Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutDept Report CARMEL BOARD OF ZONING APPEALS DEPARTMENT REPORT FEBRUARY 24,2014 9-10. (UV&V)Penske Car Rental at Monon Square The applicant seeks the following use variance and variance approvals for a car rental business: Docket No. 14010020 UV Appendix A Table of Uses: Car rental use requested Docket No. 14010021 V ZO CH 20F.16.01: Material or Product Storage Shall Occur w/in Building,Outdoor Storage of Cars requested The site is located at 624 S Range Line Road. It is zoned Il/Industrial within the Cannel Drive/Range Line Road Overlay. Filed by Shelley Johnstone with Penske Car Rental. General Info: The Petitioner is requesting a use variance to permit ri - a car rental business in the Range Line Road Overlay Zone. As a part of the car rental business, 4 the petitioner is also requesting a variance to permit -..- ' 1 ; outside storage, for the vehicles. The site is located . , a .+ north and west of City Center Drive and Range Line Road. Surrounding the site are commercial and k f' industrial zones. There is an existing car rental use nearby,however that use is grandfathered as it existed prior to the Overlay regulations. Please 1 a e refer to the petitioner's information packet for 1 " more details. ' 1 a Analysis: 4iika'IL* The Cannel Drive/Range Line Road Overlay Zone is --�- ----�- meant as a walkable,mixed-use district that P,, ti CITY CENTER DRIVE° R P *^ emphasizes a pedestrian oriented environment with the buildings pulled up to the street and designed with pedestrian scale elements. It is also the City's intent for the Overlay to provide a consistent urban design treatment in this area and to encourage higher intensity development,to act as Cannel's downtown. The Overlay was not intended to have car rental uses,which have a small office and an asphalt parking lot up against the sidewalk. Walking along a parking lot,does not add to the experience of the pedestrian or to the quality of the City,which is why this type of use is not permitted. A great deal of redevelopment and investment has already happened along this corridor,and the Department believes a car rental use does not represent the highest and best use for the real estate. A car rental use would also not be compatible with the other permitted uses for this area and would undermine previous redevelopment efforts up and down Range Line Road. In addition to this area being in the Range Line Rd Overlay,it is also included in the proposed long term redevelopment plan(MidTown Plan)developed by the Cannel Redevelopment Commission for the area along the Monon between Main Street and City Center Drive. If this use is permitted,it might hamper the redevelopment efforts as it does not meet the goals for the MidTown Plan,and it discourages re-development investment in the property. The MidTown Plan also anticipates buildings brought up to the street with parking behind the buildings to promote walkability. The proposed standards of the plan would not typically be able to accommodate a car rental use. Finally,the Department does not believe there is a hardship in using this site. While there are existing built conditions, another use could be located in this building which would meet the goals of the Range Line Road Overlay. Moreover,the overall site is of a size and location that would make it ideal for redevelopment. Additional Comments -Only 1 sign to face Range Line Rd is permitted for this building. -Additional landscaping should be added along the south side of the parcel to help buffer and block the backs of these buildings from City Center Drive, especially if a car wash is still proposed for the rental vehicles. 9 -Locating the use further back on the site where it is not as visible from the street might be more appropriate. However, there would still be a concern regarding the suitability of the use in the overall area. The Department is not in support of these variance requests. Findings of Fact- Use Variance: 1. The grant of this variance will be contrary to the public interest, due to the lack of existence of special condition(s) such that enforcement of the zoning ordinance will not result in unnecessary hardship because: another use that is permitted could locate here and nothing particular about the site makes it unusable. 2. The grant of this variance will be injurious to the public health, safety, morals and general welfare of the community because: this use is not compatible with the goals for this area and could impede the redevelopment of this site into an improved development with appropriate uses. Additionally, this use would introduce more automobile traffic into the area which is intended for high pedestrian traffic; this is a safety concern. 3. The use or value of the area adjacent to the subject property will be substantially affected in an adverse manner because: the proposed use is not compatible with the permitted uses in this area and the use would undermine the efforts already put into developing this corridor with buildings and a streetscape which are attractive and safely designed and which enhance the livability of the city. 4. The need for the variance does not arise from a natural condition peculiar to the subject property because: other uses could be located here which would meet the goals of the area and add to the pedestrian environment. 5. The granting of this variance does substantially interfere with the CarmeUClay Comprehensive Plan because: it does not meet the goals for this area which are to provide a walkable,pedestrian friendly streetscape and it could hinder redevelopment in the future. Findings of Fact—Variance: 1. The approval of this variance will be injurious to the public health, safety, morals, and general welfare of the community because: outdoor car storage is not compatible with the goals for this area and could impede the redevelopment of this site into an improved development with appropriate uses. 2. The use and value of the area adjacent to the property included in the variance will be affected in a substantially adverse manner because: the variance would undermine the efforts already put into developing this corridor with buildings and a streetscape which are attractive and safely designed and which enhance the livability of the city. 3. The strict application of the terms of the Zoning Ordinance to the property will not result in practical difficulties in the use of the property because: another use that does not require outdoor storage could locate here,and in fact there are already uses within the development that do not require outdoor storage. Recommendation: The Dept. of Community Services recommends denial of Docket Nos. 14010020-21 V. 10