(A) Description of district. This district is established in order to identify and establish those geographic areas that are appropriate for the development of private and public elementary, middle, high schools, colleges and universities or similar school providing educational curriculum meeting general public or education requirements established by the state. Areas of the city for which these categories are appropriate are designed on the comprehensive plan as public/semi-public.
(B) Permitted and conditional uses. Unless otherwise permitted by this chapter, no building or land in the School Zoning District shall be used, and no building shall be hereafter erected, structurally altered, or enlarged, except for the permitted and conditional uses listed on Table 1. The uses listed as conditional are permitted only after approval in accordance with §§ 154.70 through 154.73.
(C) School location criteria. Per the City of Lake Mary Comprehensive Plan, the following criteria shall be used in locating public and private schools within the city:
(1) Future land use designations for public and private schools.
(a) Elementary schools shall be permitted by right in all residential future land use designations.
(b) If the proposed site plan for a new elementary school, located in a residential future land use designation, complies with the requirements of state law, the only requirement to commence construction is the city determination that the site plan for the new elementary school complies with state law and applicable codes.
(c) New elementary schools shall be deemed to be permitted uses in all other future land use designations, with the exception of conservation, provided that the City Commission determines the proposed site and elementary school are consistent with the Comprehensive Plan through the process specified in § 154.68(C)(1)(f).
(d) New middle and high schools shall be deemed a permitted use in all future land use designations, with the exception of conservation, provided that the city determines the proposed site and school are consistent with the Comprehensive Plan through the process specified in § 154.68(C)(1)(f).
(e) Colleges and community colleges, including those offering high school equivalency programs, such as GED or dual enrollment programs; and/or other schools or programs that have as their primary purpose the instruction of technology that is directly related to High Technology uses listed in the M-1A zoning district, or uses permitted by the City Commission, are allowable uses. Schools in existence in this overlay district as of the effective date of this amendment shall be deemed permitted uses in the underlying future land use designation and zoning district in which they are located and consistent with the Comprehensive Plan.
(f) Except for those elementary schools sites in residential future land use designations, the city shall make a determination of consistency through a public hearing process that conforms with the requirements applicable to conditional uses as set forth in § 154.71(C) and § 154.72 of the Land Development Code. The one-year time limit for conditional use permits shall not apply to school site approvals. In reviewing a proposed location for consistency with the Comprehensive Plan, the city shall consider the following additional locational criteria during the public hearing process:
1. The school site shall be of sufficient size to insure that the building and ancillary facilities are located away from floodplains, flood prone areas, wetlands and other environmentally sensitive areas, including historic or archeological resources. School size and land area requirements for public schools should meet the minimum standards of the Seminole County School Board.
2. Public schools shall be centrally located within their intended attendance zones to the maximum extent possible.
3. Central water and sewer facilities shall be available to the site and stormwater provisions must meet extent possible.
4. Access to the site shall be from a collector or minor collector road and sufficient vehicle stacking lanes should be provided to avoid detrimental impacts on adjacent roads.
5. Schools shall be designed to minimize the impacts to adjacent land uses through control of site aspects such as traffic, landscaping, buffers and building layout. Schools shall also provide safe access for pedestrians, cars, and buses and shall be encouraged to provide for convenient access to mass-transit.
6. School sites shall be located away from land uses that generate noise, odors, dust, truck traffic and/or other hazards to the health and safety of the students.
7. New elementary, middle or high schools shall not be located in the city's High Tech Industrial Corridor which is targeted for major economic growth and development.
8. Elementary and middle schools should be located where land uses are predominately low-medium to high density residential and include housing types and densities sufficient to meet the school's enrollment capacity with students that are predominately within walking distance of the school.
9. High schools shall be located away from residential areas unless there is sufficient buffering to protect the adjacent land uses from the intensity and activity of the school. The campus should provide adequate on site parking.
10. If the city determines that the site is consistent with the Comprehensive Plan as outlined above, the only remaining requirements to commence construction is city determination that the site plan complies with state and local laws, building permit and site permit issuance, as applicable.
(D) School locational criteria. See Table 1.
Table 1
Zoning District | Elementary Schools | Middle Schools | High Schools | Colleges/ Universities |
Zoning District | Elementary Schools | Middle Schools | High Schools | Colleges/ Universities |
A-1 | P* | C* | C* | C |
RCE | P | C | C | |
R-1A, R-1AA, R-1AAA, R-1B | P | C | C | |
R-2 | P | C | C | |
R-3 | P | C | C | |
RM | P | C | C | |
PO | C* | C | C | |
C-1 | C | C | C | |
C-2 | C* | C | C | C |
M-1A | C* | C* | C* | C* |
M-2A | C* | C* | C* | C* |
DC | P | C* | C* | C* |
GU | P | P | P | |
P= Permitted use
C= Conditional Use
* Prohibited in areas having High-Tech/Industrial Corridor Protection Area District.
(Ord. 1219, passed 11-2-06; Am. Ord. 1342, passed 1-21-10)