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HomeMy WebLinkAboutDepartment Report 05-04-211 Carmel Plan Commission RESIDENTIAL COMMITTEE Tuesday, May 4, 2021 Department Report 1. Docket No. PZ-2021-00070 ADLS Amend: North End Building C Podium Garage Addition The applicant seeks ADLS Amendment approval to add podium garage parking as the first floor of the building with the apartments above. The site is located at approximately 827 Rohrer Rd. It is zoned UR/Urban Residential. Filed by Rebecca McGuckin with Old Town Companies. Project Overview: The petitioner would like to amend the approved design for the North End Apartment Building C to add podium parking as the first level of the building with the 4 stories of apartments above that. The site is in the North End development which is located north of Smokey Row and just east/south of Meridian St. and Rohrer Rd. The property is zoned UR/Urban Residential. Please see the Petitioner’s Information packet for more details. Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) requirements the project MEETS: • Permitted Uses • Minimum Building Height 2 stories • Maximum Building Height – 5 stories • Minimum Parking requirements per variance • 2 windows per unit on upper floor facades • Primary Facades: Any facade fronting on a public street shall be a Primary Façade Site Plan, Parking and Engineering: The Primary Plat and Secondary Plat for this project have been approved as well as the ADLS for the 3 apartment buildings. This ADLS Amendment request is just looking to add podium parking as the first level of the apartment building with the 4 stories of apartments above, for a total of 5 stories. The only site changes are to remove the perpendicular parking that was on the north side of North End Drive and add an entrance to the garage from North End Drive. The project will still meet the minimum requirement for the amount of parking spaces provided as the net number of spaces is not changing with this amendment. Active Transportation: Sidewalks and paths are provided throughout the North End development along the public streets. No changes are currently proposed to the sidewalk and path network. However, the Dept. would like the petitioner to look into moving the 10 ft. asphalt path from the south side of North End Dr. to the north side. The location of the path on the north side of North End Dr. was the original, ideal location for the path as bicyclists and pedestrians would not have to cross as many street intersections, thereby making it a safer path. The path was moved to the south side because there was not enough room on the north side and the State would not approve the location of the path in their right-of-way. By providing podium parking in Building C and removing the perpendicular parking on the north side of the street, it appears there may be room for a path now. A 5 ft. sidewalk would still need to be provided in front of Building C. Architectural Design: Not much is changing regarding the overall architecture design for Building C. The original approval for Building C was a 4-story apartment building with perpendicular on-street parking. The new design includes a first story of podium parking under the 4 stories of apartments. The building now has a similar look to Building B which also has some podium parking. The primary building materials include brick along the first floor and higher up at the ends of the building, fiber cement lap siding along the middle portions of the building, and a faux wood siding to accent and break up the facades. In general, podium parking is not the most pedestrian friendly use for a first floor, nor the most aesthetically pleasing. Garages tend to be dark when viewed from the street, and don’t provide a lot of activity along the street or architectural interest. The petitioner is providing some details to enhance the garage elevation by using columns to break up the façade and openings with decorate screens. However, the Dept. would like to see more done to enhance this façade, including enlarging the openings to resemble more of a storefront and further break up the first floor and altering the building base landscaping to provide some taller species and some evergreen species that will look nice even in winter. Lighting: No changes are proposed to the lighting. 2 Landscaping: No new landscaping was submitted with this ADLS Amendment, but the Dept. would like to see some changes to the original landscape plan since this first floor will now be a garage. The plants along the base of the building should include a mixture of heights and evergreen species to buffer the garage and the areas with tall blank walls and enhance the pedestrian experience. Signage: No changes are proposed to the signage for Building C. DOCS Remaining Comments/Concerns: The Dept. has the following outstanding comments. 1. Move the 10 ft. asphalt path from the south side of North End Dr. to the north side. 2. Enlarge the openings in the garage to resemble more of a storefront and further break up the first floor 3. Amend the building base landscaping to provide some taller species of plants and some evergreen species that will look nice even in winter. Recommendation: The Department of Community Services recommends the Committee discusses this item and after all comments have been addressed votes to Approve it.