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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCBC-644 VIBRANIT HOSPITALITY Staff MinutesFebruary 04, 2016 ITEM NO. 1, C.B.C. 644 — NEW MATTERS Applicant: Address: Description: ORDINANCE RE UIRMENTS: Chapter 15, Sec. 15-96. Perimeter planting strips. Development Consultants, Inc. Owner Vibrant Hospitality LLC Agent Robert M. Brown, Development Consultants, Inc. 219 East 6th Street Southwest corner of E 6th Street and Cumberland Street (a) 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, highway or freeway. This strip shall be at least nine (9) feet wide. The perimeter planting strip adjacent to freeways or expressways shall be at least thirty (30) feet wide except within mature areas. VARIANCE REQUESTED To allow the removal of a portion of the perimeter planting strip on the west side of the 7th Street driveway. To allow a reduction of the east side of the 7th Street driveway perimeter planting strip to less than the six (6) feet nine (9) inches that is typically required for developments in areas designated "mature" by the department of planning and development and approved by the planning commission and the city beautiful commission. To allow groundcover only in the perimeter strip at the east side of the 7th driveway with the required trees and shrubs to be planted in other locations. The UU zoned property at 219 E. 6th Street is currently occupied by paved parking lots. The property is located at the southwest corner of East 6th Street and Cumberland Street. The overall property extends to Scott Street to the west and East 7th Street to the south. The property is comprised of slightly over half of the overall block. The applicant proposes to construct a one hundred (100) room hotel building within the northeast corner portion of the overall property. The proposed building will "L" shape with an overall height of sixty-six (66) feet. A paved parking area containing sixty (64) spaces with the required interior and perimeter landscaping will be located west and south of the hotel building. Access drives will be located along East 6th Street, Scott Street and East 7th Street, with the East 7th Street drive being an exit only driveway. The applicant is requesting that a portion of the required perimeter planting area located on the west side of the East 7th driveway be removed. This would allow five (5) parking spaces which would abut the property line and the retaining wall of the neighboring parking area to the west. South of these parking spaces an approximate fifty (50) foot by twenty (20) foot landscape area will be developed which will include an existing forty-eight (48) inch oak. This one thousand (1000) square foot area would exceed the required perimeter landscape area by three hundred and ten (310) square feet. The second variance the applicant is requesting is to allow the east perimeter of the East 7th driveway to be less than the required six (6) feet (9) inch width. The paving of this exiting drive now abuts the retaining wall of the neighboring Buffington Tower Apartments to the west. The applicant proposes to provide an approximate four (4) feet two (2) inch perimeter planting strip adjacent to this existing property line/ retaining wall and six parallel parking spaces. The applicant is also requesting other than ground cover the required plant material (one tree and three shrubs for each thirty linear feet of perimeter landscape area) be relocated to other areas of the site due to space restrictions. On January 25, 2016 (file no. Z-9100) the Board of Adjustment reviewed zoning variances concerning the location of surface parking, signage, the location of street trees, and the width of street buffers. Staff was supportive of the requested variances associated with the proposed hotel development and all variances were approved by the Board. STAFF RECOMMENDATION: Staff is supportive of the request to allow the reduced and deleted perimeter landscape strips and the relocation and planting of the required perimeter trees and shrubs to other areas of the site as purposed.