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HomeMy WebLinkAboutZ-5936-P Staff AnalysisDECEMBER 11, 2017 ITEM NO.: 6 File No.: Owner: Applicant: Address: Description: Zoned: Z -5936-P Deltic Timber Corporation Brian Dale, White-Daters & Associates 716 Rahling Road Lot 4D, Tract 4, Chenal Valley Addition C-3 Variance Requested: Variances are requested from the height provisions of Section 36-301 and the sign provisions of Section 36-557 to allow construction of a hotel building with increased building height and a sign without direct street frontage. Justification: The applicant's justification is presented in an attached letter. Present Use of Property: Undeveloped Proposed Use of Property: Hotel STAFF REPORT A. Public Works Issues: 1. The Public Works staff has no comment on proposed sign. No other aspects of this project have been reviewed at this time and additional comments may follow. B. Landscape and Buffer Issues: Site plan must comply with the City's minimal landscape and buffer ordinance requirements. Screening requirements will need to be met for the vehicular use areas adjacent to street right-of-ways. Provide screening shrubs with an average linear spacing of not less at three (3) feet within the required landscape area. Provide trees with an average linear spacing of not less than thirty (30) feet. A land use buffer six (6) percent of the average width/depth of the lot will be required when an adjacent property has a dissimilar use of a more restrictive nature. The property to the west is zoned OS. The maximum dimension required shall be fifty (50) feet. The minimum dimension shall be one-half (1/2) the full width requirement but in no case less than nine (9) feet. As a component of all land use buffer requirements, opaque screening, whether a fence or other device, a minimum of six (6) feet in height shall be required upon the property line side of the buffer. A minimum of seventy (70) percent of the land use buffer shall be undisturbed. DECEMBER 11, 2017 ITEM NO.: 6 (CON'T. Z -5936-P Easements cannot count toward fulfilling this requirement. In addition to the required screening, buffers are to be landscaped at the rate of one (1) tree and three (3) shrubs for every thirty (30) linear feet. Building landscape areas shall be provided at the rate equivalent to planter strip three (3) feet wide along the vehicular use area. One (1) tree and four (4) shrubs shall be planted in the building landscape areas for each forty (40) linear feet of vehicular use area abutting the building. Eight percent (8%) of the vehicular use area must be designated for green space; this green space needs to be evenly distributed throughout the parking area(s). The minimum size of an interior landscape area shall be one hundred fifty (150) square feet for developments with one hundred fifty (150) or fewer parking spaces. Interior islands must be a minimum of seven and one-half (7 Y2) feet in width. Trees shall be included in the interior landscape areas at the rate of one (1) tree for every twelve (12) parking spaces. A landscape irrigation system shall be required for developments of one (1) acre or larger. The development of two (2) acres or more requires the landscape plan to be stamped with the seal of a Registered Landscape Architect. The City Beautiful Commission recommends preserving as many existing trees as feasible on this site. Credit toward fulfilling Landscape Ordinance requirements can be given when preserving trees of six (6) inch caliper or larger. C. Staff Analysis: The C-3 zoned property located at 716 Rahling Road is currently undeveloped and tree covered. The property is located on the north side of Rahling Road, approximately 1,000 feet west of Chenal Parkway. The property backs up to an OS zoned strip, with R-2 zoning to the northwest. The adjacent properties along Rahling Road are also zoned C-3. The lot is preliminary platted as Lot 4-D, Tract 4, Chenal Valley Addition. The applicant proposes to construct a new four-story Aloft Hotel on the property, as noted on the attached site plan and elevations. The proposed hotel building will be located within the rear half of the property. A shared access drive will be located at the southwest corner of the property. Paved parking will be located on the south side of the building, between the building and Rahling Road. A shared access easement will be located between this lot and Lot 4-C to the east. A small amount of shared parking will be located along the access easement on Lot 4-C. The proposed hotel building will have a height of 45.5 feet, as measured from the lowest finished floor to the ceiling of the top story. N DECEMBER 11, 2017 ITEM NO.: 6 (CON'T.) Z -5936-P As part of the hotel development, the applicant is proposing wall signage on the front (south) and east side building facades. A ground sign is proposed at the front of the porte coche portion of the building. Based on the area of the front fagade, a total of 1,162 square feet of wall signage will be allowed on the front fagade. The applicant is proposing a 144 square foot wall sign on the front fagade. The applicant proposes to transfer 144 square feet of the allowed wall signage from the front fagade to the east wall of the hotel building. The applicant is requesting two (2) variances for the proposed hotel development. The first variance is from the building height provisions of Section 36-301(d) of the City's Zoning Ordinance, which allows a maximum building height of 35 feet for structures in C-3 zoning. The applicant is requesting a variance to allow a building height of 45.5 feet. Section 36-557(a) requires that wall signage be located on sides of buildings which face street rights-of-way. The applicant is requesting a second variance to allow the wall sign on the east end fagade which has no direct street frontage. Staff is supportive of the requested building height and wall sign variances. Staff views the request as reasonable. Both variances are relatively minor in nature. The proposed building height represents a 28 percent height increase. As noted previously, there is an OS (open space) zoned strip between this C-3 zoned property and the R-2 zoned property to the northwest. The R-2 zoned property is currently undeveloped. Staff believes that the slight increase in building height will have no adverse impact on the adjacent properties or the general area. With respect to the sign variance, the applicant is proposing to utilize only a small portion (25 percent) of the overall wall signage allowed for the front fagade of the hotel building. The wall signage on the east fagade should have visibility from Chenal Parkway/Rahling Road intersection. This should aid in identifying the hotel use to traffic along Chenal Parkway. Staff also believes that the proposed sign without street frontage will have no adverse impact on the adjacent properties or the general area. D. Staff Recommendation: Staff recommends approval of the requested building height and sign variances, subject to the following conditions: 1. Compliance with the Landscape and Buffer requirements as noted in paragraph B. of the staff report. 2. The wall signage on the front building fagade when added to the wall sign on the east fagade must not exceed 10 percent of the front fagade area. 3 DECEMBER 11, 2017 ITEM NO.: 6 (CON'T, BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT Z -5936-P (December 11, 2017) The applicant was present. There were no objectors present. Staff presented the item and a recommendation of approval as outlined in the "staff recommendation" above. There were no further discussion. The item was paced on the Consent Agenda and approved as recommended by a vote of 4 ayes, 0 noes and 1 absent. V