HomeMy WebLinkAboutDepartment Report 10-24-229 of 10
CARMEL BOARD OF ZONING APPEALS | REGULAR MEETING
DEPARTMENT REPORT
MONDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2022
(UV, V) Pennwood Indoor Commercial Recreational Facility.
The applicant seeks the following use variance and development standards variance approvals:
4. Docket No. PZ-2022-00185 UV UDO Section 2.25 & Appendix A.07 Commercial
Recreational Facility, Indoor, not allowed - Use variance requested.
5. Docket No. PZ-2022-00186 V UDO Section 5.30 162 parking spaces required: 122
requested. The site is located at 11565 Pennsylvania St. and is zoned B5/Business and West Home Place
Commercial Corridor – High Intensity. Filed by Kevin Buchheit of Krieg Devault LLP on behalf of SCB
Home Office, LLC.
General Info & Analysis:
The Petitioner seeks approval to construct a two-story tall building on vacant real estate located south of 116th
St., on the east side of Pennsylvania St., which will house a single tenant. The new use, an Indoor Commercial
Recreational Facility, is an eight-court pickleball club. Surrounding land uses are Police & Firemen's Insurance
Association to the north, North Heights residential subdivision to the east, Pennwood Office Park to the south,
and Penn Mark office buildings complex to the west. The subject site is located within the Amended 126th St.
Expansion TIF district. Please see the Petitioner’s informational packet for more detail on the use variance
and development standard variance requests.
The proposed land use is not permitted in the B5/Business zoning district, so a Use Variance is requested. The
new building will occupy the same general footprint on the site as two previously approved single story tall
office buildings (that were never built).
In addition to Use Variance petition, a development standards variance application was filed for the approval to
provide fewer parking spaces than are required. The parking lot is shared with the office headquarters for
SCBodner Company (the Petitioner). The eight pickleball courts can accommodate 32 players if all courts are
active simultaneously, making this facility considerably different (and lesser) in patron attraction at any one
time than other indoor recreational facilities with the same square feet of building. Please view the Petitioner’s
Info Packet for the Parking Analysis.
Only the very center section of the preliminary floor plan will include a second mezzanine level. This upper
floor would house food service and court overviews for patrons awaiting or finished with play.
The architecture is designed to complement the existing office building. Building materials will include brick
and stone masonry; insulated, prefinished metal panels; stone cap with metal coping; and aluminum storefront
framed windows and doors with tinted glazing and applied grids; glass overhead doors (kind of like garage
doors); with a general color scheme of earth tones. Architecture and other specific site features will be
addressed with the city through a future ADLS Amendment application/review (for architecture, design,
lighting, landscaping, and signage).
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, 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. supports the use
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variance and development standards variance request, with the condition of the Petitioner addressing all
remaining TAC review comments.
One fairly new comment Planning Staff had related to the garage door elements. If all overhead doors are open,
what will the noise be like, and what noise will carry over to the residential neighborhood to the east? The
Petitioner has adequately responded to this concern. (They are also subject to the Noise Regulations of the
Carmel City Code.)
Findings of Fact:
Please refer to the petitioner’s Findings of Facts included in their BZA info packet.
Recommendation:
After all comments and concerns are addressed, the Dept. of Community Services (DOCS) recommends
positive consideration of Docket Nos. PZ-2022-00185 UV and PZ-2022-00186 V, 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.