Planning & Zoning Commission - Regular Meeting

I'd like to call this evening's meeting to order. And for those of us who aren't quite sure of where we are and when it is, this is the meeting of Sebastian City Planning and Zoning Commission, March 19th, 2026. And we will begin with the pledge of allegiance. I stand indivisible and justice for all.

Roll call, please. Miss Cotenberg, present. Mr. Reno, here. Miss Battles, here. Mr. Carter present. Miss Gasey here. Mr. Gart present. Thank you.

Okay, just a couple of announcements this evening. Um, commissioners Laruso and Kinchin are excused from this evening's meeting and, uh, voting in their place tonight, uh, would be Mr. Rail. Thank you for coming. Oh, I'm sorry, Mr. Garden. Those of us who don't know where we are and what we're doing, it's okay. That would be neat.

Um, also, uh, we had an annual board, uh, training session scheduled for this evening. Um, it is going to be, uh, delayed until our next meeting agenda. And um I would like to just take a second off the record to uh in her absence thank Bosworth for having served our city for 31 years with patience, kindness, grace, and tolerance for those of us who asked her silly, goofy questions forever and ever um and never got a snippy answer. Uh, thank you, Dory. Um, your loyalty is much appreciated and your presence is greatly missed. Thank you.

Here, here.

Okay. The next uh item on our agenda is approval of the minutes from our most recent meeting. the board have had an opportunity to them, digest them, and um if you have any additions or corrections, please bring them up. If no one has any, then we will entertain a motion to accept them as submitted.

Hold on one second. Sorry. I do have a there there's one uh or two places where I believe the traffic consultant's name was spelled wrong. It should be memoring on the mean meeting minutes.

Yeah. So, I think there's an S where there's not supposed to be an S. I think I I I mean I I see two, but maybe just go through and just make sure. Yeah. Oh, okay. Okay. Thank you. And now we if we could have if we could have a motion indicating the correction. I will make a motion with the correction as noted uh to accept the minutes of February 5th, 2026 of the regular meeting for the planning and zoning commission.

And I'll second. Okay. All in favor? I. Any opposed? So be it. The next um item of business will then be our qua judicial hearing and I'm officially opening that hearing. I don't like hammering things but they require me to. So, um, do any of the commissioners have any of the commissioners had any expartite communications?

Okay. I would just like to say that all persons who will give testimony tonight uh need to sign an oath card um so that we know who you are and how to keep track. Uh, the next item will be the applicant's presentation, and you are given 30 minutes to do so. Madam Chair, yes. Can I go ahead and read the caption into the record? Well, wouldn't that be a good idea?

So, we know what we're talking about. There's only one item on the agenda, so we know what we're talking about here, but uh um this is a quasi judicial public hearing. uh site plan development and conditional use permit for Mavis Tires and Brakes at 9641 US Highway 1. A vehicular service and maintenance shop with 74 square ft showroom, 2741qt service area, 1,169 ft tire storage area, and associated improvements. Both the land use and zoning district are commercial general.

Thank you. Thank you. And now um presentation please and if you would kindly um say your name and spell it if it's anything unusual so that we can record it properly.

Okay. Say good evening. My name is Emma Zions. I'll go ahead and spell my last name. It is Z I O N S as in Sam and I thank you all for having us here tonight. I am here on behalf of the applicant and I also have my project engineer with me as well. Um so as mentioned uh today we'll be presenting on the proposed Mavis Tire Center that will you know city of the city of Sebastian. So the proposed site is located off of US Highway 1. It is going to be an out parcel of the public's development. It is currently vacant. It is on the northeast corner. Um and it has an adjacent um the adjacent lot to the north is vacant. On this slide you can see the location in the northeast corner. It is the lot surrounded in red. It is about.9 acres in size. It is this site is zoned general commercial and it also has a future land use of general commercial. Um our proposed land use it will be um that commercial auto repair store. Tonight we are requesting approval of the site plan development. Again this is going to be a tire service center. It'll be just under 5,000 square feet and will have six service bays. Um we are also requesting a conditional you approval of the conditional use for this type of use. There are uh multiple conditions that have to be met. A lot of them do not apply specifically to this use but are more geared towards um convenience stores with gas sales. Some of the more notable items I do have listed above. Um those include we are providing full circulation of the site. Um we are meeting the landscaping requirements for the off- streetet parking. All work that will be done on any vehicles will be done completely um entirely inside of the building um or in the service space specifically and all merchandise and

displays will be stored in the building as well. For those that may not be a um know much about Mavis, um Mavis is um they are the largest independent multibrand tire dealer in the United States. Um their primary business is the retail sale of tires, but they do also sell brakes, shocks, struts, and exhaust systems. They do perform oil changes um do vehicle inspections and replace fluids. Um again, all of these services will occur within the building. Um the when they're doing tire um repair or installation, it does not require the idling of vehicles. So, it really eliminates any fumes from being released. Um they do not have any outside storage of cars, parts or tires. any scrap tires are stored within the building and then they are um picked up and removed on a weekly basis and they don't store any gasoline on site. Here you can see the proposed site plan for this project. Um the building is just under 5,000 square ft. Again, it has those service bays. There are six of them that face US Highway 1. Um you can see there is that internal full circulation around the building. There are two access points. um on this site. And then we're also providing 25 parking spaces, which is in excess of the 17 required parking spaces based on the city of Sebastian land development code. Here is a zoning table that just shows that we are either meeting or exceeding the bulk requirements for this site based on um the general commercial land development code. Um, again, we have two access points to this site. So, we do not have a direct

access off of US Highway 1. You will have access off of the internal drive as you come into the shopping center. And then we also are providing cross access to the northwest um portion of this site that will tie into or lead you to the public's development. We are also providing there in orange a sidewalk that wraps around the building. So that will help for um people who are coming to the store parking in the rear and they'll be able to navigate to the front of the building to the showroom. Here we have our landscape plan. As you can see, we are providing landscape um trees and shrubs around the entire perimeter of the um site. And then we also have those end terminal islands for the parking areas that are also required. Here we can see the architectur architectural elevations. Um the one at the top is going to be the front of the building with the um service bays and that will face highway one. The one on the bottom is going to be that back side of the building that is facing the public's um shopping center. And then here we have the north and south um elevations. So the one on the left is facing the internal drive which is facing I think the truest bank over there and the other one is facing the north where we have that vacant parcel or land that's abuing this um lot. So as mentioned previously we are providing um adequate landscaping to um the site based on the land development code. For drainage we are tying into the master drainage system. um that system allows this lot to have a maximum of 80% impervious. However, we are ex um we are lower than that. We are only at 70% impervious.

And for traffic, um from the master traffic study that was done for the shopping center, it included this lot. It allowed for 693 vested trips per day. Um however this is a pretty low trip generator and only um it has about less than 200 trips daily and that's based on the IT trip generation as well. So in summary um just you know based on what we have presented in this presentation we are meeting all of the code requirements based on the city of Sebastian land development code. Um we have been recommended for approval by the staff for the city of Sebastian and we also have approvals with um the various other agencies. Um and then we also uh meet all the criteria for the conditional use. So thank you for your time and we're happy to hear any of your questions.

We'll get to the question part after we hear from our staff.

Thank you. All right, Madame Chair, commissioners, uh tonight we do have a Mavis Tire um proposed for the public's plaza located off of Barber Street. Um this is located on a 0.9 acre parcel uh within the public's plaza. Um it is around a 5,000 square foot maintenance center with six bays. um and the square footage that we read earlier for service area and uh for the showroom. Now, this is not located in an overlay district. So, no overlay district requirements were applied to this site. Um as for the building coverage, like I said, is 5,000 square ft. Um which is only 13% of the site, which they have 30% allowable for building coverage. The number of parking spaces definitely exceeds of what they're required. They're required to have 17 parking spaces per our code. Um, which they provided 25 on site. Now, the location, size, and character of height for the signs that are proposed, uh, I believe there are no freestanding signs for this site. They're going to use the multi-tenant sign that's available for the public's plaza, but they are proposing the signage along the walls for the building itself. and those signs will actually have to be formally approved at the building permit process. Um some additional considerations as this is a conditional use within the CG zoning uh district. Um there are some criteria that they had to meet and there is a summary explaining those uh conditions that they have met and staff feels that they have met those conditions and with the planning and zoning um review of the conditional use if they um upon such finding that they approve it um the commission shall

approve the conditional use permit along with the site plan as well. Um, so in staff conclusion, the site plan is consistent with our comprehensive plan and our land development code and we recommend approval of the Mavis Tire and brakes located at 9641 US Highway 1 um with the following condition. It's just kind of a reminder that the applicant needs to apply for the building permit for the signage um after site plan has been approved and that condition is the proposed signage on the elevations of the building be applied as a separate building after site plan approval and if you guys if anybody has any question for me I'm available as well.

Thank you. Is there any member of the audience who wishes to speak in favor of this? No. The floor is open to anyone who is opposed to this. Seeing no one. Anybody on Zoom? There is no one on Zoom. Thank you. Okay, commissioners. Time for questions of either the staff or the

uh yes, I have uh just uh one question and uh well actually two questions. Uh the first is this a corporate or a franchise store? That'll be something the applicant will have to answer. Hi, I'm Kayla Dedrick. I'm the project engineer. Last. Yes, the last name is Dedric. D E D R I C K. Thank you. This is a corporate store.

Okay. And my last question, I understand that you have 25 parking spaces uh and one handicap spot which I think is probably meets federal standards. I was just curious what for the population that is here in Sebastian area. I would hope that maybe uh one or two more handicap spots could be allocated just to the nature of the people that we have here. You've got one handicap spot and you've got you get busy and then somebody else that may need a access like that um they're going to be denied. Is it possible maybe one or two more handicap spots could be added to your 25 spaces other than just the one? Um, we are meeting.

Yeah, I I know you are. I know you're meeting federal guidelines. It's just a just a question.

It's something we could look into if it's really desired. Thank you. U, Mr. garden. If the the commission decides that if they want to make a modification to the site, we'd actually have to have them modify the site and bring it back. Um otherwise, if we do approve this site plan tonight and make it a condition that they add another handicap space, we would have we could probably approve that administratively.

Correct. Yeah, I'm not making it I'm not making it a condition. It was just a question because I assume they just had one. I I I agree with you 100% that they'd have to come back. It was just a question. because one spot, you know, you get one person in there and you have somebody else a handicap and then they can't get in there. So, am I on um It's a small world. The the owner of this property is two miles down Fort Lauderdale Beach from where I lived for 60 years. Oh.

And now you're one mile down US1 from me. So anyway, um I'm sure you're going to have a very nice waiting area, but we've got three or four restaurants in the public's plaza, and it really would be nice if you had a little golf cart or something, so you could take people who are waiting to go have lunch and come back. Again, it's not a federal requirement, but this is Sebastian and we like being coddled. That's right. We we do have quite a few extra parking stalls above code, so I'm sure it wouldn't be a problem if Yeah. No, I know that. But if you had a golf cart and you could put senior citizens in the golf cart and run them over to Subway or the Chinese restaurant or something.

Oh, like maybe providing. Yeah. Just a thought. Eh, um, okay. I know you you didn't say you're you said you're not storing tire rack tires out front and all that business. That's correct. But I I would just ask if you can not have a lot of tire racks out there even during the day on display. They're just ugly. No. Yeah. And they don't get displayed outside of the building at all.

Okay. Um let me see. I think that's all I had. It looks like a good plan to me. Okay. Thank you. I would agree it does look like a good plan. I would um also take agree with my fellow commissioner about maybe considering adding uh two additional handicap because of the elderly community that we have here. So u but other than that I think the site plan looks good and meets all the criteria. So good job. Thank you.

I have a question for staff. Is slash pines considered canopy trees?

I would actually have to take a look at the code for that one. The landscaping code, we have an environment planner on staff that reviews the landscaping for that, but uh the applicant mentioned that they had there was an FDOT study. Was that for, you know, I didn't see any reference to that. I'm guessing this is the last parcel that's going to be built in there. In other words, that so is that turn lane off of federal highway. I'm guessing that FDOT was uh I'm hoping that they were looking at that that that was adequate for that parcel.

So, I believe the the actual turn lane was constructed more recently and it was actually increased in size for the queueing for the Barber Street intersection along US1. Um, and it added that entrance to the subdivision for Publix. Um, I believe it meets the standard uh, you know, for the queuing of traffic and being able to get in on to and off the site. Okay. I don't have any more questions.

Okay. Yes, I got a couple questions. Um, so Jim, I appreciate you explaining that the applicant or the the um approval would not be for a monument sign. I think you had mentioned they wouldn't be allowed to have a separate monument sign, right? You were explaining uh no freestanding sign is being proposed for this. All the signage will be on the building itself and on the multi-tenant sign that's existing for the public.

Understood. There appears to be a proposed monument sign on the site plan though um kind of by the main entrance and I was actually going to ask about that but then when you mentioned it I kind of I'm glad you confirmed. So that might just be an error that they maybe need to remove that for the final plan

and that's something I can discuss with the applicant and we can probably have it removed from the final site plan. Um, my other question that you um the I forget your name, I'm sorry. Okay. You were mentioning that the there was sidewalk connectivity between the parcel and the rest of the shopping center. Can you show on the site plan exactly where that is? Because it's kind it was I was trying to look after you were mentioning that and I wasn't able to confirm where that was. there's more connectivity for the vehicles. Um the sidewalk wrapping around the building is more so the connectivity within a site, not necessarily there are no sidewalks to connect to within the shopping center. Um so

okay. So I guess then my comment would be in order to meet Florida ADA code, you'll have to have access to the rightway sidewalk. Um, so that would be just one thing. If you're connected internally in the shopping center, then ultimately there I'm sure there is a connection to the public shopping center to the rightway. So, but I think that might be something you need to look at to make sure there's connectivity to the I could be mistaken, but I don't believe that there's a sidewalk along US Highway 1 to connect to the reason.

So that's probably why we didn't propose it. Okay. So how do you in that case I guess what's the has that been discussed Jim about how with staff about how they would meet ADA code? you're in discussion in regards to the sidewalk along US1 or a proposed sidewalk along US1. Well, is that the question?

So, the question being like so if there's no connectivity within the shopping center, um my understanding is that in order to meet Florida ADA code, you have to have connection to the right of way. So, I guess the question would be, are you are you Yeah, I I guess maybe that might need to be looked into to make sure they're meeting Florida ADA.

Yeah, obviously that, you know, and thank you for bringing that up. We'll take a a look at that and make sure obviously at the end of the day this will be compliant. Yeah, cuz if there is ever to be a sidewalk put on US1, then that you know, right? Exactly. Well, we'll double check that and we'll definitely address that as as needed.

Okay. Thank you. I think my only other question would be assuming you guys are submitting to DOT for permits with DOT. Have they and I know that this access appears to be there today like the um curb cut to the access that's central to the Publix. That's correct. And so I'm guessing DOT is fine with that reduced throat depth because it's existing there today. That's correct. Yes. I've already permitted through FDOT. Okay. Okay. Great. That's all my questions. Okay.

Um I have no questions. I I think this is an appropriate location for this business and we welcome you to Sebastian. Thank you. And I thank the staff for doing such a great job um getting everything all together for us. Thank you. Thank you. Any summary from uh staff?

So staff does recommend approval of the site plan for Mavis Tire located at 9641 US Highway 1. um with that a condition for that the signs proposed on the elevations that they be applied for for um in the building permit process after site plan has been approved and also since we are bringing up some different items today we will double check some of those items that haven't been addressed by the commission and make sure those are good to go before question should that be brought up in a motion those additional uh that aren't listed here.

No, because actually most of those things um we couldn't enforce like they have to be compliant with with you know the ADA standards for the handicap parking. We can't impose upon them that they have to put in two extra spaces. Something we'll talk to them about and hopefully we'll be able to work that out. But we couldn't put that in order because it, you know, we can't demand more than That's not what I was referring to. I was referring to the thing that my fellow commissioner brought up in regards to the access of the sidewalk and things.

No, actually there's there's implied in every order that you do that that all of our projects have to comply with all state and federal law. So, so that will be something that we will do anyway because that's that's an implied condition in everything you do. Okay. Thank you. But I I do think adding that the proposed monument sign shown on the site plan be removed. I think that that's probably applicable. And I did want to bring that up and I'm sorry for not thinking of it earlier. That actually is a proposed. We are proposing a monument sign. Okay. On the plans. Um and then that actually you turned off.

So that would actually have to be applied for through the building permit process as well. Yeah. Um, and we'll discuss that. Okay. But that could be something if you wanted to include that. They're planning on doing it anyway. So, it wouldn't So, I guess then my follow-up question would be and I'm trying to think through the other outpu signs. No, I don't think they do. Maybe the the bank on the corner. I think the bank does

I mean my thought would be I I don't I don't know if there's some sort of restriction but that would be up to you guys to look into and figure out if that you know how the nature of the approval of the master development was done back when it was approved.

We'll definitely do some research on that. Okay, no more questions. Okay, any final deliberation? Commissioners. Okay, then we will entertain a motion, please. Madam Chairman, I'd make a motion that we approve the site plan development and conditional use permit for Mavis Tire and Brakes at 9641 US Highway 1 with the addition of the um condition the recommendation of a condition for the proposed signage on elevations be applied for as a separate building permit after site plan approval. Second.

I'll second that. Okay. A roll call vote, please. Yes. Mr. Reno, yes. Miss Battles, yes. Mr. Carter, yes. Miss Gasey, yes. Miss Cotenberg, yes. Mr. Gart, yes. It is unanimous. Motion passes.

Thank you. We have no unfinished business this evening. We have no additional new business. So, um, we could adjourn, but I would like to just say something. Am I allowed to say something?

It depends on what you say. Um I I just want to talk just briefly about the function of this committee as an advisory committee because I think some of the public don't understand that because recently I've heard people say planning and zoning will kill that. It's like no planning and zoning doesn't kill anything. We ask questions, we research, we study, we review the plans, we um seek information from the staff and from the applicant and we make recommendations to the city council who they approve or reject projects. And I I because of what I've heard in the past couple of weeks, I I wanted to make sure that everybody understands that we are an advisory commission. City council makes the decisions on anything that comes before us. Whether we advise that it be accepted or rejected or whatever, it's up to city council to make those final decisions. And I also um feel that it might be worth calling to the attention of the public that we are in a unique situation in that we do locally have some really good ordinances and an opportunity to review projects that come to us and get local input on those

projects which we appreciate. We encourage um and it often times uh brings to our attention things that we hadn't thought about with an effort to see things from somebody else's perspective. Um, I am aware and perhaps not everyone is that the state of Florida would just assume we didn't have that kind of situation here. They would just assume do everything. And um I would just like the public to understand that in this unique situation, you do not have to drive to Tallahassee and wait for someone to hear your opinion. and they couldn't care less about it because they don't live here. All of us who serve here, we serve as volunteers. We all care what happens here and sometimes we agree with opinions heard and sometimes we disagree, but we're local and I I just think that um sometimes the public forgets that and forgets what a unique opportunity we have in a small town. And these opportunities are uh apt to disappear if we don't cherish them. Okay, that's a Was that okay for me to say that?

Thank you. I appreciate those comments and I've thought the same thing myself. The problem is the public doesn't get it.

That's why I'm mentioning that I hope somebody will listen. Well, what I'm thinking is would it be appropriate since you were so well spoken to perhaps write a letter from this body to the town suggesting that we have a workshop and and there have been a few things lately that the public is very head up about. And if we had a workshop that said this is what we do and this is why we do it and we have the state of Florida and you know this is your your I this is your chance to give your thoughts just we have workshops for other things and this would be a good and the same thing with all the other advisory boards they are advisory boards and you have input to all of them and take advantage of it.

I I think that's a good suggestion. Um, I think it would be a request that would have to be made of city council. Yeah. And um, I'm not afraid of them. I can make that request. Well, you're so well spoken. You would be the person to do it, I think, on behalf of all of us. Thank you. It doesn't hurt to have more than one person request. Okay. Thank you. Any Thank you very much. I'm I might suggest if you're planning on approaching council at a council meeting to make that bring that up that you get consensus and get a vote now that that the commission is authorizing you to make that request.

Good. Okay. Well, let's have a motion if anybody wants. May I move that our chair chairwoman on behalf of us make the motion or um make a suggestion to the city council that um we have some form of a workshop to let the public know what the advisory boards do and what their role is and what our roles are and um get it spread a little knowledge. Okay, that's my motion. Do we have a second for that? I'll second that.

Okay, let's have a voice vote. Oh, excuse me. A roll call vote. Mr. Reno, yes. Miss Battles, yes. Mr. Carter, yes. Miss Geese, yes. Miss Cotenberg, yes. Mr. Garton, yes. It is unanimous. Motion passes. Thank you. Thank you. And that adjourns this meeting.