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HomeMy WebLinkAboutZ-3520-D Staff AnalysisMAY 19, 2008 ITEM Nin - A File No.: Z -3520-D Owner: Chris Albright Applicant: Ron Burns Address: 7600 Cantrell Road Description: Northwest Corner of Cantrell Road and Keightley Drive Zoned: C-4 Variance Requested: Variances are requested from the area provisions of Section 36-302 and the building line provisions of Section 31-12 to allow a gas pump canopy addition with reduced setbacks and which crosses a platted building line. Justification: The applicant's justification is presented in an attached letter. Present Use of Property: Service Station Proposed Use of Property: Service Station STAFF REPORT A. Public Works Issues: 1. The already congested site is located on the corner of a very busy intersection with long stack lengths. Traffic routinely stacks beyond the driveway on Keightley Drive. By the introduction of 2 additional fuel pumps and canopy, the site will be even more congested with very little maneuvering room for vehicles on site and for vehicle to enter and exit the adjacent streets. When you consider a 20 ft vehicle parked at the new northern fuel island there is approximately 10 ft of maneuver room between that vehicle and the back of sidewalk and only 30 ft from the right of way. This width will make it very difficult for a vehicle to access Keightley Drive and cause more vehicles to potentially cross 3 lanes of traffic on Cantrell Road eastbound. A 20 ft vehicle parked at the new southern fuel island will extend out into the Cantrell Road driveway by 10 ft making it more difficult for vehicles to enter the site from Cantrell Road. The addition of the 2 fuel island and canopy will increase the safety hazard of motorists trying to access the site from the adjacent streets. MAY 19, 2008 ITEM NO.: A CON'T. B. Landscape and Buffer Issues: No Comments C. Staff Analysis: The C-4 zoned property at 7600 Cantrell Road is occupied by a one-story commercial building containing a convenience store and a gas pump area with canopy. The property is located at the northwest corner of Cantrell Road and Keightley Drive. The convenience store building is located within the north half of the property, with a small area for auto service on its east side. The gas pump canopy is located within the south half of the property and includes three (3) gas pumps and six (6) service lanes. There are access drives from Cantrell Road and Keightley Drive. There is paved parking on the north and south sides of the building. The C-4 zoned lot contains a 45 foot front platted building line along the Cantrell Road frontage. The applicant proposes to construct a 24 foot by 52 foot addition to the gas pump canopy, as noted on the attached site plan. The addition will include two (2) additional gas pumps. The addition will be located approximately 17 feet from the front (south) property line and 26 to 64 feet from the east, street side, property line. The 45 foot front platted building line has been reduced by 7 to 10 feet with additional right-of-way dedication for the recent construction of Cantrell Road. The proposed canopy addition is located approximately 24 feet back from the original front property line (prior to right-of-way dedication). The addition will maintain the same front setback as the existing canopy, extending across the front platted building line by 19 to 20 feet. Sections 36-302(e)(1) and (2) of the City's Zoning Ordinance require minimum front and street side setbacks of 45 feet for C-4 zoned lots. Section 31-12(c ) of the Subdivision Ordinance requires that encroachments across platted building lines be reviewed and approved by the Board of Adjustment. Therefore, the applicant is requesting variances to allow the canopy addition with reduced front and street side setbacks, and to encroach across a platted building line. Staff does not support the requested setback and building line variances. Although staff has no specific objection to the proposed canopy addition maintaining essentially the same front and street side setbacks as existing buildings on the site, Public Works has raised vehicular safety issues associated with the addition. Public Works notes in paragraph A. of this agenda staff report that on-site vehicular circulation as well as vehicular maneuvering entering and exiting the site could be hazardous based on the proximity of the proposed canopy addition to the southeast corner of the property and the nearest driveways from Cantrell Road and Keightley Drive. Additionally, the proposed canopy addition will be located relatively close to the sidewalks along both street frontages. MAY 19, 2008 ITEM NO.: A (CON'T. If the Board approves the building line variance, the applicant will have to complete a one -lot replat reflecting the change in the platted front building line for the addition. The applicant should review the filing procedure with the Circuit Clerk's office to determine if the replat requires a revised Bill of Assurance. D. Staff Recommendation: Staff recommends denial of the requested setback and building line variances. BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT: (APRIL 28, 2008) Chris Albright was present, representing the application. There were no objectors present. Staff presented the application with a recommendation of denial. Chris Albright addressed the Board in support of the application. He noted that the proposed canopy addition would not cause a traffic circulation problem. He explained that the canopy addition would not add to traffic congestion on the site because it would allow service of more vehicles on the site. Chairman Burruss asked if there had been any consideration to modifying or closing the two (2) drives nearest the intersection. Mr. Albright indicated that it would not work. He explained that all of the existing driveways were needed for interior traffic circulation. He noted that larger trucks (delivery trucks) used the drives to enter and exit the site. The issue of narrowing the two (2) drives nearest the intersection was discussed. Vince Floriani, of Public Works, noted that the site was currently a congested site. He explained that there would be little separation between the proposed canopy addition and the sidewalks along both streets. He explained traffic circulation issues associated with the proposed canopy and its proximity to the drives nearest the intersection. James Van Dover explained that he was not concerned with the interior congestion, but the possibility of congestion on the adjacent streets. Mr. Floriani explained that there was concern with interior traffic backing up to the drives and possibly onto the adjacent streets. The issue was discussed with relation to vehicle location on the site at the proposed canopy addition. Staff suggested that the two (2) driveways nearest the intersection be exit only/right turn only drives. This issue was discussed. Chairman Burruss explained that a deferral might be in order to allow the applicant time to work with Public Works and resolve the traffic circulation concern. The issue of deferral was discussed. Mr. Albright asked to defer the application. There was a motion to defer the application to the May 19, 2008 agenda. The motion passed with a vote of 5 ayes and 0 nays. The application was deferred. MAY 19, 2008 ITEM NO.. A (CON'T. BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT: (MAY 19, 2008) The applicant was present. There were no objectors present. Staff informed the Board that the applicant had submitted a revised site plan (dated May 16, 2008) which reduced the width of the proposed gas pump canopy addition to 18 feet and shifted the existing and proposed gas pumps 5.5 to 6 feet to the west. Staff recommended approval of the revised plan, subject to the following conditions: 1. Completion of a one -lot replat reflecting the change in the front platted building line as approved by the Board. 2. Eliminating parking spaces at the southeast corner of the property. 3. Eliminating the three (3) southernmost parking spaces along the east property line. 4. Shifting of the existing and proposed gas pumps 5.5 to 6 feet to the west as shown on the revised plan. The applicant offered no additional comments. The item was placed on the Consent Agenda and approved as revised and recommended by staff by a vote of 5 ayes and 0 nays.