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HomeMy WebLinkAboutDepartment Report 03-27-23 13 of 19 CARMEL BOARD OF ZONING APPEALS | REGULAR MEETING DEPARTMENT REPORT MONDAY, MARCH 27, 2023 (SUA, V) Carmel High School Activity Center and South Support Building. The applicant seeks the following special use amendment and development standards variance approvals: 1. Docket No. PZ-2023-00006 SUA UDO Section 2.09 & 9.09.E Education Special Use expansion requested. 2. Docket No. PZ-2023-00007 V UDO Section 2.08 Maximum 35% lot coverage allowed , 62% requested. 3. Docket No. PZ-2023-00008 V UDO Section 2.10 Maximum 35-ft building height for principal building and 18-ft height for accessory buildings allowed, 38’3” and 28’6” requested. 4. Docket No. PZ-2023-00009 V UDO Section 2.10 & 5.02.B Minimum 30-ft building setback from Keystone Pkwy allowed, 19’4” requested. 5. Docket No. PZ-2023-00010 V UDO Section 3.28 Minimum 30-ft wide greenbelt required along Keystone Pkwy, 19’4” requested. 6. WITHDRAWN - Docket No. PZ-2023-00011 V UDO Section 5.39.H Total # signs. 7. Docket No. PZ-2023-00012 V UDO Section 5.39.H 200 sq. ft. Support Building wall sign allowed (based on Spandrel Panel Area), 296 sq. ft. requested. 8. Docket No. PZ-2023-00013 V UDO Section 5.39.E.6 Sign located above parapet on Support Building (not in spandrel panel area) requested. The project consists of two building additions (The Greyhound Activity Center north of the Stadium and the South Support Building Addition south of the Stadium) along with associated utility services and drainage modifications The site is located at 2450 E. Smoky Row (the CHS Stadium site). It is zoned R2/Residence and Keystone Parkway Overlay. Filed by Amber Sheller of TLF Inc., on behalf of Carmel Clay Schools. General Info: • The Petitioner proposes to construct 2 new buildings at the existing stadium site - an activity center building and a south support building (along with associated utilities &drainage modifications). • The greyhound activity center will be a 91,019 sq. ft. facility to be used as an indoor facility for band practice, athletic practice etc. at the north end of the high school football stadium. And, the 9,374 square foot stadium south support building will be used for concessions, locker rooms, and accessible restrooms in the south end area of the existing high school football stadium. • Several wall signs are also proposed for the site (in addition to existing signage on the stadium): a wall sign on the south façade of the South Support Building, and two wall signs on the north Activity Center Building (north and south facades.) • The site is located at the northwest corner of Smoky Row and Keystone Pkwy. • Surrounding land uses are Carmel Woods apartments to the north, Arden Townhomes to the west, Courtyards of Carmel residential subdivision to the east (across Keystone Pkwy), and R2/Residential zoned land to the south (across E. Smoky Row). • Prior approvals for the Stadium were granted in 1990, with BZA Docket Nos. SU-77-90, SU-78-90, and V- 82-90 to V-84-90. The synthetic turf field & concessions building were approved in 2014, with Docket No. 14030013 TAC. • The Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) is also reviewing the proposal, and the petition was discussed at the February 15 TAC meeting. Technical aspects of the project are being reviewed, such as grading/drainage, architecture and design, landscaping, lighting, signage, utilities, etc. • The special use amendment request is related to expanding the prior-approved school uses by greater than 10% of the approved floor area. • BZA variances requested relate to lot coverage, building height, building setback, greenbelt width, sign size, and sign location. 14 of 19 • Please see the Petitioner’s informational packet for more detail on the variances and special use amendment requests. Special Use Amendment Request: • The Special Use Amendment request is before the Board tonight because the proposed improvements to the site exceed the maximum allowed 10% expansion of the prior-approved gross floor area. • 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.” • In general, special uses shall be viewed favorably by the Board of Zoning Appeals, as directed by UDO section 9.09.A. The Planning/Zoning Dept. is also supportive of this special amendment request. Variances Requested: Lot Coverage: • A maximum 35% lot coverage is allowed, and 62% requested. This is a 27% variance. • Much of the lot coverage components exist today, with the stadium, parking lot, etc. • The Carmel Engineering Dept. is reviewing the construction documents for the proposed buildings, and the Petitioner is working to address any remaining review comments. Overall, the Carmel Engineering Dept. has no concerns with the lot coverage variance request, as long as the Petitioner continues to work through engineering comments on the construction plans that were submitted under this variance. • The Planning/Zoning Dept. is also supportive of this lot coverage variance request. Building Height: • A maximum 35-ft building height for principal buildings and 18’ height for accessory buildings is allowed, and 38’3” and 28’6” are requested. • The activity center building will essentially be a fieldhouse with sports fields inside of it. • The south support building will accommodate concessions and the visiting team’s locker room. • The Planning/Zoning Dept. is supportive of this building heights variance request. Building Setback: • A minimum 30’ building setback from Keystone Pkwy is required for residential zones located in the Keystone Parkway Overlay District, and 19’4” is requested. This is a variance of 10’8”, or a 35% change. • Only a small portion of the northeast corner of the proposed high school activity center building will encroach into that setback area, and that building area that will encroach is around 120 sq. ft. • The rest of the subject site’s 2,100 feet of Keystone Pkwy frontage will be able to meet the building setback. • The Planning/Zoning Dept. is supportive of this building setback variance request. Greenbelt Width: • A minimum 30-ft wide greenbelt is required along Keystone Pkwy., and 19’4” is requested. This is a variance of 10’8”, or a 35% change. • Only a small portion of the northeast corner of the proposed high school activity center building will encroach into that greenbelt area, and the building area that will encroach is around 120 sq. ft. • The rest of the subject site’s 2,100 feet of Keystone Pkwy frontage will be able to meet the greenbelt width. • The Planning/Zoning Dept. is supportive of this greenbelt variance request. Wall Sign Size: • Wall Signs are allowed, provided that they fit within the horizontal and vertical elements of the Building and do not obscure architectural details of the Building. • A 296 sq. ft. wall sign is requested on the south façade of the South Support Building. However, the 15 of 19 proposed sign also needs to meet the height and width dimensions allowed by the Spandrel Panel Area - 70% of the Spandrel Panel height can be the sign height, and 85% of the Spandrel Panel width. This means that the maximum sign height allowed is 7.6 feet and the maximum sign width allowed is 40.6’. As proposed, their sign width of 37’ is generally okay, but the proposed sigh height is 8-ft, so they will need to adjust the overall sign size and shrink the height a bit. • The sign size allowed is dictated by the Spandrel Panel Area. 70% of the Spandrel Panel height can be the sign height, and 85% of the Spandrel Panel width can be the sign width. The Petitioner proposes a slightly larger sign than is allowed per a correctly designated Sign Spandrel Panel. The Petitioner uses building arch as the top edge of their proposed spandrel panel. Unfortunately, spandrel panels are measured as rectangles. The height of the spandrel panel would be determined by drawing a horizontal line at the meeting poin ts of the spandrel horizontal limit (vertical lines) and the roof line, not including the arch above. As such, the sign height as proposed exceeds the 70% maximum height of permitted sign height, making the proposed sign size larger than that allowed per the sign standards). (See example image below.) • The Planning/Zoning Dept. is not supportive of this sign size variance; it can be modified to comply. Wall Sign Location: • A Wall Sign is proposed to be located above the south parapet wall of the South Support Building (not in spandrel panel area). • Per the UDO sign standards, no Wall Sign shall be allowed to extend above the cornice line of a Building, beyond the edges of the wall. • Also, Wall Signs are allowed provided that they fit within the horizontal and vertical elements of the building and do not obscure architectural details of the building. • In this case, the proposed wall sign will obscure the cornice details of the building and extend approximately 3 feet above that building cornice. • The Planning/Zoning Dept. is not supportive of this wall sign location variance request. The wall sign needs to be lowered and fit within the boundaries of the spandrel panel area dictated by the largest rectangle that can be drawn that fits in the area above the EIFS fascia area of the Entry Gate area, below the roof cornice area, and between the area that is the width of the EIFS fascia area of the Entry gate area. The sign size is dictated by the Spandrel Panel Area - 70% of the Spandrel Panel height can be the sign height, and 85% of the Spandrel Panel width can be the sign width. • The building façade provides ample Sign Spandrel Panel area to fit the proposed entry sign and to provide adequate signage emphasis. Allowing it to rise over the parapet would also make the sign visible on both the 16 of 19 south as well as the northeast street frontage, something that is already being accomplished with the north facing sign on the activity center. The stated hardship is purely aesthetic; Planning Staff does not believe it to be compelling. Remaining Review Comments: • The Petitioner continues to respond to and address the remaining TAC review comments. Final Comments: • The Planning/Zoning Dept. is supportive of all the BZA requests, except for the two sign variances. The wall sign can be lowered on the building façade, made a little bit smaller, and still be a statement piece and comply with the Sign Regulations. There is no practical difficulty or hardship. • Even though the north facing wall sign on the north Activity Center Building is allowed, Planning Staff requests the Board to consider not allowing it at all, or require a commitment that it will be turned off at midnight every night. In addition to it facing Keystone Pkwy where southbound traffic will be able to see it, that wall sign will also face north towards the apartments. Protecting the residents should be considered. Findings of Fact: • Please refer to the Petitioner’s Findings of Facts included in their BZA Info Packet for the special use amendment request, lot coverage variance, building height variance, building setback variance, greenbelt width variance, and signage size variance. • The BZA Attorney will write up the negative Findings of Fact for the signage location variance. Recommendation: • The Dept. of Community Services (DOCS) recommends positive consideration of the special use amendment, lot coverage variance, building height variance, building setback variance, and greenbelt width variance, with the condition of addressing all remaining TAC review comments in ProjectDox, and with adoption of the Findings of Fact submitted by the Petitioner. • However, the Dept. of Community Services (DOCS) recommends negative consideration of the wall sign size and the wall sign location variances for the South Support Building.