Z-5624 Staff Analysisr
December 15, 1992
ITEM NO.: 8 FILE NO.: z-5624
NAME:
LOCATION•
OWNER/APPLICANT•
PROPOSAL:
ORDINANCE DESIGN STANDARDS:
1. Site Location
Summons Daycare Center -
Conditional Use Permit
2312 South Brown Street
Leara Summons
To convert this 11R-3" zoned single
family residence into a daycare
center for 18 children, with three
employees. The fenced in backyard
will be converted into a
playground.
The site is located one block north of Asher'Avenue, on the
west side of Brown Street.
2. foinpatibility with Neighborhood
Although the neighborhood is primarily residential, there
are other uses in the immediate vicinity. North and west of
this site is a large residential area of older homes. One
half of a block to the north and south of this site, on the
perimeter of the neighborhood, are two large churches, St.
Peter's Rock Baptist Church and Total Outreach for Christ
Ministries. There are duplexes across Brown Street and
south of the duplexes is an area of commercial adjacent to
Asher Avenue. It is questionable as to whether the proposed
daycare center is an appropriate land use in this
residential neighborhood.
3. On -Site Drives and Parkin
This proposed daycare center requires three employee parking
spaces and two on-site loading and unloading spaces. The
applicant is proposing to utilize the existing driveway
on the south side of the house for two employee parking
spaces. The spaces will be stacked one behind the other.
The applicant is also proposing to construct a circular
driveway for on-site loading and unloading.
4. Screening and Buffers
The application, as submitted, shows no proposed screening
or buffers. The playground area should be screened from the
adjacent residential properties.
1
December 1`5, 1992
SUBDIVISION
ITEM NO.: 8 Continued FILE NO.: Z-5624
5. City Engineer Comments
The proposed circular driveway for dropoff/pickup will not
work, eliminate it.
6. UtilitV Comments
None at the time of this writing.
7. Analysis
The proposed use appears to be an inappropriate land use
in this residential neighborhood. There are other
institutional type uses in the vicinity, but they are on
the perimeter of the neighborhood, across Brown Street and
adjacent to Asher Avenue. Brown Street is a narrow
residential street, barely wide enough for two cars to pass
and a daycare center would only exacerbate this situation.
The proposed parking/driveway plan is inadequate and does
not comply with ordinance requirements.
8. Staff Recommendation
Staff recommends denial of this application as being too
intense of a land use in this residential neighborhood, and
unable to comply with on-site parking and loading/unloading
requirements.
SUBDIVISION COMMITTEE COMMENT:
(NOVEMBER 25, 1992)
The applicant was present. Staff presented the case and some
background on the proposal. After a brief discussion of other
land uses in the immediate vicinity, the Committee determined
that the proposed use was not inappropriate for this
neighborhood. The discussion then turned to addressing the
required parking and on-site loading and unloading requirements.
It was determined that the circular driveway proposed on the plan
should be eliminated, and that the existing driveway on the south
of the property should be extended from Brown Street through to
the alley on the rear of the property thus providing for on-site
loading and unloading. The applicant also agreed to place the
required parking spaces across the back of the property taking
access from the alley as well.
Jerry Gardner, City Engineering, stated that his office needed
to look at the alley to determine if it was feasible to use it in
the manner suggested. The applicant was also advised that a
screening fence must be erected along the length of the south
property line adjacent to this proposed driveway. The Committee
then forwarded this item to the full Commission for final
resolution.
2
December 15, 1992
SUBDIVISION
ITEM NO.: 8 Continued FILE O.: Z-5524
PLANNING COMMISSION ACTION: (DECEMBER 15, 1992)
The applicant was in attendance. There were no objectors
present. Dana Carney of the Planning staff presented a
recommendation of denial. He informed the Commission of the
Subdivision Committee's action and that the City Engineer's
office had determined the alley to be unusable, thus eliminating
any access to the rear of the property.
Ms. Summons then addressed the Commission. She explained that
the children would be delivered to the daycare center by a
government van, thus eliminating the need for extra drop-off
spaces. She further stated that there was adequate space for
employee parking as not all of the employees drive.
A lengthy discussion then followed between Ms. Summons and
several of the commissioners regarding parking and the daycare
center's effect on the neighborhood. Jim Lawson, Director of the
Department of Neighborhoods and Planning, then stated that staff
could support a smaller scale operation such as one for ten
children, with two employees. Several commissioners stated that
they could also support a smaller scale daycare operation.
Ms. Summons stated that she needed approval for eighteen children
to make the daycare center financially feasible.
Commissioner VonTungeln voiced concern that the Commission was
not being consistent in dealing with daycare centers and reminded
the Commission of an earlier application for a daycare center
that did not meet parking requirements. Commissioner Nicholson
stated that there were differences in the two applications.
Further discussion then followed concerning the proposed daycare
center's impact on the neighborhood.
After this discussion, a motion was made by Commissioner Chachere
to approve the application as filed, utilizing only the existing
driveway for on-site parking. The application was approved by a
vote of 6 ayes, 1 noe, 1 abstention (Nicholson) and 2 absent.
3