Orange County — Board of Zoning Adjustment

SE-22-08-063 — Juan Rodriguez for Sci Funeral Services

Request: Amendment to a Special Exception in the A-1 zoning district and PD zoning districts to allow the construction of a new 19,236 sq. ft. funeral home to replace an existing 14,000 sq. ft. funeral home.

Decision: Approved

Hearing: SYNOPSIS: Staff described the proposal, including the location of the property, the site plan, and photos of the site. Staff provided an analysis of the six (6) criteria and the reasons for a recommendation for approval. Staff noted that no comments were received in support, and two (2) comments were received in opposition. An attorney representing the applicant agreed with staff's presentation, and briefly discussed the issues brought up during the community meeting. The applicant stated that they would feel comfortable with conditions related to noise and lighting being added, and would be willing to enter into a private agreement with neighboring property owners related to security, but would not be in support of a condition related to this being added. The BZA asked for clarification on the floor plans related to the increase in size, which the applicant clarified is not increasing the number of viewing rooms but to provide larger viewing rooms and more space for employees. There was no one in attendance to speak in favor of the request. There were five (5) members of the public in attendance to speak in opposition to the request. The concerns raised included traffic, access points, safety & security, lighting, exterior sound, and drainage. In the rebuttal, the applicant noted they are adding a new stormwater pond with this request which will address drainage concerns. They also stated they will work with the community to reduce noise and light intrusion. The BZA discussed the special exception and asked for further clarification of the gates and security. The BZA unanimously recommended approval of the special exception by a 4-2 vote, with one absent, subject to the five (5) conditions in the staff report, and four (4) additional conditions which state, Condition #6, "Specifications for lighting installation shall be restricted to downlighting.", Condition #7, "The current capabilities of the existing sound system shall remain.", Condition #8, "The security e