Original Story: August 7, 2020

A request by the owner of the four-building property just north of Memorial Park to change its land use category from RPI to Neighborhood Commercial (NC) and undergo a rezoning from CRO to Planned Unit Development (PUD) was heard August 6 at the City of Jacksonville's Planning Commission meeting.

The property includes the former North Florida Dermatology buildings on Riverside Avenue, along with two other buildings on Memorial Park Terrace.

In Bills 2020-0332 and 2020-0333, land use and PUD changes are being requested to accommodate, among other items, restaurants totaling 350 seats, office spaces, and residential spaces in four existing buildings. Outdoor seating areas and outdoor sales and service are requested in the current plan.

At this time, the project has no plans to demolish or substantially rebuild any of the buildings.

RAP has held two neighborhood meetings on the project, with over 100 neighbors attending the initial RAP meeting on February 5 at Riverside Presbyterian Church.

Resident concerns include:

• Increased traffic from automobiles, delivery trucks and trash trucks.
• Bicycle and pedestrian safety concerns from the increased traffic and the driveway access onto Riverside Avenue in front of the the one story building there.
• The number of people proposed for the restaurant creating increased problems with parking for the restaurant patrons, residents nearby and visitors to Memorial Park.
• Noise from outside music or outdoor seating.

RAP's position today is that the following conditions must be met in order for the project to be approved.  These have not yet been agreed to by the applicant.

Conditions:

• Maximum number of restaurants:  2
• Maximum number of seats:  240.  Of the 240:

  • Building 2 restaurant: 140 with maximum 24 outdoors located in park-side patio only.
  • Building 3 restaurant: 100 with maximum 16 outdoors.

• Hours of operation:

  • Building 2 restaurant:  Close by 10 p.m. Sunday - Thursday, and 12 midnight Friday and Saturday.
  • Building 3 restaurant:  Close by 10 p.m. seven days a week.

• No amplified music outdoors at any time.
• No deliveries or trash pick up prior to 7 a.m. or after 5 p.m. Delivery trucks not allowed to block lanes on Memorial Park Drive at any time.
• All parking spaces will be marked (painted) and parking lots will be brought to city standards.
• Building 4 parking spaces for employees or residents of Building 4 only.
• Knee wall to be built in the front parking lot of Building 2, with a 5' landscape buffer.
• PUD is tied to the site plan and any redevelopment will require a PUD to PUD legislation.
• Limitation on uses - We will cross off uses as we did with 1541 Margaret Street.

The Planning Department recommended approval of the land use category change and approval with conditions for the rezoning request.

After the Planning Commission meeting, the bill will go to the Land Use and Zoning Committee (LUZ) of the City Council on August 18 at 5 p.m.  The LUZ will vote to make a recommendation to the full Council for a vote on August 25.

If you cannot attend the meetings, you may email your concerns to:

District 14 Council Member Randy DeFoor,
rdefoor@coj.net
Planning Commission Chair Josh Garrison, joshua@pcgarrison.com
Planning Commission Executive Secretary Patricia Sales, pmacer@coj.net
Land Use and Zoning Chair Council Member Michael Boylan, mboylan@coj.net
Land Use and Zoning Legislative Assistant Crystal Shemwell, cshemwell@coj.net
Planning Department, Folks Huxford,
fhuxford@coj.net