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HomeMy WebLinkAboutZ-8056-A Staff AnalysisJULY 30, 2012 ITFM NO_- 3 File No.: Z -8056-A Owner: Second Baptist Church Applicant: Thomas R. Pownall Address: 1709 John Barrow Road Description: East side of John Barrow Road, south of Kanis Road Zoned: R-2 and 0-3 Variance Requested: Variances are requested from the parking provisions of Section 36- 507 to allow a church facility with more than twenty-five (25) percent of the parking requirement off-site and off-site parking more than three hundred (300) feet from the building it is to serve. Justification: The applicant's justification is presented in an attached letter. Present Use of Property: Church Campus Proposed Use of Property: Church Campus with new Auditorium STAFF REPORT A. Public Worcs Issues: 1. The site is currently requesting a variance from the Land Alteration Regulations along the north and east sides of the site to exceed the minimum slope requirement. 2. Storm water detention is required at time of building permit. B. Staff Analysis: The R-2/0-3 zoned property at 1709 John Barrow Road is occupied by the Second Baptist Church campus. A large church building is located on the R-2 zoned property, the south half of the campus. Paved parking is located on the east and west sides of the building. Paved parking is also located within the west half of the 0-3 zoned property, the north half of the development. Access drives from John Barrow Road serve the site. The church also has an off-site paved parking lot at the southeast corner of John Barrow Road and Labette Drive, approximately 250 feet from the existing church building. The church is proposing to construct a new auditorium building within the east half of the 0-3 portion of the campus, as noted on the attached site plan. The new auditorium will have a seating capacity of 2, 200. There are currently 317 on-site JULY 30, 2012 ITEM NO.: 3 (CON'T. parking spaces within the church campus. The new construction project will add 56 more on-site parking spaces, for a total of 373 on-site spaces. The off-site parking lot at the southeast corner of John Barrow Road and Labette Drive contains 68 parking spaces. The applicant has a written agreement with Pulaski Technical College to use their parking lot along the south side of Kanis Commercial Drive to the northwest. This lot contains 157 parking spaces. The new church auditorium building will be located approximately 550 feet from the Pulaski Technical College parking lot and approximately 600 feet from the off-site parking lot along Labette Drive. Section 36-502(b)(2)d. of the City's Zoning Ordinance requires 550 on-site parking spaces for the proposed church auditorium. Section 36-507(a) allows for up to 25 percent of the total parking requirement to be located off-site, but within 300 feet of the building the off-site parking is to serve. Therefore, the applicant is requesting variances from Section 36-507 to allow 32 percent of the on-site parking requirement to be located off-site, and for the off-site parking to be located more than 300 feet from the proposed auditorium building. Staff is supportive of the requested parking variance. Staff views the request as reasonable. The church will be providing 598 total parking spaces for the new auditorium use. The church has utilized the off-site parking along Labette Drive for a number of years. Although the off-site parking areas are located more than 300 feet from the proposed auditorium building, they are only approximately 200 to 250 feet from the property boundary of the overall church campus. Staff feels that the proposed parking arrangement will be adequate to serve the church campus, as long as the parking agreement is maintained with Pulaski Technical College. If this agreement is ever discontinued, the church will need to come back before the Board of Adjustment with an alternate proposal. There are other satellite parking options within this general area. Staff believes the proposed parking arrangement, with slightly increased off-site parking, will have no adverse impact on the adjacent properties or the general area. C. Staff Recommendation: Staff recommends approval of the requested parking variances, subject to the off- site parking agreement with Pulaski Technical College being maintained. BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT: (July 30, 2012) The applicant was present. There were no objectors present. Staff presented the application with a recommendation of approval, with conditions. The item was placed on the Consent Agenda and approved, as recommended by staff with a vote of 5 ayes, 0 nays and 0 absent.