The Sebastian Planning and Zoning Commission last week approved a site plan modification for St. Sebastian Catholic Church that will enable the church to add a 5,859-square-foot addition to its existing fellowship hall, but not before listening to a number of citizen concerns, mostly about additional traffic and parking issues. Six commissioners voted to approve; Commission member Tahir Qizilbash voted no.
City Growth Management Manager Jan King told the Commission that staff “highly recommends” approval of the request, which is consistent with the current land use. She explained that the project is considered an “accessory building,” and, as such, “does not independently generate the need for additional parking.”
King told the Commission the church, at 13075 U.S. 1, has an agreement with the medical offices to the south for additional overflow parking; and the project will include a sidewalk connection to the assisted living facility currently under construction to the north.
Public comments and concern, however, did prompt a promise of action by city staff. Several individuals expressed worries about additional traffic congestion and speeding on a road that connects to 134th Street, which in turn connects to U.S. 1, and which they believed was on church property. City Engineer Frank Watanabe said the road is a segment of the county road that abuts church property.
Virtually all the complainants also spoke about an array of problems nearby neighbors continue to have with the well-attended church flea markets, including parking congestion, parking “all over the place” on private property and the number of “entrepreneurs” parked along the street selling items out of their vehicles. Commission member Louise Kautenburg said the church appears to have changed from a religious to a commercial endeavor and should “continue to be a good neighbor.”
A problem with “trash, rubbish and old tires” on church property creating an eyesore was also pointed out. Although the rubbish issues were outside the purview of the Planning and Zoning Commission, Watanabe told the complainants he would communicate with the proper City entities to ensure they were addressed.
Commission member Tahir Qizilbash was concerned that the plans did not properly define the 392 parking spaces the project called for. “I calculated 326,” he told Project Engineer Joseph Schulke. “Something is wrong.”
He was told that, while the drawing did not define the parking spaces on grass, the plans included a note to that affect. Nevertheless, Qizilbash felt the plans were incomplete, and cast the lone “No,” as the Commission voted to recommend City Council approve the project.