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HomeMy WebLinkAboutDepartment Report 12-17-195 CARMEL PLAN COMMISSION DEPARTMENT REPORT DECEMBER 17, 2019 3. Docket No. 19110004 SW: North End Waiver - UDO 6.12: 56 Ft. Min Right-of-Way width for Townhome Subdivision, 20 Min. Requested 4. Docket No. 19110005 SW: North End Waiver - UDO 6.09: 56 Ft. Min Right-of-Way Width for Residential Subdivision, 20 Min Requested 5. Docket No. 19110006 SW: North End Waiver - UDO 6.15: 52 Ft. Min R.O.W Width for Commercial Subdivision, 25 Min Requested and Sidewalk only on one side 6. Docket No. 19110007 SW: North End Waiver - UDO 6.15: 30 Ft. Min Perimeter Landscaping Along US 31, 15 Min Requested 7. Docket No. 19110008 SW: North End Waiver - UDO 6.15 & 6.09: Perimeter Landscaping: 10 Ft For Commercial And 25 Ft. For Residential Subdivision Required, 0 Ft. Requested along Smokey Row Rd. 8. Docket No. 19110009 SW: North End Waiver - UDO 7.10.F.2: 50 Ft. Water Quality Preservation Easement Required Along Wetland, 10 Ft. Requested 9. Docket No. 19110010 SW: North End Waiver - UDO 7.10.F.3: 25 Ft Water Quality Preservation Easement Required Along Stream/Floodway Fringe, 0 Ft. Requested The applicant seeks design standard waiver approvals for street widths, sidewalks, perimeter landscaping, and wetland and stream buffers. 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: The North End Primary Plat was heard at the October Plan Commission to allow a new development consisting of apartments, townhomes, some single-family, office and an urban farm. During the review process, staff identified areas of the plan that did not meet the requirements in the UDO and in order to maintain the current design, the petitioner has requested several waivers and variances from the UDO. The variances will be heard before the Board of Zoning Appeals and the waivers will be reviewed by the Plan Commission. Please see the petitioner’s information package for more information. Additional Analysis: The Dept. recommends that the Plan Commission hear these waiver requests with the Primary Plat docket which is listed under Old Business this evening. Then all of the items relating to North End can be reviewed and voted on together. Please refer to the North End Primary Plat department report (listed below under Dockets 19080006 PP) for further analysis of the overall development. Right-of-way width waivers: While the project has a pretty well connected street system, none of the streets (besides the alleys by the townhomes) meet the minimum street width or street cross section per the City standards. Part of this is due to the unique design of the development, and part of it is due to site constraints such as topography, proximity to a highway, existing streams, wetlands, and floodplain. The petitioner met with the City Engineer before filing the Primary Plat and continues to work through the details on the street design with the Engineering Dept. The petitioner is trying to meet the intent of the street requirements and based on some of the changes made to the Primary Plat, Staff is supportive of these waivers. Perimeter Landscaping waivers: This is an Urban Residential zoning district, but because the petitioner is subdividing the property into different subdivisions, perimeter landscaping along the exterior roads is required. Normally, perimeter landscaping would not be required for an urban residential type project as buildings are usually built up to the street and there are not large front yard setbacks. Also, some landscaping will still be installed along US 31 where possible which will help enhance this border along the highway; and the petitioner has agreed to try work with the State to plant some landscaping in the right-of-way for US 31. Staff is supportive of the waivers. Water Quality Preservation Easement waivers: The Department would like the widths of the easements to be maximized where possible. The UDO requires a 50 ft. easement around a wetland and a 25 ft. easement along a stream floodway. The petitioner is requesting only a 10 ft. easement around a wetland and a 0 ft. easement along the streams. If 6 the petitioner can make the water quality preservation easements a variable width, then we could support a reduced easement where needed if the other areas were larger. For instance, the wetland in the northeast appears to have room nearby where the easement can be larger and the stream easement should not be 0 ft. for the entire stream. Petitioner, please revise the water quality preservation easements to maximize their width where possible and provide a support letter from the Engineering Dept. DOCS Remaining Comments/Concerns: The petitioner should submit a revised drawing that increases the water quality preservation easements around the wetlands and the streams where possible. Recommendation: The Dept. of Community Services recommends the Plan Commission votes to suspend its Rules of Procedures to vote to Approve Dockets 19110004 through 19110008 SW this evening. If the water quality preservation easements can be increased in some areas and a revised drawing submitted, then the Dept. would recommend Approval of Dockets 19110009 and 19110010 SW, subject to final Engineering approval.