Resolution Zoning 12-Z-131 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

September 7, 2012 Page 4 The Rabbi estimates that approximately 40% of the congregation currently drives to Sabbath worship services. The estimated parking demand for the Proposed Project based on the City Code standard of 1 parking space per 4 seats is 98 parking spaces. If approximately 40% of the congregation drives, the actual parking demand will be closer to approximately 40 spaces. The combination of the 22 spaces on-site with the 26 spaces off-site equals 48 spaces, which will provide satisfactory parking for the Proposed Project. The City Code currently lists $14,000 as the amount to be charged per parki space that is provided off-site and the City most recently (2009) charged an applicant $11 00 per off-site space. We submit that the proposed use of the 26 off-site parking spaces or the Proposed Project should not be charged the full amount for off-site parking. The Prop ed Project will only utilize the off-site parking spaces on special occasions and regularly once er week on Saturday, the Jewish Sabbath. This use will not only be off-peak in terms of the d of the week compared to a normal off-site parking user such as an office or commercial retail se which utilizes parking Monday through Friday, but it will only be for one day per week (not five) and for a few hours (not all day). Therefore, we submit that the amount charged to the Applicant for the use of the City's 26 parking spaces adjacent to the Property should be in an amount equal to $1,000 per space, or $26,000 total. VARIANCE As detailed above, the City Code requires 98 parking spaces for the Proposed Project. Twenty-two (22) spaces are provided on-site and 26 spaces are proposed to be used off-site, for a total of 48 spaces available to users of the Proposed Project. According to the Code required parking of 98 spaces, this leaves the Proposed Project 50 spaces short of the required parking. Therefore, the Applicant respectfully requests a variance to waive 50 of the required 98 parking spaces. The City Code specifies seven (7) criteria by which all variance requests are reviewed upon. These seven criteria are listed below in bold text with our responses to each criteria listed below. (1) Special conditions and circa stances exist which are peculiar to the land, structure, or building involved and whi are not applicable to other lands, structures or buildings in the same zoning district; The use of the Proposed Project as a place of worship for the Orthodox Jewish congregation is unique because folio ers of the Orthodox Jewish faith typically do not drive themselves to religious services on th= Sabbath due to prescriptions of Jewish law. This results in a parking "demand" for Orthodox J:wish facilities that is much lower than a non-Jewish religious facility. The Rabbi of the congrega•on estimates that only approximately 40% of the congregation drives themselves to worship sere' es on the Sabbath. The use of the Proposed Project is unique and is not applicable to other str ctures in the same zoning district. Further, the Property 's located at the far western end of Bella Vista Island, relatively isolated from the rest of th- City, and the Property is very small - 0.4 acres of dry uplands - therefore the ability to provid- parking on-site is limited. (25095027;I}