Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutDepartment Report 07-21-204 CARMEL PLAN COMMISSION DEPARTMENT REPORT JULY 21, 2020 2. Docket No. PZ-2020-00072 DP/ADLS: L’Etoile The applicant seeks site plan and design approval for a mixed-use building with first floor office/retail (about 3,000 sq. ft.), apartments (12 per floor/60 total), and a parking deck (81 spaces). The building is 104,130 gross sq. ft. and 6 stories/82’6” tall. The overall site is 0.78 acres in size. It is located at 833 Main Street and is zoned UC/Urban Core. Filed by Dan Moriarity of Studio M Architecture on behalf of the owner, Aziz Mamaev. Project Overview: The proposed mixed-use building will offer co-working office space and possible retail spaces in the future, with residential above. Parking is included through a parking deck on the rear portion of the site. This site previously had a two-story office building on it, surrounded by surface parking. To the west is the Rosewalk on Main Senior Living facility, zoned UR/Urban Residential. To the east is the Big O Tires building zoned UC/Urban Core. To the south is the Guilford Trails Townhome subdivision, zoned UR/Urban Residential. To the north across Main Street is the Shell gas station and convenience store, as well as other shops. It is zoned UC/Urban Core. Please see the Petitioner’s Information packet for more details. Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) Standards this project MEETS: UC/Urban Core: • Permitted uses – Multiple Family Dwellings – Upper Floors Only, General Retail and Service uses – ground floor only, General Office uses, parking garage (accessory use) • Maximum Front Yard – 2’ required and proposed • Minimum Side Yard – 4’ required, 4.14’ proposed on east, 4.76’ proposed on west • Maximum Rear Yard – 20’ allowed, 5.14’ to 7.55’ proposed • Maximum lot coverage – 100% allowed, 95% proposed • Minimum living area per dwelling – average of 500 sq. ft. required; 983 sq. ft. average proposed • Minimum floor area – No project shall have more floor area than the parking it can provide. This meets this requirement by the number of units proposed does not require more than 72 spaces. 81 are provided. • Maximum building height – 5 stories + up to 3 additional if meeting Art. 5.16.B. – UC Height standards section, which says if partially or fully within 800’ of a Major Intersection, 2 additional stories are allowed. This site is about 265’ from the center of Guilford and Main, which is a Major Intersection. • Minimum building height – 4 stories required, 6 stories proposed • Street trees proposed • Zero lot line façade for side yard, Agreement provided from neighboring property owner • Architectural requirements – o Primary facades, ground floor façade has at least 60% clear glazing, upper floor facades have at least two windows o Parking deck has architecturally significant design o High quality building materials are proposed • Stepbacks – only required when ROW is less than 90’, 120’ Main Street ROW required • Parking – 1.2 vehicle spaces per dwelling unit (60 units) – 81 proposed, 72 required • Bike parking – Short term – 0.1 space per bedroom required, 80 bedrooms proposed, 8 spaces required and provided • Bike parking – Long term – 0.5 spaces per bedroom, 40 spaces required and 46 proposed • Landscaping plan approved by Urban Forester UDO Standards NOT MET, therefore variance must be requested or adjustments made: • Lighting – no plan has been submitted for review yet • Article 5.06.D.3 – Wide Lot width – at least two principal buildings required covering 85% of the frontage, only one principal building, but covers 95% of the frontage • Article 5.06.E. – Stepback – cannot have more than 3 stories in the same vertical plane (this contradicts Article 5.16.C UC Height Standards, which says stepbacks are only required if the public ROW is 90’ or less. The ROW on Main Street is 120’.) 5 Site Plan, Parking and Engineering: The site is square in shape, with access only from Main Street. The building and parking deck will take up to 95% of the lot’s area. 100% lot coverage is allowed in the UC district. Site flow will direct vehicles to enter and exit on the far west and east ends of the site. The west entrance will go directly to the first-floor parking area and the east entrance will go directly to the second floor of the parking deck. 81 parking spaces are proposed within the garage. The UDO requires 1.2 spaces per dwelling unit, which means 72 spaces are required. 40 parking spaces on the first level and 41 spaces are on the second level. On the second level of the parking deck, the Petitioner would like to utilize solar panels to provide shade for the cars, but also provide power for the building. The Department is in support of these structures but would like to see them visually represented on the renderings so we have a better idea of what they will look like. 20’ of right-of-way will be dedicated to bring this portion of Main Street up to the required 60’ half right-of-way required by the Thoroughfare Plan. (Main Street is a Parkway Arterial Street which requires 120’ total right-of-way.) Stormwater for the site will be handled by underground detention chambers. A bioswale area is proposed along the street for added water filtration. The Engineering Dept. is working with the Petitioner to finalize these plans. The front patio will have pavers in the seating area sections and concrete for the sidewalks. A low fencing/wall will be placed along the edge of the patio area between it and the asphalt path. Tables, chairs, planter boxes, and a fire pit are proposed. Bike parking spaces are also proposed within the front patio area. Trash will be handled on the interior of the building/parking deck, with multiple containers/units for the residents to utilize. Active Transportation: A 10’ wide asphalt path is proposed along Main Street, which will connect to the sidewalks on the neighboring parcels. Bicycle parking will be provided with 4 racks (8 spaces) for short term spaces in the front of the building. 46 long term (26 of those will be secured) spaces are proposed within the garage and building. Architectural Design: The 6-story building is proposed to be entirely brick and glass. There will be two colors of brick – a dark gray and a light gray/almost white. Recessed balconies are proposed for most of the units and will help provide relief and create visual interest along the facade. (The center studio units of each floor will not have a balcony.) The brick work will be very detailed throughout the entire building. There are tall pilasters (like a column) on both the west and east facades, some areas will have protruding rows of bricks, and some areas will be recessed to give definition and variety. There will also be soldier course rows (bricks standing on end) to provide additional details over the windows and first floor spaces. These details mentioned in the brick design are important because there are no stepback required for the façade, meaning each floor is right above the other. In the UDO, there are two sections that mention a stepback requirement. One is in the Architectural Standards section for the UC District, and there is a requirement there. It states that the 4th and higher floors must be stepped back at least 12’. However, in the Height section for the UC District in the UDO, it says that facade stepbacks are only required when the street right-of-way is less than 90’. The Main Street right-of-way is 120’, therefore, the Petitioner designed according to this section and without stepbacks. Both sections are in conflict and need to be revised. This was an oversight of the Department when switching to the UDO and we have plans to fix this in our next “Patch” ordinance. The Petitioner will seek a variance to not comply with the Architectural Standards section. The other variance the Petitioner will seek is also from the Architectural Standards section – for not having two buildings on this lot. The site is about 155’ wide, which puts it into the Wide Lot Width category. This category requires two principal buildings which take up at least 85% of the lot’s frontage. The Petitioner is proposing for one building to occupy 95% of the lot frontage. Staff is in support of this variance as the proposed building meets the intent of this section, it is just not feasible to have two buildings. Lighting: A lighting plan has not yet been submitted for review. Petitioner, please provide lighting details as soon as possible. Staff will be focusing on lighting on top of the parking structure. It must to be down-cast and preferably on timers, to contain light trespass as much as possible. We do not want it to negatively affect nearby neighbors, as we have experience in some other projects recently. 6 Landscaping: Street trees will be provided along Main Street, along with bushes, grasses, and other shrubs to enhance the patio seating area and front entrance to the building. The remaining yards – about 5’ on the west, east, and south – will have shrubs planted. The Urban Forester has signed off on the Landscape Plan. Signage: No signage is proposed at this time, however, could be submitted in the future for retail or office tenants seeking signage. ADLS Amendment would be required and could be handled administratively by DOCS. Petitioner, please provide safety and directional information on signage for the parking garage, i.e. enter/exit, height restrictions, etc. DOCS Remaining Comments/Concerns: 1. Submit variance applications for items not able to meet 2. Add solar panel shading structures to renderings 3. Lighting plan needed 4. Additional info needed on safety/parking identifying signage for the garage 5. Address outstanding TAC review comments through Project Dox Recommendation: The Department of Community Services recommends the Plan Commission sends this item to the Commercial Committee meeting on Thursday, August 6, 2020 for further review and discussion and gives the Committee final voting authority.