Z-3704-B Staff AnalysisSeptember 29, 1997
Item
File No.:
Owner:
Address:
Description -
zoned:
Variance Requested:
Justification:
Present Use of Property:
Proposed Use of Propert :
Staff Report
A. Public Works Issues:
Z -3704-B
Coulson Properties
8000 Geyer Springs Road
Lots 7A and 7B, Eagle Commercial
Subdivision No. 3
C-4
Variances are requested from the
building line provisions of Section
31-12, the area regulations of
Section 36-302 and the sign height
and area provisions of Section
36-355.
Property is being used as general
commercial, not open display, and
proposed improvements would meet C-
3 area regulations. Building in
encroachments are minimal and do
not impact visibility, utilities,
or public improvements. Sign
height and area increases are
requested to provide for individual
sign panels for each of the
services/users that will occupy the
building (gas and convenience, fast
food, etc.)
Vacant
Convenience store with gas pumps,
car wash and restaurant
1. Prior to building permit submit two sets of grading and
drainage plans for review and approval to Bruce Kemmet at
371-4740.
2. Grading permit will be required if more than one acre is
disturbed.
3. Stormwater detention ordinance applies to this property.
If the impervious drainage area is not increased by 500
s.f. submit a letter stating such.
4. Sign location is not shown on the survey, it can not be
located in an area that may impair sight distance.
September 29, 1997
Item No.: 1
B. Staff Analysis:
Coulson Oil Company proposes to develop a new project on the
vacant C-4 zoned property located at 8000 Geyer Springs Road
(southwest corner of Geyer Springs Road and Interstate 30).
The development includes a convenience store with gas pumps
and a detached, automatic car wash. Approximately 1/3 of
the 5,277 square foot convenience store building will be
occupied by fast food service businesses. The food service
business will be primarily a take-out operation however,
limited seating will be available (6 booths). The gas pumps
will be covered by a canopy which is also connected to the
building. Coulson also proposes the installation of 3
ground -mounted project signs; one on Geyer Springs Road, one
on Mitchell Drive and one on the interstate side.
The proposed development creates the need for variances in
two areas. The first issue concerns the placement of the
convenience store building itself, the gas pump canopy and
the detached car wash. The second issue concerns the height
and area of the proposed ground -mounted sign adjacent to the
interstate.
As proposed, the convenience store building will have a rear
yard setback of 19.46 feet. The ordinance requires a rear
yard setback of 25 feet for this C-4 zoned property. This
is a very minor issue as only a small corner of the building
intrudes into the required setback area. This variance
should have no impact on the adjacent property which is
occupied by a Hampton Inn motel. The motels parking lot
and driveway separates the motel and the proposed
convenience store.
A small portion of the gas pump canopy extends past a
platted 40 foot building line on the south side of the
project (the Mitchell Drive side). The amount of
encroachment varies from approximately 4 feet to just over 7
feet, leaving a setback from the property line of 32.37 feet
at its closest point. At that closest point, the edge of
the canopy is approximately 44 feet from the curb of
Mitchell Drive. The support posts for the canopy are
located at pump, behind the 40 foot building line. Staff
believes this minor building line variance is reasonable and
should have no impact on adjacent properties or on traffic.
Approximately 50% of the detached automatic car wash
building is proposed to extend across a platted 40 foot
building line on the north side of the project (the
Interstate 30 side). This is an unusual situation in that a
25 foot building line is located along most of the north
property line but it increases to a 40 foot building line at
the northwest corner of the site, where the car wash is
E
September 29, 1997
Item No.: 1 (Cont.
proposed to be located. The closest edge of the car wash
will be 30.24 feet from the north property line and over 100
feet from the freeway access road. Staff believes this
building line variance should have no impact on adjacent
properties and will not impact traffic on the access road.
If the Board approves the building line variances, the
applicant will have to do a one lot replat, reflecting the
changes in the building lines as approved by the Board. The
applicant should review the filing procedure with the
Circuit Clerk to determine if the replat requires a revised
Bill of Assurance.
The final variance issue, and the one that staff is most
concerned about, is regarding the proposed ground -mounted
sign to be located on the interstate side of the project.
The applicant proposes to construct a sign which is 72 feet
in height and 504 square feet in area. Section 36-444(a)(2)
of the city code limits ground -mounted signs in commercial
zones to 36 feet in height and 160 square feet in area.
Section 36-557(b) of the Code does permit the height of
ground -mounted signs on properties immediately adjacent to
and contiguous to a freeway to be measured from the
elevation of the centerline of the traffic lanes (excluding
frontage roads). The applicant has submitted elevations
showing the centerline of the freeway to be 21 feet above
the grade of the proposed sign location. Under Section 36-
557(b), the ground -mounted sign may be 57 feet tall by
right. The applicant is requesting a height variance of 15
feet to allow a sign height of 72 feet. Staff does not
believe there is justification to allow this additional
height. The site is visible from both eastbound and
westbound I-30, bearing in mind that the sign will be 57
feet tall. Additionally, the site will have two other
ground -mounted signs, each of which can be 36 feet tall and
160 square feet in area. The 504 square foot sign proposed
by the applicant exceeds 3 times the Ordinance maximum
permitted for ground -mounted signs in commercial zones. A
sign of this size is more in character with a billboard than
an on -premises sign. Again, staff does not believe there is
justification to support such an extreme variance. This
site, with its triple street and interstate frontages, is
permitted liberal signage by city code.
C. Staff Recommendation:
Staff recommends approval of the requested building line and
setback variances subject to the following conditions:
1. A one lot replat reflecting the changes in the building
lines as approved by the Board.
2. Compliance with Public Works Comments
3. Compliance with the City's Landscape and Buffer
Ordinances
3
September 29, 1997
1
Staff recommends denial of the re
area variances to allow a 504 s quare quested signheight and
ground -mounted sign, feet, 72 feet tall
BOARD OF ADJUST :
Robert Br (SEPTEMBER 29, 1997)
no objectorsown was Present representing the applicant. There were
approval of the re Presented the item and
Staff noted requested building line and se recommended
that the applicant had setback variances.
reducing the height of the amended the sign
57 feet and the interstate side variance by
variance of area to 272 hound -mounted sign to
1Q feet and an aregauare feet: resulting in a height
Correspondingly, the a variance of 112 s
height of the applicant had also reduced theareaground-mounted sign for the Mitchell D
the Property to zQQ square feet
result of these and 10 f rive side of
amendments, staff recommended respectively. As a
height and area variance as well as mmended approval
variances subject to compliance with Public work lineof s sign
the building line and setback
variance. Brown addressed the Board and confirmed the s comments.
variance, amended sign
Willie Lae Brooks asked about an
Mr. Brown stated that it was a existing sign on the
and that it would be sign from the previous property.
removed, ous development
Chairman Alderfer called
and setback variances a well vote on the re
ell as the sign guested building line
variances as amended, subject to gn height and area
comments. The item was compliance with Public
absent and 1 open approved by a vote of Works
Position. 5 ayes, 0 noes, 3
4