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HomeMy WebLinkAboutDepartment Report 01-27-2011 CARMEL BOARD OF ZONING APPEALS DEPARTMENT REPORT JANUARY 27, 2019 (V, SUA) Carmel Elementary School Rebuild. The applicant seeks the following special use amendment and variance approvals: 2. Docket No. 19110013 SUA UDO Section 2.09 Elementary School Special Use requested 3. Docket No. 19110014 V UDO Section 5.30 149 Parking Spaces required, 114 requested 4. Docket No. 19110015 V UDO Section 5.39.C.4 Max. 3 sq. ft. traffic directional signs allowed, 7 sq. ft. requested 5. Docket No. 19110016 V UDO Section 5.19.F Min. 25’ West Bufferyard width required, 12’ requested 6. Docket No. 19110017 V UDO Section 1.07.E Transportation Plan Compliance, 90’ ROW Collector Street required, 56’ ROW Residential Street proposed 7. Docket No. 19110019 V UDO Section 2.04E Max. 35% lot cover required, 55% requested. The 16-acre site is located at 101 4th Ave SE. It is zoned R2/Residence Filed by Ron Farrand of Carmel Clay Schools. General Info - The Petitioner seeks Special Use Amendment approval to demolish the existing 76,470 sq. ft. school and build a new public elementary school project, which contains a 111,802 sq. ft. building, a parking area, a bus area, a dry detention pond, and a playgrounds / sports fields area. The site is zoned R2/ Residence. Special Use approval is required for a school of elementary or secondary education in the R2 zone. Per the Unified Development Ordinance (UDO), Special Use proposals shall generally be considered favorably by the BZA Board. The requested development standards variances relate to the parking lot spaces & its signage, the west landscape buffer, Thoroughfare Plan compliance, and lot coverage. 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 December 18, 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. The design is mostly a one story building with some two story design elements to accommodate for larger spaces such as the gym and auditorium. Site Plan & Active Transportation - The new school will accommodate a maximum of 750 students (up from 450) and 80 employees (up from 70). The required parking is 144 parking spaces, and the provided parking will be 114 spaces (also, an agreement with the Library is being created for the school to use the proposed new parking garage and surface lot for overflow parking for large events, which occurs 2-3 times per year. ) There is a bus parking area with 12 parking spaces; it is anticipated that 10-12 buses will be needed. The school building will be situated on the southern half of the site, and the playground will be situated near the eastern half of the site. The north parking lot will also serve at the drop off/ pick up queue area for parents driving their kids to/from school. The bus parking area will be located southeast of the building, to separate the bus traffic from car traffic. The service/delivery area will be located along the southwest portion of the building. A sidewalk and path system along the streets and within the site will connect the adjacent neighborhoods to/from the school (Carmel View, Carmelaire, Concord Village neighborhoods). Students will have the option to walk or bike to school, should they choose, and bicycle parking racks will be provided for 37 bikes. Future 4th Ave SE street right of way will be dedicated to the City and located along the western property line 12 of the site. The Petitioner proposes to build their entry drive for buses and service vehicles within that right of way. (The City Engineer continues discussions with the school regarding the street construction.) Lighting - Lighting for the site will be parking lot lighting and building exterior lighting. Landscaping - The site will have an abundance of new landscaping along the perimeters of the site and within the parking lot areas, as well as around the building foundation. Tree preservation areas are proposed, as well. Signage - The site is allowed two signs, since it has frontage on 4th Ave SE and on Lexington Blvd. There will be a ground identification sign located near the main entrance and a wall sign on the north/west building façade. Sign permits will be required. Also, the school will have internal traffic directional signage on the site. A variance is being sought for the traffic directional sign sizes (7 sq. ft. is proposed; 3 sq. ft. is allowed). Variances: Parking Spaces: 149 Parking Spaces are required, and 114 are requested. The Planning Dept. is supportive of this request, as the school knows what they need, and also because they will have an overflow parking agreement with the Library, when their new project is built. Directional Signs: Maximum 3 sq. ft. traffic directional signs are allowed, and 7 sq. ft. are requested. The Planning Dept. is supportive of this request, as this makes internal site circulation safer. West Buffer: A minimum of 25’ with for the west landscape bufferyard width required, and 12’ is requested. This is due to the future installation of 4th Ave SE in that area. The number of plantings required will still be met, but the width will need to narrow down to 12-ft. Also, as it relates to the setback from the building from the future street right of way, the southwest corner of the building will only be setback 12 -ft from the ROW. Future Street: Transportation Plan compliance is required by the Unified Development Ordinance. Per that plan, a 90’ wide right of way Collector Street required; however, a 56’ wide ROW Residential Street is proposed. The Petitioner has been in discussions with the City Engineer and the Planning Director regarding the future street, and the City Engineer continues discussions with the School. They are required to build the street segment along their frontage (or pay into the Non-Reverting Thoroughfare Fund for what it would cost to construct it). The Planning Dept. is supportive of this reduced street right of way request, as long as the School pays for (or constructs) the street. Lot Cover: A maximum of 35% lot cover is allowed, and 55% is requested - a 20% increase. The Planning Dept. is supportive of this request, as the Petitioner is working with the Carmel Engineering Dept. to address all stormwater/drainage requirements, and as the future street right of way area is not part of the calculations. 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; 13 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. 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 Attached, Urban, 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. 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 Nos. 19110013 SUA-19110019 V, with the condition that the school comes to an agreement with the City Engineer regarding the construction of the 4th Ave SE road segment.