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HomeMy WebLinkAboutZ-5991-F Staff AnalysisMARCH 27, 2017 ITEM NO.: 1 File No.: Z-5991 -F Owner: Winrock Development Company Applicant: Joe White, White-Daters & Associates Address: 600 Wellington Hills Road Description: West side of Wellington Hills Road, at Wellington Village Road Zoned: C-1 Variance Requested: A variance is requested from the development provisions of Section 36-299 to allow a commercial leasable area which exceeds the maximum leasable area allowed. Justification: The applicant's justification is presented in an attached letter. Present Use of Property: Undeveloped Proposed Use of Property: Day Care Center STAFF REPORT A. Public Works Issues: At time of building permit, storm water detention will be required. At time of building permit, the proposed retaining wall will be required to have the design and construction certified by a licensed engineer. If the adjacent property to the south desires to share the access drive and have a four way intersection, a distance of 75 feet is required from the curb line on Wellington Hills Road to the center of the intersecting drives. B. Landscape and Buffer Issues: 1. Site plan must comply with the City's minimal landscape and buffer ordinance and the Presidential Park Overlay District requirements. 2. 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. 3. A perimeter planting strip is required along any side of a vehicular use area that abuts adjoining property or the right-of-way of any street. This strip shall be at least nine (9) feet wide. One (1) tree and three (3) shrubs or vines shall be planted for every thirty (30) linear feet of perimeter planting strip. MARCH 27, 2017 ITEM NO.: 1 (CON'T.) Z-5991 -F 4. Entergy has stated that it will not allow any plantings that exceed a height of six (6) feet in their utility easement. Any required perimeter plantings will need to be located outside of this easement. If the required perimeter plant material quantities cannot be obtained due to the location of the easement a landscape variance from the City Beautiful Commission may be required. 5. 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 island must be a minimum of seven and one half (7 '/) 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. 6. Building landscape areas shall be provided between the vehicular use area used for public parking and the general vicinity of the building. These 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. 7. An automatic irrigation system to water landscaped areas shall be required for developments of one (1) acre or larger. 8. 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-1 zoned property at 600 Wellington Hills Road is currently undeveloped. The property is located on the west side of Wellington Hills Road at Wellington Village Road. The property is wooded with varying degrees of slope. The overall property is comprised of 1.47 acres, and is the unrecorded Tract "I" Villages of Wellington Addition. The applicant proposes to construct a one-story building on the property, as noted on the attached site plan. The proposed building will be 12,500 square feet in area and will house a day care center. A paved parking lot will be located between the building and Wellington Hills Road, with two (2) driveways serving as access from the roadway. A retaining wall will be located near and parallel to the south and west property lines. A playground area will be located behind the building at the southwest corner of the property. Section 36-299(b)(2) of the City's Zoning Ordinance allows a maximum floor area of 10,000 square feet for any single establishment in the C-1 zoning district. Therefore, the applicant is requesting a variance to allow the proposed day care center building with 12,500 square feet of floor area. 2 MARCH 27, 2017 ITEM NO.: 1 (CON'T.) Z-5991 -F Staff is supportive of the requested variance to allow additional floor space for the proposed day care building in C-1 zoning. Staff views the request as reasonable. The overall property is comprised of 1.47 acres and is part of a four (4) lot commercial subdivision, zoned C-1. The C-1 lot immediately to the west contains the Citadel Broadcasting building which is 20,425 square feet in area. The proposed 12,500 square foot building will be smaller than or similar in size to other commercial buildings in this general area. There is a large mini warehouse development immediately west of the Citadel Broadcasting facility which contains over 90,000 square feet of building area. Staff believes the proposed building size will be compatible with the area and will have no adverse impact on the adjacent properties or the general area. D. Staff Recommendation: Staff recommends approval of the requested variance to allow additional building area, subject to the following conditions: 1. Compliance with the Public works and Landscape/Buffer requirements as noted in paragraphs A and B of the staff report. 2. The number of parking spaces must comply with ordinance requirements. 3. The lot must be final platted prior to issuance of a building permit. BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT (March 27, 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 was no further discussion. The item was placed on the consent agenda and approved as recommended by the vote of 3 ayes, 0 noes and 2 absent.