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HomeMy WebLinkAboutDepartment Report 01-24-229 of 10 CARMEL BOARD OF ZONING APPEALS DEPARTMENT REPORT MONDAY, JANUARY 24, 2022 (SUA, V) Carmel High School Natatorium. The applicant seeks the following special use amendment and development standards variance approvals: 1. Docket No. PZ-2021-00235 V UDO Section 5.39.H Total number of signs, 2 additional requested. 2. Docket No. PZ-2021-00236 V UDO Section 2.10 Maximum 35’ building height allowed, 66’ requested. 3. Docket No. PZ-2021-00237 V UDO Section 5.30 2,933 parking spaces required, 2,445 requested. 4. Docket No. PZ-2021-00238 SUA UDO Sections 2.09 & 9.09 Greater than 10% special use amendment expansion requested. The site is located at 520 E. Main St. It is zoned R2/Residence. Filed by Amy Allison of TLF Engineers, on behalf of Carmel Clay Schools. General Info & Analysis: The Petitioner seeks approval to build a 93,229 sq. ft. building addition, which contains a new natatorium. The site is located west of Keystone Pkwy, amidst a mostly residential area. Surrounding land uses are single family homes to the east, institutional uses to the south (including a church and the public library), and mostly single family residential uses to the north and west. Variances requested relate to signage, building height, and parking. The special use amendment is related to expanding the prior-approved school use by greater than 10% of the approved floor area. Please see the Petitioner’s informational packet for more detail on the variance and special use amendment requests. The Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) is also reviewing the proposal, with Docket No. PZ-2021-00219 TAC. Technical aspects of the project are being reviewed, such as grading/drainage, landscaping, signage, architecture, utilities, etc. Pedestrian and bicycle connectivity is proposed as part of the project. Where there are currently gaps in the sidewalk/path network, they will be filled in to create a complete pedestrian and bicycle connectivity network within the site and connecting to the surrounding adjacent areas. Number of Signs: The Unified Development Ordinance (UDO Section 5.39) allows for one sign per street frontage. Over the years, signage variances have been sought and approved for the Carmel High School Campus, ranging from ground signs to traffic directional signs to wall signs and ranging from size and height variances, sign locations, to signs not facing a street, etc. Now, with the new natatorium building addition, a total of three wall signs are requested. One, which is an existing relocated sign, will face north towards Smoky Row Rd. (E. 136th Street), and two new wall signs will face west towards Audubon Drive (Sylvan Ln.). The relocated wall sign that reads ‘Eric Clark Activity Center’ is 18’8” wide by 2’6” tall, at 46.7 sq. ft. in area. The two proposed changeable sports graphic panels are each 12’ tall by 12’ wide, at 144 sq. ft. each. Examples of what these could look like are now provided in the BZA variance file. The existing ‘Eric Clark Activity Center’ will be moved to the north elevation of the new natatorium building addition, and the two changeable sports graphic panels will be on the west elevation of the new natatorium building addition. The Planning Dept. is supportive of this sign variance request. Building Height: The Unified Development Ordinance (UDO Section 2.10) states that a maximum 35’ building height is allowed in the R2/Residence zoning district, and 66’ is requested. (This is a 31-ft variance, or an 89% increase.) 10 of 10 The height is needed because of the way natatoriums are designed and used, with the internal functions and programming needing clear ceiling heights. The building addition’s setback from the site’s east & west property lines will help with shadows not intruding on the homes to the east or west. Parking Spaces: The Unified Development Ordinance (UDO Section 5.30) requires the following parking ratio for a School, elementary or secondary education (accredited by the state): One space per employee plus two spaces per classroom(elementary) or ten spaces per classroom (secondary). Carmel Swim Club members will have a new home at the Carmel Total Fitness site at 820 City Center Dr. They are doing a building addition there, so some parking needs will be relieved that way. Per the Petitioner’s Overall Parking Summary chart on sheet G0.1 (page 7 of their Info Packet), 2,933 parking spaces are required, and 2,445 are requested. This is based off of 235 classrooms and 583 employees. This is a variance of 488 spaces, or a 17% decrease. Today, the number of enrolled students is around 5,400. Per page 3 of the Info Packet, 174 classrooms exist, and this excludes laboratories and other extended learning areas which might be considered supplemental to academic classrooms, and are not occupied at the same time as the classrooms. And, there are 583 employees. (And per the BZA info packet, 32 parking permits are issued to 2nd or 3rd shift staff.) So, using these figures, the required number of parking spaces is (174 x 10) plus 583, which equals 2,323 required parking spaces. Again, 2,445 are proposed. Using this rationale, it could be interpreted that the school will comply with parking. (Again, this calculation excludes laboratories and other extended learning areas which might be considered supplemental to academic classrooms, and are not occupied at the same time as the classrooms.) The Planning Dept. is supportive of this parking variance request. Floor Area Expansion: The Unified Development Ordinance (UDO Section 9.09) states: “An approved special use may be expanded up to 10% of the approved gross floor area without obtaining further special use approval if the approved use or exception is continued in the expansion, if the particular building height, bulk, set back, yard, parking, etc. requirements are adhered to and if the proper permits for the expansion, such as improvement location permit, are obtained.” The proposed building addition will cause the prior approved floor area to exceed that 10% number. The Performing Arts addition recently built added 2.59% floor area, and now this natatorium addition will expand the prior-approved floor area by 9.25%, thus cumulatively exceeding the 10% allowed threshold, with 12%. In general, special uses shall be viewed favorably by the Board of Zoning Appeals, as directed by UDO section 9.09.A. And so, the Planning Dept. is supportive of the requested expansion of the special use. The Petitioner addressed all planning/zoning review comments. The Planning Dept. supports the variance and special use amendment requests. Findings of Fact: Please refer to the petitioner’s Findings of Facts included in their info packet. Recommendation: The Dept. of Community Services (DOCS) recommends Positive consideration of Docket Nos. PZ-2021-00235 V, PZ-2021-00236 V, PZ-2021-00237 V, and PZ-2021-00238 SUA, with the Condition of the Petitioner addressing all TAC review comments, and with the adoption of the findings of fact submitted by the Petitioner.