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HomeMy WebLinkAboutDepartment Report 03-15-22 8 CARMEL PLAN COMMISSION DEPARTMENT REPORT MARCH 15, 2022 I. 3. Docket No. PZ-2020-00081 DP/ADLS: The Steadman Apartment Community at The Bridges. 4. Docket No. PZ-2021-00247 V: Bridges PUD Z-550-11 Sec. 13.9.D: Right-in/Right-out access only onto 111th St., Full Access onto 111th St. Requested The applicant seeks site plan and design approval and one variance for a new apartment community consisting of 260 units in 5 buildings. The site is located at the northeast corner of Springmill Road and 111th Street, on about 12.5 acres. It is zoned The Bridges PUD, Ordinance Z-550-11. Filed by Jim Shinaver and Jon Dobosiewicz of Nelson & Frankenberger on behalf of Cityscape Residential, LLC. *Updates to the Dept. Report are in blue Project Overview: The Petitioner seeks site plan and design approval for a new apartment community as allowed under the Bridges PUD. North of this site is the Market District grocery store. West of the site across Springmill Rd. are the Williams Mill and Heritage at Springmill subdivisions; south of this site across 111th Street is the Spring Mill Place subdivision. East of the site is undeveloped land in the Bridges PUD. Please see the Petitioner’s information package for more information. PUD Standards this project MEETS: Use: • 300 Apartments allowed in Office and Residential Use Block, 260 apartments proposed • Amenity Area required Parking – car: • 1.5 spaces per Dwelling required, (390 spaces needed, 399 provided) Landscaping: • 20 ft. greenbelt buffer along 111th St. and Springmill Rd. Exhibit 5 – Development Standards: • Minimum building setback from Springmill – 50’ allowed, 56’ proposed • Minimum building setback from Illinois – 50’ allowed, 210’ proposed • Maximum building height adjacent to Springmill 38’ or 3 floors, 38’ and 3 floors proposed • Max. building height when setback 200’ from Illinois – 60’ allowed, 60’ proposed Exhibit 6 – Architectural Standards: • Prairie style architecture required and provided • Residential building mass will be varied by integrating individual porches approximately every 30 lineal feet. • All rooftop HVAC equipment shall be screened from view. • Materials located in close contact with the public shall be more authentic in character (i.e. masonry) PUD Standards NOT MET, therefore Variances may be required: Site Access: • Access to Office and Residential Use Block from 111th Street shall be a right-in/right-out configuration. Variance requested to allow a full access onto 111th St. with a mini roundabout. Site Plan and Engineering: The proposed site plan has a 3-story building facing Springmill Rd. with the clubhouse in the middle and three 5-story buildings interior to the site. There are also 6 detached 1-story garage buildings and a pool on site. A detention pond is located along the south boundary, adjacent to 111th St. A landscape buffer is shown along both Springmill Rd. and 111th St. Access to the apartments will be from an entrance off of the private street to the north and from a new private street running north/south along the eastern boundary of the site. This street will connect to 111th St. at the intersection of 111th St. and Springmill Ln. The Bridges PUD Concept Plan shows this street connecting to 111th St. further to the west and being a right-in/right-out. The Petitioner has requested a variance to allow this to be a full access point onto 111th St. The City Engineer has requested a mini roundabout for this location and is in support of the variance. The Petitioner worked with Staff to reorient the pool to be interior to the site instead of along Springmill Rd. The petitioner also moved buildings 4 and 5 so that the buildings provide more front facades along the new north/south street. After the Plan Commission meeting, the petitioner further adjusted the site to turn building 3 into an L and reduce the length of the 9 façade seen from 111th St. Parking is required at 1.5 spaces per dwelling unit. 390 spaces are required, and 399 spaces are proposed. Active Transportation: There is path along Springmill Rd. and the private street on the north side of the project. The Petitioner will be installing path along the north side of 111th St. Sidewalks from the Apartment buildings will connect to the path along Springmill Rd. Additional sidewalks and crosswalks have been added to help provide pedestrian access throughout the site and the parking lots. The long crosswalk behind the garages of Buildings 1 and 2 have been removed. A sidewalk is shown on the west side of the new north/south street. 42 short-term (outdoor) and 82 long-term (indoor) bicycle parking spaces are provided on the plans, and this meets the PUD requirements. Architectural Design: The proposed buildings are designed to complement the Prairie architectural style, which is required by the Bridges PUD. The building materials will be a cultured stone along the bottom portion of the buildings, some brick, and fiber cement panels and trim in the upper portion. The buildings have inset balconies for the apartment units, which help break up the façade and provide privacy for residents. The proposed buildings meet the maximum height requirements of the PUD. There will be a trash compactor and recycling area attached to the north end of Building 1. They will be enclosed on all four sides and blend in with the architecture of the building. There will not be a roof over the trash compactor and so the height of the enclosure wall should be a minimum of 2 ft. above the compactor, or 6 ft. tall, whichever is greater. Lighting: Street lighting is proposed along the new north/south street and within the parking lots. All site and street lighting shall be of a uniform design throughout the Bridges PUD. Parking lot lights are limited to a height of 25 ft. The Lighting Plan meets the illumination levels required in the PUD of 0.3-foot candles at the property lines along Springmill Rd. and 111th St. The pendant fixture that was proposed at the clubhouse entry facing Springmill Rd. was removed because it had a visible light source, which is prohibited in the PUD. The petitioner also updated the building architectural lighting so that the lights now provide down-lighting instead of up-lighting to meet the PUD and reduce light pollution. Landscaping: Per the requirements in the PUD a 20 ft. greenbelt buffer along Springmill Rd. and 111th St. is proposed with the existing berm. Additional trees have been added to the berm, including evergreens, to meet the requirements of the PUD. Street trees are shown along the west side of the new north/south street. Internal parking lot plantings will be provided as will landscaping and native plantings around the pond. Additional trees have been added around the pond in the updated landscape plan. Building base landscaping will be placed around all sides of a building without garages. The Urban Forester has reviewed the landscape plan and the number of trees, and the species proposed. Signage: 1 entrance sign facing the private street to the north and 1 entrance sign facing the private street to the east is proposed and permitted. The PUD also allows one directory sign to face Springmill Rd. and one to face 111th St. All signs should be a setback a minimum of 5 ft. from the property line. The north entrance sign will need to be moved so that it is not so close to the street. The Entrance signs will be 6 ft. tall, and 32 sq. ft. The directory signs will be 4 ft. tall with “The Bridges” as the primary sign and room for businesses within the PUD listed below at a smaller scale. A Canopy Sign facing Springmill Rd. will be located above the entrance to the clubhouse and will be 34 sq. ft. January 18, 2022 Public Hearing Recap: The Petitioner gave an overview of the project. They had several meetings with the neighbors and have made some adjustments based on those comments. Several people spoke in opposition to the project. Their main concerns were the height of the 5 story buildings, landscaping on the berm, road cut onto 111th Street, number of apartments, traffic, and they requested a path along the new north/south street. Plan Commission members had concerns about the mini roundabout and the proximity to the roundabout at 111th St. and Illinois St., the 5-story height visible from Springmill Place, and the views along Springmill Rd. They requested more greenspace and trees in the center of the development, a fitness trail around the pond, a drawing showing the views along Springmill Rd. and what the neighbors will see, and a path along the new north/south street. The Plan Commission voted to send this item to the Residential Committee with the full PC having final voting authority. 10 February 1, 2022 Committee Recap: Petitioner went over changes to the plans and additional exhibits, including mounding and intended landscaping along Springmill Rd., a cross section of 111th St., and revision to the layout of Bldg. 3. Building 3 was an inline building, but now it is an L shaped building to reduce the façade facing 111th St. Petitioner agreed to adjust the signage and remove the blade sign and adjust the site lighting based on staff comments. They will also try to improve the pedestrian access. Committee asked about breaking up the long building along Springmill Rd. and petitioner said they were trying to do that by offsetting the clubhouse from Bldg. 2 and reducing the height to 2 stories for the clubhouse. The 5-story building will not be seen from Springmill Rd., and a portion will be visible from 111th St., but it is 300 ft. from the street. The committee discussed the access to 111th St., the roundabout, the use of the green space next to Bldg. 3, a path along the north/south street, and maybe a path or mowed area around the pond. Committee voted 3-0 Favorable Recommendation to send the project back to the Plan Commission with the condition that the petitioner addresses the remaining comments about landscaping, lighting, signage, pedestrian access, and that the Engineering Dept. approves the drainage design and roundabout. DOCS Remaining Comments/Concerns: 1. North entrance sign is too close to the street and will need to be moved before a permit is issued. Recommendation: The Department of Community Services recommends the Plan Commission votes to Approve this item this evening conditioned a upon final Engineering Dept. Approval.