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HomeMy WebLinkAboutDepartment Report 06-27-19 9 Carmel Plan Commission COMMERCIAL COMMITTEE Thursday, June 27, 2019 Department Report 7. Docket No. 19050028 ADLS Amend: 12955 Old Meridian Remodel The applicant seeks site plan and design approval for a remodel of the existing building and reconfiguration of site circulation and parking. The site is located at 12955 N. Old Meridian Street and is 2.23 acres in size. It is zoned UC/Urban Core and is not located within an overlay zone. Filed by Kevin Buchheit of Krieg DeVault on behalf of BRU Carmel RE LLC and JKB Properties LLC. Project Overview: The Petitioner proposes to reduce in size and remodel the north part the strip retail building and remodel the remaining inline tenant spaces north of Bru Burger. The parking areas will also be modified on the north portion of the property to provide better site circulation and increase the number of spaces available. The Olivia building to the northwest and the Main Street Center to the east are both zoned Urban Core (UC), the same as this site. The Grand & Main PUD is to the west, which has the Avant apartments, Rose Senior Living, and townhomes. To the east is Carmel Middle School, zoned R-1, and to the south is vacant land, also zoned UC. Please see the Petitioner’s Information packet for more details. Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) Standards this project MEETS: Section 8.04 Nonconformance Exemptions: This section states “A building nonconforming only as to height, lot area, or yard requirements may be altered or expanded, provided that an extension meets all of the height, yard and other applicable provisions of the Unified Development Ordinance.” The Petitioner is proposing a remodel and reduction of the nonconforming building. The plan does not propose to extend or increase the size of the building. Urban Core: • Permitted use: Restaurant, without drive thru food sales, general office, general retail and service Article 5 – Development Standards: • Vehicular parking: 186 spaces required (one space per 200 sq. ft. of floor area – total 37,180 sq. ft. for entire center), 187 spaces provided • Accessory building (trash enclosure) is architecturally compatible with principal building UDO Standards NOT MET, therefore variances are needed and/or adjustments required: • Bicycle parking: number and location of spaces not yet verified • Pedestrian connectivity: Paved & Accessible walkway from the sidewalk to the front door needed Site Plan, Parking and Engineering: The Petitioner is seeking ADLS Amendment approval to reduce the footprint of the existing building in order to modernize the center, provide for additional parking, and enhance site circulation. The existing north part of the building is currently about 13,000 sq. ft. This will be reduced to about 6,000 sq. ft. with the proposed remodel. (Existing inline strip building is 20,742 sq. ft.) The decrease will allow for parking to be reworked and oriented completely on this property, gaining 12 spaces on the north side of the building. Parking on the west side of the building will be relocated to the west property line, along Old Meridian Street. Moving these angled parking spaces to the other side of the drive aisle will allow for an increase of 3 spaces (10 now, 13 proposed). Entry points into the parking lot will remain where they are located today. The northernmost entry is a shared access point between this development and the one to the east, Main Street Center. However, it is entirely on Main Street Center’s property. Site circulation around the back side of the building (east) will improve by this plan to remove part of the north building. This removal will allow for an increased pavement area, which will provide adequate width for a two way drive aisle. The existing site is currently at 78.64% lot coverage. With the proposed improvements, the lot coverage will go down slightly to 77%. The UC zone allows for up to 100% lot coverage. Drainage for this site currently goes to the southeast corner of the site into an existing dry detention area. The Petitioner still needs to work with the Engineering Dept. to address their outstanding concerns regarding curbing, grading, and completed construction plans. 10 Active Transportation: There is an existing path along Old Meridian Street and a sidewalk that goes around the entire building. A safe and accessible pedestrian connection from the path to the front door is needed. Bicycle parking spaces will be provided, however, the location and number of spaces has not been confirmed yet. A minimum of 5 parking spaces are needed. It would be preferable to install the racks in two areas, one at the north end of the building and another at the middle portion of the building for the existing in-line tenant spaces. Petitioner, please provide an update on the pedestrian amenities for the building. Architectural Design: The building is currently tan and white EIFS or siding material, with one central architectural feature in the middle of the in-line tenant spaces (north of the Bru Burger building). White tenant signs are located above black awnings and in- between goose-neck style lights. The Petitioner proposes to use a mix of brick, stone, Hardie board siding, and IPE siding (durable and dense Teak wood) for the remodel. Rooftop mechanical units will be concealed with metal architectural screens, similar to what was used for the Bru Burger building. The new design of the façade will be varied, highlight tenant entrances and provide dimension and color to the facades. The rear of the building will not be upgraded to match the rest; however, it will get a fresh coat of paint. The existing building height is at 17’. The height of the proposed remodel will vary across the façade with the lowest point of the parapet at 17’ and the highest point at 23’. One of the items Staff has asked the Petitioner to take a closer look at are the parts of the façade where the Hardie board siding goes all the way to the ground. Typically a masonry base is provided so that siding or EIFS materials are not installed so close to the ground. In this case, brick has been added to the top of the building, which is somewhat unusual as the “heavier material” (both in actual weight and visually) is typically placed beneath the lighter material (the siding). Petitioner, please work to modify this design concern. Lighting: New light fixtures are proposed to go on the updated façade. They are long and rectangular with a decorative glass front. Petitioner, please provide confirmation that the actual light source will be concealed. Parking lot poles exist, with two new poles possibly being added. The photometric plan that has been provided shows all lighting levels exceeding the allowable amount at the property lines. Petitioner, please provide an update on if new parking lot pole fixtures will be added and what can be done to improve the lighting levels at the property lines. Landscaping: New plantings are proposed along Old Meridian Street, in front of the existing building, and around the new building remodel area on the north part of the site. The Urban Forester has not yet approved the plans and is awaiting revisions. Signage: Wall sign locations are generally shown for each tenant. The proposed size of the spandrel panel area has not been specified yet. Walls signs are allowed to be up to 70% of the height and 85% of the width of the spandrel panel area. Once the spandrel panel area is identified and a drawing with dimensions is submitted, it will be reviewed for compliance with the Sign Ordinance. DOCS Remaining Comments/Concerns: The Department is generally in favor of the proposed changes to the building and site. Unfortunately, there are a lot of unknown items that need to be resolved with the TAC agencies before this can move forward. Hopefully these items can be addressed in the next week prior to the meeting. Some remaining review comments are as listed above: 1. Engineering Dept. concerns 2. Accessible routes from the path to the building 3. Bike parking locations and quantities 4. Architectural design modifications 5. New lighting confirmation 6. Landscaping plan approval 7. Signage details needed Recommendation: The Dept. of Community Services recommends the Commercial Committee discusses this item, then continues it to the August 6, 2019 meeting.