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HomeMy WebLinkAboutDepartment Report 06-27-229 of 14 CARMEL BOARD OF ZONING APPEALS | REGULAR MEETING DEPARTMENT REPORT MONDAY, JUNE 27, 2022 (UV) Coram Deo Academy Use Variance. The applicant seeks the following use variance approval: 10. Docket No. PZ-2022-00079 UV UDO Section 2.21 & Appendix A.03 Permitted Uses - Elementary or Secondary Education School not permitted; PreK-12 School requested. The site is located at 525 Congressional Blvd. and 11720 College Ave. It is zoned B2/Business. Filed by Matthew Simpson of Coram Deo Academy. General Info & Analysis: The Petitioner seeks use variance approval to operate a Pre-K through 12th grade private school from an existing vacant office building that was constructed in the late 1980s. The only changes proposed to the site are to fence in the open space grass area and change the sign panel on the existing ground sign. The 7.6-acre site is zoned B2/Business. And, it is located within the Amended 126th Street TIF district. Please see the Petitioner’s informational packet for more detail on the use variance request. Office/business land uses surround the subject site. Indiana Municipal Power Agency (IMPA) and Crown Pointe assisted living facility are located to the south of 117th Street. One One Six Apartments and a preschool/day care center are located southeast of the subject site. A school of elementary or secondary education is not a Permitted Use in the B2 zoning district; that is why a Use Variance approval is being sought. However, a kindergarten/preschool is a Permitted Use (if located on at least 1 acre of land), as well as a day nursery or day care. And, a college or university, or a trade or business school requires Special Use approval. Seeing that certain types of school uses are viewed as favorable land uses in the B2 district, the Planning Dept. is generally inclined to be supportive of this specific land use, too. The existing building will be used for the school, and the existing vacant land will be used for the sports/recreation fields and playground areas. Hours of Operation – The school will operate Monday through Friday, from 7:45 am to 3:15 pm. Students and Staff – 338 students are proposed, and 30 school employees will be present at one time. Architecture – No changes are proposed to the existing building exterior. Lighting – No additional outdoor lighting is currently being contemplated. There are multiple exterior lights on the building already, in addition to the parking lot lights. Landscaping – The Petitioner will need to work with the Carmel Urban Forester to bring the site into compliance with the original approved landscape plan from the late 1980s. Any dead, dying, or missing landscaping needs to be replaced. That needs to be done within a year of use variance approval, if approved. Fencing – A 6-ft tall black aluminum wrought iron like fence is proposed around the sports fields area. Signage – The Petitioner proposes to change out the sign face on the existing ground sign. Trash – Any trash dumpsters or trash totes will need to be hidden from view or enclosed with a trash enclosure that complies with the Unified Development Ordinance regulations. The existing trash receptacle on site will be adequate for the school’s needs. The Petitioner does not have enclosure specifications at this time, but they commit to meeting the Carmel UDO standards. 10 of 14 Compliance with the Transportation Plan – (sidewalks, paths, and street ROW dedication) - Compliance with the Transportation Plan is required per UDO section 1.07 - that means the required street right of way along College is a 50-ft half right of way, also with a 10-ft wide multiuse path fully within the public right of way. And the required street right of way along 117th Street would be 28-ft half right of way, with 5 to 6-ft wide sidewalks fully within the public right of way. Congressional Blvd. is marked as a ‘Collector Street’ type in the Transportation Plan, so it requires a 45-ft half right of way, with a 10-ft wide asphalt path within that half right of way. The chart in the Comp Plan’s Transportation Plan shows that it can be asphalt or saw-cut concrete. The status is that the Petitioner proposes to comply with the Transportation Plan. It appears that the required 10’ path along Congressional Boulevard will not fit within the required 45-foot half right-of-way. This could be handled with a variable path easement, as shown on their site plan, or with additional right-of-way dedication to cover the path. They are open to either and will continue working with the Carmel Engineering Dept. on this matter. Bicycle Parking – Bicycle parking racks will be installed at two locations on the site. Vehicle Parking – 100 parking spaces are required, and 157 are proposed. There are no buses proposed. Students will be picked up and dropped off by their parents/legal guardians. Drop off, Pick up & Traffic Flow - For their drop off Plan A, cars will enter from 117th Street. A school employee will then direct vehicles into two lines -one that goes up alongside the building, and another line that goes along the outer perimeter of the lot. Two lines will continue up to the entrance/exit onto Congressional Blvd. A school employee will be stationed at that location to direct vehicles into a single line. Cones will be placed along the sidewalk by the building to designate to students and cars where to pick up students (this is how they run dismissal at their current location.) Once students are in the vehicles, cars will exit the parking lot onto Congressional via a right turn only. In their Plan B scenario, cars will enter from Congressional and turn right into the parking lot. Cars will then circle around the outer perimeter of the lot, along the Dimond Bros. parking lot side, and then circle back around the building back towards the entrance/exit on Congressional. Cones will be placed along the sidewalk by the building to designate to students and cars where to pick up students (this is how we currently run dismissal). Once students are in the vehicles, cars will exit the parking lot onto Congressional via a right turn only. Technical Review: The Petitioner coordinated review with the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) members. There are close to 28 TAC members, representing city and county agencies, utility companies, etc. Items reviewed for this project were land use, utilities, signage, architecture, lighting, life/safety issues, building code compliance, and more. The Petitioner needs to address any outstanding TAC review comments. Review Comments: The Petitioner satisfactorily addressed most TAC review comments, and the Planning Dept. generally supports the use variance request with the condition of addressing all remaining TAC review comments. Findings of Fact: Please refer to the petitioner’s Findings of Facts included in their BZA info packet. Recommendation: The Dept. of Community Services (DOCS) generally recommends positive consideration of Docket No. PZ- 2022-00079 UV with the condition of the Petitioner addressing all remaining TAC review comments, and with the adoption of the findings of fact submitted by the Petitioner.