The Jacksonville Planning Commission recommended approval July 23 of a rezoning request by Post Modern Brewing LLC to open a craft beer brewery and taproom at 2951 Post St. west of Willow Branch Avenue, where Riverside meets Murray Hill.
The Planning and Development Department recommended denial of the project, saying the proposed use is too intense, the site design does not blend well with the historic pattern of development and outside seating is not compatible with the residential character of the area.
But commission members voted unanimously in favor of the rezoning. Commissioner Ian Brown said the project will preserve a neglected old building, help stimulate positive growth in this commercial area of Post Street and blend well with the nearby residential use.
City Council Land Use and Zoning Committee and then full Council now will consider the rezoning.
Ordinance 2020-0309 requests rezoning from commercial community/general-2 to planned unit development to allow the brewery, exempt the minimum distance requirement from schools and churches for sale and service of beer and wine, and relax setbacks, parking requirements and other deviations from the zoning code on 0.19 acres.
The property is adjacent to commercial community/general-2 zoning to the north, west and south, residential medium density-D to the east and a PUD northeast for 19 single-family courtyard homes under construction on the south side of College Street between Willow Branch Avenue and Rubel Street in Riverside.
Post Modern Brewing, led by Andrew Suslak and business partner Brandon Merkle, bought the property in September with the intent to redevelop and reuse the former 1,346-square-foot Pure Oil Co. gas station built in 1935.
The rezoning application indicated the building has been vacant for about 20 years and remembered for its purple exterior when the Purple Petunia florist and antique shop operated in the building.
The property lies within the Riverside/Avondale Historic District and the Riverside Overlay Zone.
Warren Jones, executive director of Riverside Avondale Preservation, spoke in support of the rezoning and noted that RAP suggested changes to the allowable uses, removal of parking in the right of way, limiting operating hours and not allowing amplified music outside, which Post Modern Brewing agreed to do by revising the PUD description and site plan.
Alex Sifakis, a partner in developing the 19 courtyard homes and the largest residential real estate owner closest to the property, submitted an email in support.
Urban planner Jack Shad, the agent assisting Post Modern in the entitlement processes, said the proposed PUD is a downzoning from the more intensive uses allowed by right in the current CCG-2 zoning category.
The Planning Commission approved zoning exceptions for:
• Metro Diner, through MD Southside LLC, at 9802 Baymeadows Road, No. 1, southwest of Baymeadows Road and Southside Boulevard, to allow the sale and service of beer and wine in conjunction with a restaurant. Metro Diner has expanded its hours to include dinner and seeks to offer beer and wine, which requires a zoning exception.
• Pearl Street Restaurant at 1555 N. Pearl St., south of West Sixth Street in Springfield, to serve beer and wine for on-site consumption in conjunction with a new restaurant.
• The Forward Christian Center Church, along the east side of Biscayne Boulevard and south of Bertha Street, to allow a church on 3.14 acres in a rural residential-acre zoning district. The church plans to build a 9,000-square-foot building with 91 on-site parking spaces.
• Island Girl Taproom & Lounge at 2294 Mayport Road, Nos. 25 and 26, in the Pan Am Plaza shopping center, to allow the sale and service of all alcohol for on-site consumption in conjunction with a new restaurant. Companion waiver of liquor distance to reduce the required minimum distance from 1,500 to 441 feet from the St. John the Baptist Catholic Church at 2400 Mayport Road was approved.
• SBPS 3 Ji LLC at 865 Golfair Blvd., east of Interstate 95, to allow the sale of all alcoholic beverages for off-premise consumption.
The planning commission recommended approval for land use and zoning changes for:
• Ordinance 2020-0278, which seeks a large-scale land use amendment for Larry’s 1st Stop Auto Parts Inc. on 10.3 acres at 10042 New Kings Road, north of Trout River Boulevard. It would change from low density residential and community/general commercial to heavy industrial and light industrial to bring the land use designation into legal compliance. Vehicle storage is located in the light industrial category and vehicle crushing in the heavy industrial.
• Ordinance 2020-0280, which seeks a large-scale land use amendment for 16.11 undeveloped acres along the north side of West Beaver Street, west of Otis Road and the I-295 interchange. It would change from light industrial to recreation open space to allow for a recreational vehicle park. Companion Ordinance 2020-0281 seeks to change the zoning from planned unit development to recreation open space.
• Ordinance 2020-0282, which seeks a large-scale land use amendment for 13.79 undeveloped acres at 14241 Duval Road, south of Duval Place West and northwest of the I-95 and I-295 interchange in North Jacksonville. It would change from low density residential to residential-professional-institutional. Companion Ordinance 2020-0283 would rezone the property from residential low density-60 to commercial residential office to allow CRO uses.
• Ordinance 2020-284, which seeks a large-scale land use amendment for 14.71 undeveloped acres at 12250 Normandy Blvd. along the south side of Normandy Boulevard and west of Cecil Commerce Center Parkway. It would change from rural residential to community/general commercial. Companion Ordinance 2020-0285 would rezone the property from PUD to commercial community/general-1 to allow additional commercial uses not permitted in the PUD. JEA issued a letter of availability Sept. 11 for a 3,000-square-foot retail store.
• Ordinance 2020-0286, which seeks a large-scale land use amendment for 13.6 undeveloped acres at 6046 and 6100 Greenland Road, between Greenland Chase Boulevard and Greenada Drive. It would change from light industrial to medium density residential to allow for The Pointe at Greenland Chase, a 136-unit townhome development by KB Home. Companion Ordinance 2020-0287 would rezone the property from industrial light and industrial business park to PUD. The PUD provides for special parking requirements, building setback specifications and elimination of certain uses.
• Ordinance 2020-0292, which seeks a small-scale land use amendment for 1.34 acres at 6422 Union Heights Road, between the Norfolk Southern Railroad and Old Kings Road. It would change from low density residential to light industrial to allow for semitractor-trailer truck parking by AH Auto Works LLC. Companion Ordinance 2020-0293 would rezone the property and 0.91 additional acres totaling 2.25 acres from residential low density-60 to industrial light.
• Ordinance 2020-0294, which seeks a small-scale land use amendment for 4.79 acres at 7820 Arlington Expressway, south of the expressway and east of Oaks Plantation Drive. It would change from community/general commercial and residential-professional-institutional to high density residential to allow the conversion and reuse of the former Federal Bureau of Investigation office building, a six-story, 90,000-square-foot structure along with 5,675 square feet of storage and maintenance buildings, to a 118-unit apartment building. The conversion proposes 70 one-bedroom and 48 two-bedroom units along with recreation, storage and other amenity areas for the residents. Companion Ordinance 2020-0295 proposes to rezone the property from commercial community/general-2 and commercial residential office to PUD. The building has been vacant since the FBI moved out in 2009.
• Ordinance 2020-0296, which seeks a small-scale land use amendment for 9.92 acres at 16567 Yellow Bluff Road, across from the Yellow Bluff Landing subdivision at Tisons Bluff Road. It would change from rural residential to low density residential to allow increased density for a single-family subdivision. Companion Ordinance 2020-0297 would change the zoning from residential rural-acre to residential low density-60. JEA issued a letter of availability Dec. 16 for a 30-lot subdivision at the property.
• Ordinance 2020-0098, which seeks to rezone 44.45 acres northeast of Aladdin and Julington Creek roads. It would change from residential rural-acre to 24.22 acres of PUD and 16.42 acres of conservation to allow a 56-lot single-family subdivision with access to Aladdin Road and the conservation of wetlands along Oldfield Creek. The project developer is Jacksonville-based H. Smith Inc.
• Ordinance 2020-0298, which seeks to rezone 1.73 acres along the north side of Dunn Avenue, west of Dobson Drive. It would change from PUD to medium density residential-D to allow for a 35-unit townhome development. The developer is Jacksonville-based Hoose Homes and Investments LLC and JWB Real Estate Cos. LLC.
• Ordinance 2020-0299, which seeks to rezone 0.51 acres at 2703 Philips Highway and 2025 Wister St., between Jerusalem and Wister streets. It would change from commercial office to commercial community/general-2 to bring a portion of the property used by Granite Depot into zoning compliance.
• Ordinance 2020-0298, which seeks to rezone 1.04 acres along the east side of Heckscher Drive, between Shad Creek Drive and Fort George Road. It would change from PUD to commercial community/general-2 to allow the expansion of the St. Johns Boat Co. The 2006 PUD limited property use for multifamily and marina uses.
• Ordinance 2020-0300, which seeks to rezone 10 acres west of Longleaf Branch Drive. It would change from residential rural-acre to residential low density-50 to increase density allowing 30 single-family lots in additional phase in the Longleaf subdivision.
• Ordinance 2020-0303, which seeks to rezone 4.91 acres at 12217 Old St. Augustine Road, between Ariana Elyse Drive and Frenchie Lane. It would change from residential rural-acre to residential low density-70 to increase density allowing 75-foot wide single-family lots.
• Ordinance 2020-0304, which seeks to rezone 20 acres northeast of Melrose Creek and Longleaf Branch drives. It would change from residential rural-acre to residential low density-50 to increase density allowing 50 single-family lots in additional phase in the Longleaf subdivision.
• Ordinance 2020-0305, which seeks to rezone 2.7 acres between Southside Boulevard and Centurion Parkway, in Deerwood Park. It would change from PUD to PUD to allow the expansion of the Johnson & Johnson Vision Care Inc. campus for light industrial use. JEA owns the property and plans to sell to Johnson & Johnson.
• Ordinance 2020-0306, which seeks to rezone 9.81 acres along the north side of Point Meadows Road, north of Baymeadows Road. It would change from two PUDs splitting the property to one PUD to allow a single two-story building with up to 15,300 square feet of retail, commercial and office uses. The development property, known as Point Meadows Phase II, is owned by West Palm Beach-based DER Investments LLC.
• Ordinance 2020-0310, which seeks to rezone 12.87 acres at 10911, 10915 and 10925 Baymeadows Road, in the Shoppes at Point Meadows, a Winn-Dixie grocery-anchored shopping center between Point Meadows Way and Point Meadows Drive. It would change the 2001 PUD to PUD to create an outparcel for a stand-alone Starbucks coffeehouse.
Land use amendments and rezonings require approval by the City Council Land Use and Zoning Committee and then full Council approval.
