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HomeMy WebLinkAboutDepartment Report 09-03-19 10 Carmel Plan Commission RESIDENTIAL COMMITTEE Tuesday, September 3, 2019 Department Report 2. Docket No. 18090012 Z: Sherman Drive Townhomes Rezone (R-2 to UR). 3. Docket No. 18090013 DP/ADLS: Sherman Drive Townhomes. The applicant seeks rezone, development plan, and ADLS approval in order to develop 4 townhomes on Main Street. The site is located at 7 Sherman Drive. It is currently zoned R-2/Residential with a proposed change to UR/Urban Residential. Filed by Paul Reis with Krieg DeVault, LLP on behalf of AZR Haver LLC . *Updates to the Dept. Report are written in blue Project Overview: The Petitioner proposes to rezone the subject property to the UR/Urban Residential classification to allow for the construction of 4 residential townhome units. The site is located right along Main St. and there is an existing home on the site. The land surrounding this property to the north, west and south are all single family residential, zoned R-2. To the east is a large church property. Please see the Petitioner’s Information packet for more details. Comprehensive Plan Analysis: The Carmel Clay Comprehensive Plan’s Land Classification Plan Map delineates this area as an area for Special Study, so instead we can look to the City Wide and North Central Policies and Objectives in the Comp Plan. Some objectives that stand out include: - Be very sensitive to connectivity and transitions between adjacent areas. Discourage unplanned or harsh contrasts in height, building orientation, character, land use, and density. If there exists contrast, utilize multiple design principles to soften transitions. - Continue to encourage a variety of housing options to meet the needs of the marketplace. - Encourage pedestrian scale and walkability in new developments, infill and/or redevelopment. - Protect stable single-family residential neighborhoods in North Central Carmel as much as possible through buffering, use of transitional design, strong code enforcement of property maintenance issues, targeted infrastructure investments (e.g. drainage, sidewalks, and street lights), and landscaping beautification projects. - Where appropriate, reinforce established character in North Central Carmel. - Promote compact urban form with densities that support multi-modal transportation. The above goals support this rezone if there is sensitivity to adjacent areas and appropriate transitions. The site plan and architectural design shows that there are many elements that provide the appropriate transitions and complement the existing character of the area. Some of these include the sensitive 2 story height, the large rear setback, the preservation of the existing trees in the rear, the setbacks in the front building facade, and the style of architecture which is similar to homes in the area. Additional Analysis: The proposed site is currently a single-family home and is a part of the Johnson Addition neighborhood, but it also fronts on Main St. which is a busy road that has a variety of building types from Guilford Rd. to 4th Ave SW. Along Main St. in this area there are single family homes, attached dwellings, apartments, and a church. The petitioner would like to build a 2-story townhome building that would front on Main St. and be sensitive to the existing homes in Johnson Addition and the Christies Thornhurst neighborhood across the street. This 2 story townhome is a housing type that is not prominently available in Carmel and helps to provide more housing options, as not everyone may want to live in a single-family home with a large yard. This site is a good location for a townhome project like this as it is pedestrian oriented and it is near many amenities to walk or bike to. In order to develop the townhomes, the Urban Residential zone was chosen as the best district to rezone to. The Urban Residential zone allows for the proposed use as well as for the building to be pulled up to Main St., thereby allowing more buffer in the rear of the property. This rezone is also not a standalone rezone, but is accompanied by a Development Plan and ADLS application, so we know exactly what will be built on the site. This provides more certainty and allows us to adjust the design if needed with the rezone so that the project is the best fit for the site. Based on the site plan, the proposed 2 story architecture, the tree preservation in the rear, and the site location along Main St., the Department is in support of the requested rezone. 11 Urban Residential Standards this project MEETS: • Permitted Use • Max building height – 3 stories, 2 proposed • Min. front setback – 0’ allowed, 7’ proposed • Min. rear setback - 0’ allowed, 36’ proposed • Max. lot coverage - 80% allowed, 58% proposed • Parking areas shall be behind the building in a garage. • Parking – 6 spaces required, 8 proposed UDO Standards NOT MET, therefore Variances will be required if adjustments cannot be made: None Site Plan, Parking, Engineering: The proposed townhomes are located at and brought up to Main St. 2 units will be close to Main St. and a third will be setback further to help break up the facade. The fourth unit will face Sherman Dr. There will be a driveway to the rear of the property that leads to the garages for each unit. The existing driveway along Main St. will be removed. 6 parking spaces are required for the Urban Residential Zone and 12 are proposed. Under the driveway is where the onsite detention will be located. The minimum rear yard setback shown is 36 ft. and the 3 large trees in the rear are proposed to be preserved. Active Transportation: Pedestrian connectivity will be provided along Sherman Dr. and along Main St., with each townhome having a sidewalk connection from the front door to the street. A sidewalk will be added along Sherman Dr. There is an existing sidewalk along Main St., however a 10 ft. path is required and will be installed by the petitioner. A minimum of 4 short term bicycle parking spaces are also required for this development. Architectural Design: The building design is Mid-Century modern and takes its cues from the surrounding buildings. Both in Christies Thornhurst and in Johnson Addition the buildings have low slope roofs with minimal ornate architectural detailing. The proposed townhomes are being sensitive to this design and complement the surrounding buildings well. The height is only 2 stories and steps down to one story in the back where the garages are. The building materials used are brick, fiber cement panel siding, and fiber cement lap siding. The petitioner has made several changes from the original design based on staff comments. One additional change we would like is a brick base along the rear façade where the garages are. The overall design of the building satisfies the requirements of the UR Zoning District and is in character with the surrounding area. Lighting: More information is needed regarding the lighting. A lighting plan and lighting spec sheets are needed for any outdoor lighting. The Dept. will continue to work with the Petitioner to make sure that any proposed lights comply with the UDO requirements as well as tie into the architectural design of the building. Landscaping: While there is a small front yard setback, landscaping will still be provided in planter beds along Main St. and Sherman Dr. that will allow for low shrubs and grasses as well as a few trees. Three large trees will be preserved in the rear yard along with additional trees and landscaping being added. This will provide a buffer to the properties to the south. Petitioner, please submit for review and commit to specific construction methods that will minimize the impact on the southern trees. Signage: No signage is proposed at this time. Summary: The Department is in support of the proposed project for these key reasons: 1. The site plan is sensitive to the south neighbor by creating a wide bufferyard that preserves large trees and adds new landscaping which will help beautify the site and area 2. The proposed 2 story architecture is respectful to surrounding properties as it is only 1 story taller than surrounding homes and it meets the height requirements for a single-family home at only 26 ft. 3. The proposed Main Street location is not out of character with the other mix of residential types nearby; including duplex houses, multi-family apartments and townhomes (as well as single family). 4. While the proposed project is different than a single family home and it is a change, there are many features in this proposal that are complementary to the area. A variety of housing types within an area can have many benefits and is one of the key tenants of good urban design. . 5. The proposed use on this corner is still a residential use and the building is designed in a way to fit in with the character of the area. If this project were proposed more centrally within the neighborhood then the Dept. would not be supportive of that kind of harsh change. However, this parcel is at the boundary of the neighborhood, next to a church, and on Main Street, a busy Urban Collector Street. 12 August 20, 2019 Public Hearing Recap: The Petitioner went over the proposed project and site plan. There were a lot of remonstrators that spoke about concerns regarding the project. The main concerns heard included the feeling that the project is out of character with the existing single family homes, location of the project at the entrance to Johnson Addition, no onsite parking for visitors, fear of additional traffic, potential construction traffic and construction issues, and the views of the garage doors from Sherman Dr. The Plan Commission members asked questions about this area being affordable, the vision clearance from Sherman Dr. to Main St., views of what it would look like from neighboring properties, protection from construction annoyances, the need for townhomes, and rezoning to UR amongst single family. The Plan Commission forwarded this item to the Residential Committee meeting on Sept. 3, with the full Plan Commission having final voting authority. DOCS Remaining Comments/Concerns: 1. Please commit to a minimum rear yard setback with this rezone. 2. Please commit to saving the 3 trees in the rear and if they do not survive, to planting 2 replacement trees for every tree that dies. 3. Please commit to best management practices for construction to minimize the impact to the southern trees. 4. Add the brick base all along the rear façade or maybe make the rear all brick around the garage. 5. Please submit proposed commitments for review. 6. Look at other options for onsite parking. Perhaps 1 of the large trees should be removed for 90 degree parking spots. 7. How will trash pickup be handled? 8. Submit a perspective view of the building with the landscaping as viewed going north on Sherman Dr. 9. Submit revised plans through ProjectDox for review. Recommendation: The Dept. of Community Services recommends the Residential Committee discusses this item, and then Continues it to the Tuesday, October 1 Residential Committee meeting for further review.