the Applicant, Vantage Bank, is required to obtain a new Special Exception to continue the banking use on the site.
No site improvements are being proposed at this time, and the existing building will be reoccupied as a bank. On March 2, 2022, the existing TD Bank had a site plan approved to remove a retaining wall, sidewalk, and parking areas behind the drive-thru and relocate parking toward the front of the property. The approved site plan meets the SCLDC requirements for required landscape buffers, and off-street parking requirements for the use of a bank.
Staff Findings
In reviewing Special Exception requests, Section 30.3.1.5(a) of the SCLDC, requires that the Planning and Zoning Commission hold a public hearing to consider the proposed Special Exception and submit written recommendations to approve, approve with conditions or deny the request to the Board of County Commissioners for official action. After reviewing 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 site was originally approved for a bank by the Board of Adjustment on September 17, 1984. In 1996, a Special Exception was approved by the Board of Adjustments to reinstate the use of a banking facility, due to the property not utilizing the property as a banking facility for over 180 days, so the Special Exception expired. Vantage Bank would like to reinstate the Special Exception to use the existing site as a bank. The Applicant will be using the same drive thru lanes, existing building square feet, and off-street parking.
The existing trends of development of the area consist of residential professional office developments to the north and west, which is zoned RP (Residential Professional). Across Lake Brantley Drive, adjacent to the subject property, is an existing Seacoast bank, which is zoned PD (Planned Development) called the South Bank of Florida PD and permits the use of a bank.
(2) Does not have an unduly adverse effect on existing traffic patterns, movements and volumes:
Staff Analysis:
The subject site has an existing building that was originally and has continually been used as a bank throughout the years, where traffic calculations have already been performed to support the use of a bank. Therefore, the bank is not expected to have unduly adverse effect on existing traffic patterns, movements and volumes.
(3) Is consistent with the County’s Comprehensive Plan:
Staff Analysis:
The subject property has a Future Land Use designation of Office. Pursuant to the Seminole County Comprehensive Plan, the purpose and intent of this land use designation is to identify locations for a variety of office uses and allow for the conversion of existing residential structures to low intensity (residential professional) office uses. This land use permits the use of a bank, when approved through the Special Exception process.
Further, the requested Special Exception to allow the use of a bank would not increase the Floor Area Ratio (F.A.R.) above 0.35, which is the maximum allowed intensity in the Office Future Land Use; therefore, the request is consistent with the Seminole County Comprehensive Plan.
(4) Will not adversely affect the public interest:
Staff Analysis:
The use of a bank has been continuously on this site since 1984. Along SR 434, there is an existing Seacoast Bank and existing professional office establishments. Therefore, granting the subject Special Exception will not adversely affect public interest.
(5) Meets any special exception criteria described in Additional Use Standards since the subject site is located in the OP (Office) Zoning district.
b. If located in OP:
(i) Is consistent with the general zoning category and plan of the OP (Office) District.
Staff Analysis:
The use of a bank is consistent with the zoning category of Office with the intent of an office use that provides a transactional service to their bank members. The site currently has two (2) access points: The primary access point is from SR 434, which is classified as an arterial roadway, and the secondary access point is from Lake Brantley Drive, which is classified as a local road. The existing site will not introduce any noise or heavy commercial operations. Overall, the continued use of the site as a bank can be found to satisfy the OP District’s purpose of promoting orderly, low-intensity development that blends with nearby residential areas while maintaining appropriate access and circulation characteristics.
(ii) Is compatible with the concept of low intensity of land usage and site coverage.
Staff Analysis:
A bank is considered a low traffic generator with limited noise and operational impacts compared to retail and commercial uses. The hours of operation are daytime hours between 9 a.m.- 5 p.m. (with some mid-week extensions to 6:00 p.m.) Monday - Friday and 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. on Saturday. The bank use is primarily inside the building with drive-thru vehicles sporadically throughout the day, with no outdoor storage, loading operations, or late-night activities. The size of the existing building for bank use is small with a total square footage of 3,228, which is compatible with the surrounding office and bank uses in the surrounding area.
(iii) Has access to urban services, such as sewer, water, police, fire, and related services.
Staff Analysis:
The existing building is already connected to water and sewer, and the subject property is addressed for police and fire to locate the site.
(iv) Will not create, by reason of its characteristics, a requirement for the granting of a variance as a prerequisite to the granting of said special exception, especially (by way of illustration and not limitation) variances relating to setbacks, lot size, building height, access, or parking and loading.
Staff Analysis:
During the review of the conceptual plan, the Applicant demonstrated that the subject site located in the OP (Office) zoning district meets the minimum building setbacks, lot size, width at building line, building height, and the minimum off-street parking requirements for a bank.
Community Meeting
Per Sec. 30.3.5.1 - The Division Manager may waive the required Community Meeting, based upon the needs of the abutting communities or the County, as a result of generally accepted land use planning practices and principles. Because the property has been continuously used as a bank since its original approval in 1984, the requirement for a community meeting has been waived for this Special Exception request.
Requested Action:
Staff finds the request meets the identified portions of Section 30.3.1.5- Special Exceptions of the Seminole County Land Development Code; therefore, staff requests the Planning and Zoning Commission recommend the Board of County Commissioners approve the Special Exception and the associated Development Order, to allow the use of a bank in the OP (Office) zoning district on approximately 1.52 acres, located at the corner of SR 434 and E Lake Brantley Dr.