Rollins College is now requesting Final Conditional Use approval to build a new on-campus parking garage on the property located at the southwest corner of Fairbanks Avenue and Ollie Avenue with five levels and 784 parking spaces. On January 28, 2019 the City Commission, in accordance with the P&Z Board recommendation, approved the Final Conditional Use approval for the Dormitory project and the Preliminary Conditional Use for the parking garage. The previous plans for the parking garage were conceptual and included only a general footprint outline of the location with some generalized parking numbers. At this time, the more detailed parking garage plans are now ready for review.
Project Description: Rollins College has decided to build a parking garage structure on the site of the current surface on-campus parking lot at the corner of Fairbanks Avenue and Ollie Avenue with the intent to have on-campus parking more convenient for both students, staff and visitors to campus activities without having to cross Fairbanks Avenue from the SunTrust parking garage. It also will provide on-campus parking for shifting the junior class to the new on-campus dormitories which will increase the number of permanent cars parked all-day versus just parked during classes, events and other campus activities.
The preliminary Conditional Use approval meant that the College has the entitlements to build the a parking garage but the specific plans and designs (height and size) and appearance of the garage, along with the landscape plans to come back through the P&Z Board and City Commission for a Final Conditional Use approval. The request was advertised for up to 4-stories/5 levels and the final design is a split plan which has the front one-third of the parking structure along Fairbanks Avenue at 3-stories/4 levels and then the rear two-thirds of the structure toward the Lake Virginia/Dinky Dock park is 4-stories/5 levels. All access to the parking garage from public streets is from Ollie Avenue so there is no direct connection out to Fairbanks Avenue. Ollie Avenue is intended to be widened in that northern section to create a three land section allowing for more stacking at the traffic light for left turns and straight thru/right turn movements.
Parking Numbers: The proposed Ollie garage is estimated to have 784 parking spaces. However the “net” new parking is minus the 106 spaces in the existing surface Ollie parking lot, minus 24 from Sports Center/Field House for the new Black Box Theater, and minus 58 spaces where the existing McKean Hall Dormitory parking lot is being removed. Thus the “net” new parking provided on campus will be 596 spaces.
Parking Garage Setbacks and Height: The parking garage will meet and exceed the code setbacks of 10 feet from Fairbanks and Ollie Avenues. The western half of the garage along Fairbanks Avenue is at a 10-12 foot setback and then the curve of the road gradually increases the setback up to 25 feet at the far eastern end of the structure. Similarly on Ollie Avenue, the setbacks varies from 30 feet at the north end to 20 feet at the south end.
The parking garage location is challenging because there is grade drop down toward the lake as one transitions through the 184 foot width of the structure. As a result, the first floor level is about six feet below the elevation of the sidewalk along Fairbanks Avenue. The ground will then slope down from the sidewalk to that lower first floor elevation. Thus the 37 foot height (including parapet) of the 3-story/4-level section along Fairbanks Avenue will be 31 feet in visible height above the road elevation. The corner architectural tower elements enclosing the corner stairs will be another 10 feet in height. At the southern side of the 4-story/5-level garage the height is 50 feet of visible height (including parapet). The corner stair and elevator towers on this southern façade are much grander architectural elements, rising to 65 feet in height.
Parking Garage Design Standards: This design complies with the City’s parking garage design standards. The façade is broken up into alternating elements and there is 4 inches of articulation (in’s and out’s) so that it is not a flat linear façade. The top cornice elements also are at varying heights to break up the image and the facade contains the expression line architectural feature. The openings will be made to resemble windows with the outer border, interior metal fenestration (to look like window panes) and a black screen material behind the openings to again present the image of windows. All of this is to make the structure look close to that of a building and not a parking garage.
Tree Preservation and Landscape Plan: Due to the proximity of the parking garage to Fairbanks Avenue and the grade drop from the sidewalk down to the first floor level, the majority of the landscape screening along the western half of the parking garage frontage on Fairbanks Avenue will be Palm trees along with hedges at ground level. As more land is available toward the intersection of Ollie Avenue and down that street, there are opportunities to add new Oak trees for consistency with the landscape theme of the College and the City. The landscape plan included in the packet shows the mix of Palm and Oak trees that will screen and buffer the view of this structure.
The existing Oak trees that occupy the interior and perimeter of the existing surface parking lot will be removed for this project. However, the line of the six Oak trees on the lakeside of the College roadway will be preserved. That will be critical in screening the view of this parking garage from the lakeside. Rollins may desire to create a new boardwalk sidewalk feature in that same area for pedestrian safety for students in Sutton Place, South. When that design is complete it will be returned for approval as there may be some slight encroachments on the Dinky Dock park edge.
Storm Water Retention: These facilities will use a combination of surface retention swales in the open space areas and an underground storm water exfiltration system that will meet the requirements of the St. John River Water Management District as well as City Code.
Ollie Avenue Modifications: These preliminary plans would propose using all of the Ollie Avenue roadway width in order to have three traffic lanes, including a left hand turn lane and straight-thru/right turn lane at the traffic light. This results in the loss of eight parallel parking spaces on the east side of Ollie Avenue. While these street parallel spaces are now used primarily by students living in Sutton Place South, these spaces are used by Dinky Dock park visitors during the peak times of park usage in the summer and on weekends when the College parking demands are less. The Parking Garage Management Plan can address some form compensation for this loss.
Comprehensive Plan Guidance: The following Comprehensive Plan policies provide guidance for this matter. In summary, they say that the City should allow for the use of Institutional land use to assist the non-profit entities in the City to expand and redevelop provided that the scale, and density are compatible with the location.
Policy 1-2.4.18: New Institutional Facilities. Since any new institutional facilities or expansions can only occur through Conditional Uses or Future Land Use Map changes, these proposed types of facilities such as public governmental buildings, schools, colleges or universities, public utility facilities, public parking lots, churches, museums, libraries, retirement and nursing homes, hospitals and non-profit community service facilities (excluding private clubs and lodges) may be exempted from policies in this element which discourages land use plan map changes so that appropriate future sites may be established that shall provide these public services and benefits.
Policy 1-2.4.19: Ensure Compatibility of New Community Institutional Facilities. New community facility uses or expansions shall be permitted only when those facilities or uses are compatible with the character of the surrounding area, and when there is minimal additional impact over that possible by existing land use, for such factors as traffic, parking, noise, height and size of the facilities.
Policy 1-2.4.20: Redevelopment of Rollins College. The City shall strive to accommodate the enhancement and redevelopment of the Rollins College campus to the extent that such redevelopment is compatible with the height and density of surrounding properties.
Summary and Recommendation: Rollins College shares the interest of the City in making the exterior of this parking garage structure attractive in appearance and to provide ample landscape screening. The design elements that have worked at the Winter Park Towers garage and the Lakeside Crossing garage have been incorporated into this design. All parking garages are required to submit a Parking Management Plan outlining the operational aspects of the facility. The City will look for some opportunity for limited public parking to complement Dinky Dock peak times of use in the summer. Locating this new parking garage on-campus will make parking more convenient for all students, staff and visitors and reduce the pedestrian safety issues crossing Fairbanks Avenue, as well as opening up parking at the SunTrust garage for other uses by Rollins College and possibly the City.
Staff Recommendation is for FINAL APPROVAL of the Conditional Use the Parking Garage pursuant to the design description outlined in the staff report and the plans submitted and with the approval of a Parking Garage Management plan prior to completion, as well as adding identification signage for Dinky Dock.
Planning and Zoning Board Minutes – February 5, 2019:
REQUEST OF ROLLINS COLLEGE FOR: FINAL CONDITIONAL USE APPROVAL FOR THE PROPOSED PARKING GARAGE TO BE BUILT ON ROLLINS COLLEGE CAMPUS AT THE CORNER OF FAIRBANKS AND OLLIE AVENUES, ZONED PQP.
Planning Manager, Jeff Briggs, gave the staff report and stated that Rollins College is requesting Final Conditional Use approval to build a new on-campus parking garage on the property located at the southwest corner of Fairbanks Avenue and Ollie Avenue with five levels and 784 parking spaces. On January 28, 2019 the City Commission, in accordance with the P&Z Board recommendation, approved the requests for Final Conditional Use for the Dormitory project and Preliminary Conditional Use for the parking garage. The previous parking garage plans were conceptual and included only a general footprint outline of the location with some generalized parking numbers. Now more detailed parking garage plans were ready for review.
Mr. Briggs explained that the intent is to have on-campus parking more convenient for both students, staff and visitors to campus activities without having to cross Fairbanks Avenue from the SunTrust parking garage. It also will provide more on-campus parking for shifting the junior class to the new on-campus dormitories.
The request was advertised for up to 4-stories/5 levels and the final design is a split plan which has the front one-third of the parking structure along Fairbanks Avenue at 3-stories/4 levels and then the rear two-thirds of the structure toward the Lake Virginia/Dinky Dock park is 4-stories/5 levels. All access to the parking garage from public streets is from Ollie Avenue so there is no direct connection out to Fairbanks Avenue. Ollie Avenue is intended to be widened in that northern section to create a three land section allowing for more stacking at the traffic light for left turns and straight thru/right turn movements.
Mr. Briggs reviewed parking garage setbacks and height, parking garage design standards, tree preservation and landscape plan, storm water retention and Ollie Avenue modifications.
Mr. Briggs summarized by stating that Rollins College shares the interest of the City in making the exterior of this parking garage structure attractive in appearance and to provide ample landscape screening. The design elements that have worked at the Winter Park Towers garage and the Lakeside Crossing garage have been incorporated into this design. All parking garages are required to submit a Parking Management Plan outlining the operational aspects of the facility. The City will look for some opportunity for limited public parking to complement Dinky Dock peak times of use in the summer. Locating this new parking garage on-campus will make parking more convenient for all students, staff and visitors and reduce the pedestrian safety issues crossing Fairbanks Avenue, as well as opening up parking at the SunTrust garage for other uses by Rollins College and possibly the City.
Mr. Briggs stated that the staff Recommendation was for approval of the final Conditional Use the Parking Garage pursuant to the design description outlined in the staff report and the plans submitted and with the approval of a Parking Garage Management plan prior to completion, as well as adding identification signage for Dinky Dock.
The Board had no questions for Staff.
Attorney Rebecca Wilson of Lowndes, Drosdick, Doster, Kantor & Reed, 215 N. Eola Drive, Orlando, Florida, represented the Applicant. She reviewed the project outline for the project and provided an update on the Rollins Parking Survey. Mrs. Wilson answered questions from the Board related to the project construction schedule.
There was no public comment. The public hearing was closed.
The Board agreed with Staff’s recommendations.
Motion made by Sheila De Ciccio, seconded by Ray Waugh, for final Conditional Use approval for the proposed parking garage to be built on Rollins College campus at the corner of Fairbanks and Ollie Avenues, zoned (PQP), pursuant to the design description outlined in the staff report and the plans submitted and with the approval of a Parking Garage Management plan prior to completion, as well as adding identification signage for Dinky Dock.
The motion carried with a 6-0 vote.