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HomeMy WebLinkAboutDepartment Report 10-15-191 CARMEL PLAN COMMISSION DEPARTMENT REPORT OCTOBER 15, 2019 1. Docket No. 19080006 PP: Smokey Row Road & Monon Primary Plat The applicant seeks site plan and primary plat approval for a new mixed use development on 27.84 acres, which will include apartments, townhomes, condominiums, single-family homes, an urban farm and some retail and office. The site is located on the north side of Smokey Row Road, between the Monon Greenway and Meridian Street and is zoned UR/Urban Residential and P1/Park and Recreation. Filed by Rebecca McGuckin of Old Town Companies, LLC. Project Overview: This petitioner seeks a primary plat to create a new mixed use development with apartments, townhomes, condominiums, single-family homes and some office and retail. An ADLS review for the buildings will be submitted later, in different phases. A Use Variance will be required for the Single-family homes and the Farm use, which the petitioner is applying for and will be heard before the BZA, along with several other variances. Currently the site is zoned UR/Urban Residential with a small part also zoned P-1/Park. Surrounding the property is US 31 to the north and west, the Monon Greenway and single family homes to the east, and Smokey Row Rd. to the south. On the south side of Smokey Row Rd. are residential uses consisting of townhouses, 2 estate lots, and a senior living community. Please see the petitioner’s information package for more information. UDO Standards this project MEETS: 1. Permitted Uses: Apartments, Condos, Townhomes, Commercial 2. Maximum Building height, 3 and 5 stories proposed 3. 0 ft. Minimum Front Yard Setback 4. 12.1% Minimum Open Space, 19.7% provided 5. 10 ft. path along Smokey Row Rd. 6. No Maximum Number of Principal Buildings 7. Minimum Parking UDO Standards NOT MET, therefore a Variance or Waiver is required: 1. UDO 2.17: Permitted Uses: Single-family detached use requested. 2. UDO 2.17: Permitted Uses: Farm with roadside sales structure requested. 3. UDO 2.18: Maximum front setback for buildings. Maximum 10 to 20 ft. setback allowed. 4. UDO 2.18: Minimum front setback for surface parking. 50 ft. minimum setback. 0 ft. shown. 5. UDO 5.71.B: Floor Limitations, Commercial uses requested on 3 floors, not just on 1st and 2nd for Phase 1A. 6. UDO 6.09, 6.12, and 6.15: Minimum ROW width and cross section. Narrower streets and no sidewalks and street trees requested in some areas. 7. UDO 6.09, 6.12, and 6.15: Minimum perimeter landscaping. No perimeter landscaping requested along Smokey Row Rd. and reduced landscaping requested along US 31. Site Analysis: Primary Plat, Site Plan, Engineering: This site is zoned UR/Urban Residential, which supports urban dwellings within walking distance to commercial and activity nodes. While predominantly a residential district, complementary mixed-use is permitted on the ground floors. The primary plat consists of 73 lots consisting of 4 apartment buildings, 5 condo buildings, 46 townhomes, 10 single- family lots, 5 commercial/retail/office buildings, amenity buildings, and an urban farm. The drainage will be handled through a master planned system consisting of dry detention basins and some underground storage. The minimum parking requirements are met through on street parking, private parking garages, and first floor parking garages for the apartments. Because this site is zoned Urban Residential, the need for parking will not be as high as this district is meant to emphasize pedestrian and bicycle accessibility. There will be 2 main vehicular entrances off of Smokey Row Rd. Smokey Row Rd. will be improved to a boulevard with a 10 ft. path along the north side. A new roundabout is planned at the intersection of Smokey Row Rd. and Rohrer Rd. at the southwest corner of the project. This will be the only road that leads back to the condo buildings and 2 large apartment buildings. An additional street connection to serve this northeast corner should be added for safety, improved access for the residents, and to spread out the traffic. The rest of the site has good connectivity, but many of the proposed streets do not meet the City’s minimum right-of-way widths or street cross sections. Staff is still working with the petitioner on the street designs and some waivers may be requested to accommodate some of the unique streets proposed. 2 Active Transportation: Sidewalks and paths are shown throughout the development; however there are some additional areas where sidewalks should be provided. The City street standards require sidewalks on both sides of a street, and if this cannot be accommodated then a waiver will need to be requested. A 10’ wide asphalt path will be installed along Smokey Row Rd. This path will almost connect all the way to the Monon, however there is a small missing segment just east of this project. Petitioner, please continue the path to the east to connect to the existing path. There is also a direct connection to the Monon proposed in the northeast corner of the project. Staff has requested that a greenway be built through this site as an extension of the Hagan Burke Trail. Architectural Design: This development is only requesting primary plat approval at this time. However, the architecture will be reviewed with future phases and an ADLS package will need to be submitted to the Plan Commission for review. Lighting: Street lights are proposed along the streets and at major intersections. Further building lighting will be reviewed at the ADLS phase for each building. Landscaping: Open space is scattered throughout the development in the form of open common areas, dry detention basins, and multi-use paths. A total of about 5.5 acres or 19.7% of the site will be open space, with an additional 5.22 acres left open for the urban farm and floodplain area. The Urban Forester is still working with the petitioner on finalizing the plans. Detailed landscape plans will be required for each phase when an ADLS application is submitted. Signage: The petitioner will submit signage details with future ADLS submittals. DOCS Remaining Comments/Concerns: The Dept. will continue to work with the Petitioner on all of the review comments as this project moves onto Committee review. A few of the outstanding comments include: 1. Provide another street connection to get back to the apartments and condos in the northeast corner. 2. Add sidewalks and street trees along both sides of Street H and J to make a complete street and serve the on-street parking. 3. Please work with David Littlejohn, the Active Transportation Coordinator, on a greenway extension of the Hagan Burke Trail. 4. Please continue the path along Smokey Row Rd. to the east to connect to the existing path. 5. Can additional landscaping be added in the US 31 right-of-way to help provide a buffer and meet the minimum perimeter landscaping requirements? 6. Please submit a traffic analysis for the project. Recommendation: The Department of Community Services recommends the Plan Commission sends this item to the Residential Committee meeting on Thursday, November 7, 2019 for further review and discussion.