Submitted by stuart_hess on 15 December 2009 - 5:37pm
The application for the rezone request for the proposed CVS at the corner of Sligh and Nebraska has been submitted for the 1/28 city council hearing. The developer and representatives for CVS met with the city zoning staff several times over the course of the last few months in order to work to create the best placement for the building. The initial site plan presented to the community, at a meeting at the John Calvin Church, showed a typical suburban placement with 3 rows of parking along Nebraska and 2 rows along Sligh. Neighborhood opposition coupled with concern from the city zoning office as it relates to the nearly complete form based zoning had the developer work almost 12 iterations of a footprint for the redesign of the parking and the location of the building. Another layer of constraints for the development of the property were tied to the access to the parcel. FDOT concerns as it relates to access being too close to the intersection and the backup of traffic flow limited the placement for drive aisles hence building placement and then additionally COT Parks department concerns for the grand trees located on the north/Sligh side of the parcel. Storm water retention also played a part in determining building placement.
The development of the store on this parcel required over 50% of the trees to be removed as a result of construction. All trees have been accounted for and CVS is required to replant and match inch per inch the trees that were taken out.
Design-wise the building picked up some Art Deco styling and lighting with references back to the Springs Theater and the rebuilt Publix. The lower half of the building and the vertical bump outs along the facade will be brick and larger windows rather than the standard ribbon windows will be placed near the entry. The building will now sit closer to Nebraska with one row of parking verses the three originally proposed. This required the building to be turned and the smaller side will face Nebraska.
While the developers were not required to meet the form based zoning guidelines, they did make an effort, working within the constraints of the parcel, to acknowledge the importance of those efforts. While parking is still over the maximum required by the city, it was reduced from the original presentation.
The approval is by no means a given. Please show up at city council in downtown Tampa on 1/28 and voice your approval or disapproval for council members to note.
The information above has been provided by Greg Barnhill. Greg, a resident of Old Seminole Heights, has been closely involved with CVS and the city for this project, and is largely responsible for the adjustment by CVS from the original proposed design. As a neighborhood we are fortunate to have people that are able to dedicate their time and talents for the betterment of our neighborhood. If anyone has questions regarding the planned implementation of CVS please contact me at sjhess@oldseminoleheights.org.
Stuart Hess
Land Use Committee