Planning & Zoning Commission - Regular Meeting

Good evening. I am hereby calling to order the January 15th meeting, 2026 of the Sebastian City Planning and Zoning Commission. We will begin our meeting with the pledge of allegiance. Thank you. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

Roll call, please. Yes. Miss Mr. Barton present. Miss Cotenberg here. Mr. Carter he's not here. No. Okay. Sorry. Uh Miss Laruso here. Mr. Reno here. Miss Battles here. Miss Kinchin here. And Miss Gasey here. Thank you.

Thank you. Um announcements for tonight. Mr. Carter has been excused from this meeting and his alternate our alternate uh Mr. Garton will be voting in his place. Also, uh, an appeal to the commissioner's denial of the Amron RV and Boat Storage Facility, uh, at our December 18th meeting has been submitted and in accordance with the timeline specified in the land development code. The hearing of that appeal before the city council has been scheduled for Wednesday, January 28th at 6 PM. [snorts] So, please mark your calendars if you have an interest. Thank you. Um, also I I we have a note from Mr. Carter this evening as part of um what we are required to do at this meeting is to nominate and elect um a chairperson and a vice chair. Mr. Carter has said has sent the note indicating that just in case somebody felt the desire to nominate him, he would not accept a nomination. So if you feel and and I appreciate him letting us know that. Thank you. Okay, the next uh our next uh point of business is the approval of the minutes of our previous meeting from December 18th. I believe you've all had an opportunity to review them.

Um, and if uh if you have no additions or corrections, anyone, then I will entertain a motion to accept them as submitted. I move that the Am I on? I move that the um meetings as written for Thursday, December 18th be approved. I second. All in favor? I I.

Any opposed? That motion is carried. We have a um public hearing this evening. And um my attorney read the title, please.

Absolutely. This is a preliminary plat approval for a two lot commercial subdivision uh located at 600 Schuman Drive. Okay. If there is anyone here who would like to uh from the public who would like to make uh comments or bring items to uh on the floor regarding this particular um hearing. We do have a five minute uh input limitation and um if you are going to give any testimony, you need to be sworn or file or turn in a a what what do they call it? Um the the card at the back of the room that has the the oath on it. The oath cards. I would like the presentation of the applicant at this time.

Um, no, it's not quasi judicial. It's just a public hearing. What? No, the fact that it's on the agenda untables it. Uh, it's not quasi judicial. So, we can move forward. Okay.

Good evening, plans zoning commissioners. My name is Joseph Schuli Schuli Ber Beach, Florida. I reside here in the city of Sebastian and I'm here tonight representing Todd Maxwell and his proposal to get the plunary flat approved uh for the property at the northwest corner of Schuman Drive in US1. Uh that property had housed uh it was a residence I think at one time is converted to a commercial use. There was a uh kind of a holistic medicine used there for a long time and then it was empty for a long time. It's since been demoed and is sitting there empty. Um my uh client has proposed just basically to subdivide that into two lots um uh to uh potentially make it a little bit more developable. Uh to uh when we do that, we're also proposing to put a master storm water system in. We're proposing to make sure there's water and sewer services for both lots. Uh and we're proposing some additional landscaping on the site. Uh, normally landscaping wouldn't be required, but um, you may recall a year, year and a half ago, they came to you and they had a city council because they did a land swap for a little small piece of property between the Schuman Park and this property because it was just really odd shaped. There was kind of like a little corner piece sticking out sticking into it and then into the park. And it just made sense to have almost like an even land swap and just make a nice even lot line. Uh in doing so, they uh my uh my client agreed to landscape the perimeter of our site, even though you usually wouldn't do it at the preliminary plat. Uh as well as add additional landscaping in the park. Uh add a crosswalk at US1 crossing to the uh which would be the uh uh southwest corner. So from the uh northwest to southwest corner, adding a crosswalk across Schuman Drive parallel to US1. uh adding a sidewalk um down Schuman Drive all the way past the railroad or to the railroad tracks. You

know, when they put the railroad in, they actually put the new crosswalks through the railroad. Um and so we'll be able to bring the sidewalk from US1 all the way down to there. So, there's some extra things that uh the applicant agreed to do as part of the agreement for the annex uh for the for the land swap. But what we're really here tonight, and I just want to remind you, we did all that, but but what we're really here tonight is just to ask for a preliminary plat approval uh to subdivide this property into two lots. What would happen if you do approve this after this uh and we get our approvals is we would um uh get a subdivision construction permit, if you will, to actually do the improvements, the generalized improvements for the water and sewer and the drainage, the landscaping. Um, and we would submit a final plat which I don't know if it goes to PNZ, it certainly goes to city council just to actually record those two lots at a later date. Um, we are not here tonight asking for approval of actual buildings or what's going to be there. We don't know what's going to be there. Uh, it could be any uh approved commercial use that's approved in that zoning district. You know, it could be fast food, it could be convenience store, it could be banks, it could be who knows and we don't really know. But what we're doing is trying to set it up so it's almost like pad ready. So when someone w wants to develop and bring in their use, a lot of the infrastructure is already there and it'll make it an easier process for them to get approved and an easier process for the staff to approve it because we've got a lot of that stuff out of the way. [snorts] So it's really pretty simple. Um so I don't think I need that anymore to uh other than that other than say I'd be happy to answer any questions you have. Uh I did want to mention I did review staff report. We're in complete agreement with the staff report and so if you have any questions I'll answer them. Otherwise, I'll sit down and let you all deliberate.

Okay. Thank you. Thank you. Staff presentation, please.

Good evening. So, this is um preliminary replat of 1.94 acres um as the applicant said on the corner of Schuman and US1. And um as he stated before, this was as part of a land swap that was done of 0.06 06 acres back in 2023 to clean up the lot and u make sure that it we can work in partnership. One of those things that we did in working in partnership is that there were some stipulations in exhibit C that were done in regards to landscaping and how that area was going to be beautified. And um all of those are outlined in the staff report as well and I can go over them, but there's basically five different things in landscaping enhancement that the applicant is going to do as part of this uh preliminary plat agreement. And with that, um, staff finds that it's in compliance with our land development regulations and our comprehensive plan. [snorts] And, um, staff recommends approval and with the, um, condition that they do everything in exhibit C, which is the landscape requirements. I'd be happy to answer any questions that you may have.

Thank you. Do we have anyone from the public here who would like to give any input? Either in favor or opposed. Okay. you've summarized already and I still remember every word you said. Um, are do we have any questions from any of the members here of the commission? No questions. I have none.

No. Okay. It's a testament how well put together the package is. No one has any questions. I hereby close the hearing. We will have uh any deliberation that we need to make. Uh if there is no discussion available, then we will entertain a motion. [cough and clears throat] Any discussion?

I I just want to thank our planning and zoning staff for the work they put in when applications come in before we even see them. They make sure all checks and balances. They make sure it meets all our code. They make our job very very easy. Thank you. Okay.

Anyone else I have just one thing I as well as uh thanking the staff I would like to thank Mr. Schuli for putting this together because I think it's an excellent idea. It would it would be so positive if we had more sites that were already set up so that when the enduser comes in, we could cut the time down, cut the stress level, and uh save everybody a lot of time. Thank you very much for doing that. I think it's a fabulous idea. Um

and I would say I think it's good to see like, you know, some infill projects, right? like it's already a site that's been used and we're looking to, you know, I like the idea of it being a higher and better use and, you know, an opportunity for the community. So, I think it's great.

Okay. Any no other comments? Can we have a motion, please? I'll make a motion that we recommend to city council for approval of the replat of Schuman property along with the public benefit listed based uh on exhibit C that the staff is requesting a second for that. I'll second. Okay, a motion and a second. And could we have a roll call vote, please? Yes, Miss Kinchen. Yes, Miss Battles. Yes, Miss Cottonberg. Yes,

Mr. Garton. Yes, Mr. Reno. Yes, Miss Geese. Yes. And Miss Laruso? Yes. The vote is 720 to zero. In favor, the motion carries.

Thank you. Okay. the uh we have no unfinished business. Um but we do have under new business election of a chair and vice chair for the coming year motions. Uh not I can't ask for a motion. Yes. I recommend Luis Cottonberg for chairman. I'll second that. Who seconded battles? Okay.

Okay. I thank you very much and I accept that nomination. Vice chair. I'll recommend Linda Kinchin as vice chair. I second. Thank you. I accept also. Okay. We have uh nominations in place. Could we um have a vote, please? We'll start with the chair.

Yes. Miss Laruso? Yes. On both. Um Miss Gasey, yes on both. Mr. Reno, yes on both. Miss Battles? Yes, Mr. Mr. Garton. Yes, on both. Miss Kinchen. Yes, on both. Mr. uh Miss Cutenberg. Yes, on both. Okay, it is 7 to zero. Again, motion carries. Thank you very much. That concludes our business this evening. We can all go home, eat something warm, put a quilt on the Good.