Columbus, Georgia

Georgia's First Consolidated Government

Post Office Box 1340
Columbus, Georgia, 31902-1340
(706) 653-4013
fax (706) 653-4016

Website: www.columbusga.gov/planning


Staff Report
REZN-7-13-2614

Applicant
St. Francis Hospital, Inc./Rick Lowe
Owner
St. Francis Hospital, Inc.
Location
4119, 4121, 4123 Maxwell Street; 4152, 4148, 4142 St. Francis Avenue; 4042,

4036, 4030 and 4031 Acacia Drive
Acreage
2.68 acres
Current Zoning Classification
SFR3 (Single Family Residential 3)
Proposed Zoning Classification
RO (Residential Office)
Council District
District 8 (McDaniel)
PLANNING ADVISORY COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION
Conditional Approval based on the fact that the request is compatible with

existing land uses. The recommended conditions are:

1. Off-Site Parking shall be permitted for distances in excess of 500 feet to

allow St. Francis Hospital to shuttle employees back and forth to the Columbus

Airport, 3250 W. Britt David Road, Columbus, GA 31907.



2. St. Francis Hospital shall maintain an off-site parking agreement for a

minimum of 511 parking spaces until permanent parking is established On-site on

the St. Francis Hospital campus, including the area to be rezoned, all as shown

on Exhibit ?A? attached hereto (hereinafter referred to as the ?Campus?) and on

any other property within the area of the Campus that has been subsequently

rezoned for such parking purposes, or until the additional parking provided for

under the off-site parking agreement is no longer needed as determined by the

Traffic Engineering Manager.



3. The Traffic Engineering Manager and the Inspections and Code Enforcement

Director shall check the normal daily parking demand for St. Francis Hospital

after the 2013 building project reaches 95% occupancy. The parking demand may

be checked subsequently on six (6) month intervals to determine if the On-site

parking capacity for St. Francis Hospital within the Campus and any other

property within the area of the Campus that has been rezoned for St. Francis

Hospital parking purposes meets the normal parking demand.



4. Should said parking surveys determine that there is adequate parking on the

Campus and any other property within the area of the Campus that has been

rezoned for such parking purposes upon completion of on-site parking, the

Traffic Engineering Manager, with concurrence from the Inspections and Code

Enforcement Director, is authorized to notify St. Francis Hospital in writing

that the off-site parking agreement is no longer needed.
PLANNING DEPARTMENT RECOMMENDATION
Conditional Approval based on the fact that the request is compatible with

existing land uses and consistent with the future land-use map of the 2028

Comprehensive Plan, for the property located at 4031 Acacia Drive. The

Planning Department recommends the same conditions as those recommended by the

Planning Advisory Commission.
Fort Benning's Recommendation
N/A.
DRI Recommendation
N/A.
General Land use
Consistent (4031 Acacia) and Inconsistent

Planning Area D

Land Use Designation:

Office/Professional and Single Family Residential
Environmental Impacts
The properties do not lie within the floodway and floodplain area. The

developer will need an approved drainage plan prior to issuance of a Site

Development permit, if a permit is required.
City Services
Property is served by all city services.
Traffic Impact
This rezoning request does not anticipate generating a negative impact on the

transportation network.



This site shall meet the Codes and regulations of the Columbus Consolidated

Government for commercial usage.
Surrounding Zoning
North ?SFR3 (Single Family Residential 3)/RO (Residential Office)

South ? SFR3 (Single Family Residential 3)/RO (Residential Office)/NC

(Neighborhood Commercial)

East ? SFR3 (Single Family Residential 3)/RO (Residential Office)/RMF2

(Residential Multifamily 2)

West ? SFR3 (Single Family Residential 3)/RO (Residential Office)
Reasonableness of Request
The request is compatible with existing land uses.
School Impact
N/A.
Buffer Requirements
The site shall include a Category C buffer along all property lines bordered by

the SFR3 zoning districts. The 3 options under Category C are:

1) 20 feet with a certain amount of canopy trees, under story trees, and shrubs

/ ornamental grasses per 100 linear feet.

2) 10 feet with a certain amount of shrubs / ornamental grasses per 100 linear

feet and a wood fence or masonry wall.

3) 30 feet undisturbed natural buffer.
Attitude of Property Owners
Forty (40) property owners within 300 feet of the subject properties were

notified of the rezoning request. The Planning Department received one comment

in opposition. Her concerns were increased pollution, traffic, reduced amount

of green areas, noise and reduced value of properties in the area.
Additional Information
The purpose of this rezoning request is to build a 380 employee parking lot for

St. Francis Hospital, 265 of those spaces will be located within these ten (10)

lots. All other spaces are already rezoned, in the process of being rezoned

(REZN-4-13-1799) or will be rezoned at a later date (REZN-8-13-2817). This

parking area will be used from Monday thru Friday dayshift only in order to

provide convenient parking for St. Francis? patients and their families.

The Traffic Engineering Department and Planning Department reviewed the

parking study provided by St. Francis Hospital and determined that there is a

need for an additional 511 spaces that could be resolved by keeping the

off-site/share parking agreement that they currently have with the Columbus

Airport and St. Francis Hospital, Inc.
Attachments

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