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HomeMy WebLinkAboutDepartment Report 11-23-209 of 12 CARMEL BOARD OF ZONING APPEALS DEPARTMENT REPORT MONDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2020 (V) North End Apartments. The applicant seeks the following development standards variance approvals: 3. Docket No. PZ-2020-00166 V UDO Sec. 5.05.E Urban Residential Architectural Standards, Massing, Stepback (Bldgs B & C). 4. Docket No. PZ-2020-00167 V UDO Sec 2.18 Urban Residential Development Standards, Height (Bldg A). 5. Docket No. PZ-2020-00168 V UDO Sec. 5.05.D.3 Urban Residential Architectural Standards, Massing, Wide Width Lots. The sites are located at approximately 506 W. Smokey Row Rd. and 827 Rohrer Rd. They are zoned UR/Urban Residential. Filed by Rebecca McGuckin of Old Town Companies. General Info & Analysis: The Petitioner seeks approval to construct 2 new apartment buildings and 1 mixed use building on 7 acres (with approximately 168 residential units proposed, 28,125 s.f. of office/retail space, and 295 parking spaces). It is located north of Smokey Row Rd. and just east of Meridian St. and Rohrer Rd. South of this proposed development is the Kensington Place homes and the Woodland Terrace continuing care retirement community, east of the proposed apartments will be 3-story tall townhomes (single family attached dwellings). As a part of the project, 40 of the units will be dedicated to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Relevant petitions being heard by the Plan Commission are docket no. PZ-2020-00128 ADLS for architecture, design, lighting, landscaping, and signage, and PZ-2020-00129 ZW (a parking waiver for a slight reduced number of parking spaces). Those two petitions are still being heard at the Plan Commission committee level. Please see the Petitioner’s informational packet for more detail on the variance requests. Below is an analysis of variances needed: Stepback Variance: The Unified Development Ordinance (UDO Section 5.05.E) requires that buildings greater than 3 stories tall shall be stepped back resulting no more than 3 stories of facade being on the same vertical plane. Required stepbacks shall be a minimum of 12 ft. Specifically, here is what the zoning ordinance states for the Urban Residential Architectural Standards (for Stepbacks): “Buildings greater than three (3) stories shall be stepped back resulting no more than three (3) stories of facade being on the same vertical plane. Generally, the fourth (4th) and higher stories shall be stepped back; however, the required stepback may occur at the second (2nd) or third (3rd) floor. Required stepbacks shall be a minimum of twelve (12) feet.” Building B, proposed at 5 stories tall, is proposed have no stepback, and Building C, proposed at 4 stories tall, is also proposed to have no stepback. These buildings will have variable and gabled roof features that they would otherwise not be able to have if they were required to comply with the stepback requirement. The Petitioner proposes to omit the massing step backs on the 4th story of the multifamily apartments building. Height Variance: The Unified Development Ordinance (UDO section 2.18) allows for a maximum 3 stories height for principal buildings adjacent to residential districts. The Petitioner requests that, for Building A, the building height be taken from the lot level per the 3-story build, with the 8’ of additional height measured at the southeast corner of Building A (due to grade change along Smokey Row Rd. and the consideration of the future roundabout) not being a part of that building height measurement. The Plan Commission Committee didn't have a problem with the height of Building A with their review of the ADLS petition. However, Planning Staff would like to see a greater depth between the 2 retaining walls at the southeast corner of Building A. (Currently, the Petitioner shows 2 feet, and the City Forester said that isn't 10 of 12 enough area to plant in.) Massing, Wide Width Lots Variance: The Unified Development Ordinance (UDO section 5.05.D.3) requires lots that are 200-ft wide or greater shall have at least two principal buildings, cumulatively covering at least 70% of the lot’s width. Specifically, the zoning ordinance states the following for Wide Width Lots: “Lots that are 200 feet wide or greater shall have at least two (2) principal buildings, cumulatively covering at least seventy percent (70%) of the lot’s width. Two (2) or more principal buildings may be joined by a single-story, enclosed or un-enclosed structure, setback from the principal building’s front facade.” The developer could have platted the three multifamily buildings on one parcel. Instead, they broke up the one big parcel into three smaller ones, where each of the apartment buildings will sit on its own parcel of land. The Petitioner addressed all the planning/zoning review comments, and the Planning Dept. supports these variance requests. Petitioner’s Findings of Fact: Please refer to the petitioner’s Findings of Facts included in their info packet. Recommendation: The Dept. of Community Services recommends positive consideration of Docket Nos. PZ-2020-00166 -168 V.