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HomeMy WebLinkAboutDepartment Report 08-26-19 6 CARMEL BOARD OF ZONING APPEALS DEPARTMENT REPORT AUGUST 26, 2019 (SU) Clay Center Rd. Elementary School. The applicant seeks the following special use approval for a new school: 2. Docket No. 19060003 SU UDO Section 2.03 Permitted Uses, Education Special Use required. The site is located at 12025 Clay Center Rd. and is 35 acres in size. It is zoned S1/Residence and Silvara PUD/Planned Unit Development. Filed by Ron Farrand of Carmel Clay Schools. General Info & Analysis - The Petitioner seeks Special Use approval for a public elementary school project, which contains a 111,802 sq. ft. building, a parking area, a bus area, a detention pond, an outbuilding, and sports fields. The site is zoned S1/ Residence and Silvara PUD/Planned Unit Development. Special Use approval is required for a school of elementary or secondary education in the S1 zone. Per the Unified Development Ordinance (UDO), Special Use proposals shall generally be considered favorably by the BZA Board. Please see the petitioner’s informational packet for more details. Technical Review -The Technical Advisory Committee reviewed the technical aspects of the project and site at their July 17, 2019 meeting. Some items discussed were drainage, landscaping, traffic flow and connectivity, utilities, police/fire access, and more. The TAC Members had no major issues with this proposal. The Petitioner continues to follow up with each TAC Member to address any outstanding review comments. Architecture/Design-The building will be comprised of mostly brick and stone, with some metal panel material and glass windows. Site Plan & Active Transportation - The school can accommodate a maximum of 750 students, and there will be 80 employees. The required parking is 144 parking spaces, and the provided parking is 148 spaces. There is a bus parking area with 17 parking spaces; it is anticipated at 14 busses will be in operation. The school building will be situated on the northern half of the site, and the ball fields will be situated near the southern half of the site. Both uses will be located close to Clay Center Rd., and the east half of the site will be left open for grassy area, a detention pond, and tree preservation areas. The west parking lot will also serve at the drop off/ pick up queue area for parents driving their kids to school. The bus parking area will be located east of the building, to keep separate the bus traffic from the car traffic. A path system along Clay Center Rd. and within the site will connect to the adjacent neighborhoods to the north and the east (Jackson’s Grant at Williams Creek). Students will have the opportunity to walk or bike to school, should they choose, and bicycle parking racks will be provided. Right now, the site plan does not show a vehicular connection to/from the Domino Drive street stub on the site’s east property line; it only shows a pedestrian/bike path extension to/from the neighborhood to the east. The Planning Dept. and Engineering Dept. plan to continue discussions with the Petitioner to amend the pond shape/location, so room is left for a future potential Domino Dr. street extension that would hug the pond and turn south to stub to the parcel south of the Subject Site. Connectivity is one of the key policies of the City. In general, providing stub streets and potential for connectivity to future development is very important for many reasons, including the health, safety, convenience, and harmonious development of the community. Connecting neighborhoods via a local street network will help our firefighters and police officers take the best route to/from an emergency in the area/neighborhood so they can provide help quickly. A connected street network is also important to the community as a whole when there is a concern for increased traffic. Without good street connectivity, residents are forced onto the City’s main streets, even for a short local trip. This increases traffic volume and congestion for all. Lighting - Lighting for the site will be parking lot lighting, building exterior lighting, and ball field lighting. (The Petitioner is still finalizing the proposed lighting for the ballfields; right now the ball fields’ foot-candle 7 limits at the property lines exceed the zoning ordinance requirements.) Landscaping - The site will have an abundance of new landscaping along the perimeter of the site and within the parking lot areas, as well as around the building foundation. Some tree preservation areas are proposed, as well. Signage - The site is allowed two signs, since it has frontage on Clay Center Rd. and on Domino Dr. There will be a ground identification sign located near Clay Center Rd. and a wall sign on the west building façade. Sign permits will be required. Also, the school will have internal traffic directional signage on the site. It looks like either a variance will be required for the 6 directional sign sizes if they cannot reduce the sign sizes (from 7 sq. ft. down to 3 sq. ft.). Noise Regulations - The baseball fields will not be equipped with a PA or sound system. Per the Petitioner, Carmel Dads’ Club currently operates under a curfew at its other facilities terminating events at 10PM Sunday- Thursday and 11PM Friday-Saturday. (The City Code Noise Regulations exempt attendant noise connected with the actual performance of athletic or sporting events and practices.) UDO Section 9.09 – Special Use Process - Per the Unified Development Ordinance, Special Uses shall generally be considered favorably by the Board of Zoning Appeals, except in cases where the Board of Zoning Appeals finds the proposed Special Use obviously inappropriate as a result of special and unique conditions determined as a result of the review procedure established herein. Criteria, Basis of BZA review: 1. Topography; 2. Zoning on site; 3. Surrounding zoning and land Use; 4. Streets, curbs and gutters and sidewalks; 5. Access to public streets; 6. Driveway and curb cut locations in relation to other sites; 7. General vehicular and pedestrian traffic; 8. Parking location and arrangement; 9. Number of parking spaces needed for the particular Special Use; 10. Internal site circulation; 11. Building height, bulk and setback; 12. Front, side and rear yards; 13. Site coverage by building(s), parking area(s) and other structures; 14. Trash and material storage; 15. Alleys, service areas and loading bays; 16. Special and general easements for public or private Use; 17. Landscaping and Bufferyards; 18. Necessary fencing; 19. Necessary exterior lighting; 20. On-site and off-site, surface and subsurface storm and water drainage; 21. On-site and off-site utilities; 22. Dedication of streets and rights-of-way; 23. Proposed signage (subject to regulations established by the Sign Ordinance); and 24. Protective restrictions and/or covenants. 25. Need for lifeguards and other supervisory personnel, in respect to a private recreational development or facility (does not apply). Basis of BZA Approval or Rejection: a. The particular physical suitability of the premises in question for the proposed Special Use. b. The economic factors related to the proposed Special Use, such as cost/benefit to the community and its anticipated effect on surrounding property values. c. The social/neighborhood factors related to the proposed Special Use, such as compatibility with existing uses and those permitted under current zoning in the vicinity of the premises under consideration and how the proposed Special Use will affect neighborhood integrity. d. The adequacy and availability of water, sewage and storm drainage facilities and police and fire protection. e. The effects of the proposed Special Use on vehicular and pedestrian traffic in and around the premises upon which the Special Use is proposed. 8 Comprehensive Plan - The Land Classification Plan within the Comp Plan contains the Appropriate Adjacent Land Classifications Table. The surrounding residential land uses can be considered Estate Residential, Low Intensity Suburban Residential, and Suburban Residential land uses. Schools are considered an Institutional Node land use. Institutional Nodes are considered a Conditional Fit adjacent to residential uses, meaning it is appropriate to place the school land use adjacent to residential uses when the more intense development (school) is installed with sensitivity to the adjacent land classification (houses). The school site has a lot of acreage and green space, and there will be a lot of landscaping, which helps to provide appropriate distances, transitions, and buffers from the adjacent residential properties. DOCS Remaining Comments/Concerns: 1. Domino Drive street stub: One of the City’s key policies is vehicular and pedestrian connectivity. The City does not want to preclude the potential future road extension southwest from the Domino Drive street stub. Continued discussions should occur with the Planning Dept. and Engineering Dept. regarding the pond location and shape, in order to accommodate a future Domino Drive extension/alignment that will hug the pond and turn south to stub into the property south of the subject site. 2. Ball Fields Use Commitments: The Planning Department’s suggestion to have commitments associated with the ball fields use should be reconsidered. They could be similar to the Cherry Tree Softball Complex commitments (docket no. 17100005 CA) as an example. Petitioner’s Findings of Facts: Please refer to the petitioner’s Findings of Facts included in their info packet. Recommendation: After all comments and concerns are addressed, the Dept. of Community Services (DOCS) recommends positive consideration of Docket No. 19060003 SU.