On November 15, 2010, the City Council approved the use of a gravel lot located at 300 N. Orange Blossom Trail as a temporary parking lot for the Parliament House (which is owned by Gardens LLC). Since the City Code requires all parking surfaces to be made of an all weather surface like asphalt or concrete, a temporary use permit was requested. This parking lot is also being used by the adjacent Health Care Center for the Homeless which is located directly to the south of the subject property. On May 23, 2011, at the request of the owner, the City Council amended this approval by extending the deadlines to provide some of the required improvements until May 2012 (both Council Agenda Items are attached). The Temporary Use Permit expired on November 14, 2014.

Since that time, the Health Care Center has been in negotiations with the Gardens LLC for the purchase of the subject temporary parking lot. Bakari Burns, the CEO for the Health Care Center, is now requesting 3 to 5 years of additional time for them to use this lot for temporary parking while they continue to negotiate the purchase of the property and provide the required improvements (email request attached). Gardens LLC is supporting this request (See support letter attached).

Staff recommends approval of a three year extension of time with a maximum of two one-year extensions if granted by the Planning Official. If approved, and if the extensions are granted, the two parties may use the site for parking until July 27, 2020. This will provide time for the Health Care Center and the Parliament House to work out a purchase agreement for the property at which time the lot will be improved to meet code.

Staff makes this recommendation providing the following improvements must be completed or addressed prior to any of the aforesaid one year extensions are granted by the Planning Official:

a.   Improve surface - The unimproved lot has gravel throughout; however, the thickness and stabilization effectiveness varies throughout, based on traffic patterns. In the areas well traveled, the gravel is almost non-existent. The problem with this would be offsite tracking caused by the exposed dirt, especially after rain events. Currently, there is sediment accumulating on Parliament House's property from traffic exiting onto their paved parking lot to the north. The applicant must provide additional gravel to the surface of the lot to prevent the aforesaid from occurring.

b.   Drainage - From sediment present in numerous areas of the lot and deep ruts, it appears that the gravel/dirt lot may experience very large puddles during rain events. The applicant will need to regrade the parking area to allow for some drainage. The applicant will also need to provide a temporary sediment trap/depression to prevent turbid (cloudy or sediment-laden) water from escaping the site.

Engineering Permits must be obtained from the City’s Permitting Services Division prior to the installation of any of the above improvements.