Planning board grants Oasis Church parking variance amid neighborhood traffic concerns

Monica Enton of MHE Law presented a parking variance request for Oasis Church, which is proposing a new roughly 21,578-square-foot building at 12201 Southwest 14th Street and to repurpose the existing structure for offices and storage. Enton told the Planning & Zoning Board the South Broward Drainage District denied earlier plans that used grassy areas for additional parking, which left the applicant able to provide a maximum of 224 spaces against a code-calculated requirement of 281.

Enton said the church’s calculations count every square foot inside a church at the higher church ratio (8.5 spaces per 1,000 sq ft) rather than mixed-use calculations. She told the board, "We are providing 224 parking spaces," and explained that under a mixed-use calculation the project would meet or exceed requirements but drainage limits prevent adding pavement.

Nearby resident Perry Eckton said the church already fills streets and curbside areas on Sundays, creating traffic and safety concerns for neighbors. Eckton said, "Parking is on the street... Parking is across the street in the shopping center," and asked the board to minimize impacts. Enton responded that the proposed plan would add roughly 90 parking spaces to the site’s current 140 and that the church would use special-event permits, work with neighbors and consider bollards to prevent parking on swales.

Member Goldrich moved to approve the variance citing special circumstances tied to drainage-district constraints. After a roll-call the board recorded votes as: Member Alloy (Yes), Member Goldich (Yes), Member Gonzales (No), and Member Jones (Yes). Chair announced the motion passed 3-1.

Why it matters: The decision allows Oasis Church to proceed toward site-plan review with a reduced parking requirement because engineering and drainage constraints limit on-site parking expansion. Neighbors pressed for traffic mitigation and clearer enforcement tools should uses intensify in future.

What’s next: Applicant will bring a site plan to the board (anticipated in April per staff). The board and staff indicated they will monitor site-plan details and the applicant pledged to coordinate with neighbors on parking and circulation.