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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 04-10-23 ,AYL. / _ Cityor M01i1„_,..) 1 Cannel Plan Commission COMMERCIAL COMMITTEE Monday, April 10, 2023 Meeting Minutes Location: Cannel City Hall Caucus Rooms,2nd Floor, 1 Civic Square,Cannel,IN 46032 Members Present: Joshua Kirsh(Chair),Leo Dierckman,Christine Zoccola Members Absent: Adam Aasen Staff Present: Aliza Shalit(Sign Permits Specialist),Mike Hollibaugh(Director of DOCS),Alexia Lopez(Planning Administrator) Legal Counsel: Ally Lynch-Mcgrath Time of Meeting: 6:00 PM 1. Docket No.PZ-2022-00238 ADLS: Tru Hotel Carmel. The applicant seeks design approval for a new, five story, 126 room hotel on 1.13 acres. Development plan approval was granted under Docket No. 19060018 DP and Use Variance approval was granted under 18050007 UV. The site is located at 12164 N. Meridian Street, immediately north of the Ritz Charles.It is zoned MC/Meridian Corridor and is not within any overlay district. Filed by Nathan Winslow of American Structurepoint on behalf of the owner,Dora Hotel Group. Petitioner:Nathan Winslow(American Structure Point) Presented updates: addressed all the site related elements, dumpster closure location,parking island modifications to be more amenable to vehicular circulation. Satisfied technical requirements:traffic flow and parking lot.Our goal is to minimize disruption to what is already constructed there. Changes: Landscape,parking, circulation,bicycle parking Iupdate,working on exterior long term bicycle parking requirement—looking for some locations where long-term bicycle parking could fit internal to the building,and we have potential locations for external bicycle parking. Department Report:Alexia Lopez: Architecture was worked on to be able to come back to Committee,but there are still some outstanding items. They made site changes and resubmitted. Reviewers still have to finalize that review. • Parking: The original development plan had a certain number of parking spaces and it's now down 9 spaces, this was an outstanding question—can you add 9 more spaces to the agreement with Ritz, if so,the combined parking adds up and it's allowed on the Meridian Corridor Zone. We would like you to accommodate 9 long term bicycle parking spaces or a variance would be required. • Glazing: The MC requires 60%minimum glazing on the first floor, so it that can't be accommodated it will require a variance. • Architecture questions: color bands,they changed and reduced the brightness and seeing that these are now not too bland and what would happen to these in the future if the hotel changes or a different use comes in,could these be changed. Framing these color details out so it looks more like an architectural feature in the building, which on the renderings looks like it is done on the north and south elevations.Other examples of Tru Hotels where this is a nice architectural feature,almost like a mural on the building. • Lighting: Questions regarding the lighting for this feature,are they going to be up-lit,downlit,how will it look at night. We are recommending it stays at committee until all these can be addressed. Committee Comments: Kirsh: —Discussed parking situation. Concerns about the number of spots the other hotel has procured from Ritz,how many spots people from Ritz may be using at the other hotel and number of spots Ritz's vehicles are using.Ritz has Ichanged their parking lot,removing some spots.Brought up possible under parking,which already exists to a degree. Opportunity to open up to a public discussion on parking. Dierckman: Is there an agreement with the medical building?I would like to see a copy of the document. Zoccola: As far as parking,when the original plan was approved for parking what was the original plan for parking, 1 Commercial Committee Meeting Minutes 4-10-23 was there supposed to be a parking garage?Why are we short?Alexia Lopez: Based on the original development plan there were a number of spots on the site plan(133 for hotel and office)plus a shared parking agreement with Ritz for the remaining spots. This site plan has 124 spaces total between office and hotel. We are wondering if that is accommodated in the agreement with the Ritz. Where they put the drop-off takes up some of the preexisting spaces. Dierckman: Is there a formal written document between the medical use and this hotel.Alexia Lopez: I didn't see that in the file,but it was in the minutes of the meeting.Nathan Winslow:there is a very extensive legal document,I can upload that.Kirsh: The reason for public dialog is because there is also an agreement between Ritz and the hotel on the south side.My understanding is that the agreement may have been shortsighted and there may be some issues. Ritz parking at hotel and that the factors used to come up with numbers of spots needed may have been short sighted. Dierckman: 10 spaces the issue.Kirsh: I think it's more.Dierckman: What is the agreement with the Ritz?Mike Hollibaugh: Why are we opening that?Kirsh: I am nervous about agreeing to a new parking scenario on top of a failed shared parking scenario.Mike Hollibaugh: Shouldn't Vince be nervous and not you?What is the issue?That there is going to be a parking problem 1 or 3 or 5 times a year?Kirsh:No,I worry about a weekly parking problem. Dierckman: I have seen it on occasion,not weekly. What is the required number and what is the current agreement. Sounds like 10 spots.Mike Hollibaugh: That is my understanding.Dierckman: Room counts vs number of spaces? How many rooms do you lose if we require you to account for the number of spaces.Vince Dora: It is a 1 to 1 ratio, 10 rooms.Dierckman: You are going to adjust your parking or cut rooms.Zoccola: I see what your concern is,it is more like the entire site parking issue. Is there an opportunity to find 10 more spaces?Vince Dora: We need to work on it. I struggle to figure out why it's our job to solve the parking problems for three other businesses.We when came to this understanding that our parking agreement was adequate for what we needed. Kirsh: Do I understand that you need 151 spaces, 126 for rooms,25 for employees.Vince Dora: Yes,but I would also add that unlike office buildings and other day uses,the highest use of occupancy is at night when employees are not there as much(housekeepers, managers). I do not believe that the 151 spaces are true for the hotel. Kirsh: That is how you come up with 133. Vince Dora: It would be 133. Kirsh: You are still 10 short of 122?Vince Dora: But I don't have 10 employees at night. Kirsh: You are proposing 133 spots to cover the spread,correct?Nathan Winslow: We are down 9 spaces on what the agreement was based on.Alexia Lopez: Originally the agreement was 133 and now they are at 124.Kirsh: You are short 10 spots to make it to 133.You want us to come down from 151 to 133,but now you want us to come down to 124?Vince Dora: I would also say that I was on the phone with Cornerstone who manages the office building next door,they have called the doctors occupying that building to ask if they have a parking problem,and the answer is that they have never had a problem. The users that own the parking have no issues. Dierckman: But the original hotel was not 5 stories,it was 4 stories.Vince Dora: That was back in 2017 when I was the only one working on the entire site, then I was asked by city officials to modify and said there would be parking agreements in place, so there could be another use there.Aloft was the master developer that bough the site from the old owners,redeveloped it with city approvals and put the hotel and medical office there and put the cross parking in place,then we bought that hotel pad from them. Dierckman: With the increase in height approved.Zoccola: The Hyatt hotel uses mostly the Ritz parking lot?Is that in that letter?Vince Dora: I can't speak to that.Kirsh: That is my understanding.Kirsh: Why can't you have a shared agreement with medical building.Vince Dora: I would have to look; I cannot answer that right now. Alexia Lopez: The office and the hotel that is the 133 from both with the shared parking agreement with Ritz. Dierckman: Every pot is taken in that agreement.Alexia Lopez: There is a lot of parking there. Showed parking breakdown.Kirsh: Worried at creating a nuisance. Ritz occupies parking with their vehicles(8 vehicles,but they are occupying 35 spots with those vehicles). If that was cleaned up or there was an agreement with the medical building,I would not be concerned any more. 124 instead of 151.Dierckman: Do you want to make it denser or find 10 spots. Alexia Lopez: The comment came up based on the ordinance and the original plan review determined that they met that needing 133 onsite,but they don't meet that now.Find 10 more with the Ritz,which is what we would hope,but there is also the option of getting a variance for that requirement. Zoccola: Exterior of the building has improved and I don't want it any brighter. I thought the part that stuck out with the logo was going to be metal and lit,but when I looked at the diagrams it said EIFS.Vince Dora: It is metal,we took the lighting elements out based on previous comments.Zoccola: Are all the lights facing down?Vince Dora: We have down lights on the exterior of the building to highlight some of the brick and color panels and also in the landscaping hub to showcase the trees. Zoccola: Where we run into trouble is with the up lighting for the neighbors. Vince Dora: You can see it is very minimal along the sides,we don't have any on the west face of the building 2 Commercial Committee Meeting Minutes 4-10-23 towards the neighborhood or Illinois St. The checkerboard is not inlayed with lighting,but it is framed as inset Icolumns so it can be easily replaced or updated.Dierckman: How many rooms on each floor?Vince Dora: Close to 30.Dierckman: Can you do garage parking underneath?Vince Dora: That was attempted,and the city was going to look at providing TIF,but the with the cost,the city changed their mind.Zoccola: Asked about location of Elm trees and lower-level bushes.Are the lower-level bushes evergreens?Nathan Winslow: Yes.Viburnum,Willow wood,and American Elm trees.Kirsh: #5, 6,4,2 have been taken care of.Did we get to the required percentage of glazing? Vince Dora: No,we will have to seek a variance on this,that glazing percentage is more typical for office buildings, and I have guest rooms with privacy issues and back of house areas that should not have windows or fake window showing commercial washers/dryers or break rooms through them.Kirsh: The last issue is parking.Do we want to vote on this now,or push to May meeting?Dierckman: Can't vote yes on this.Zoccola: As opinion from petitioner. Vince Dora: I feel we are adequately parked.Variance. Kirsh: You will be requesting a variance on the parking and glazing.Zoccola: We are not the final vote tonight,this goes back to the full Plan Commission,there is time to work out parking issues.Dierckman: It is a serious problem. People don't like to walk, so the instantly park on the street. I hesitate to add to a problem that I know it already exists. Building looks better,not perfect,but better.Kirsh: When this goes back to the full Plan Commission, if you can work on the parking, it will set us up for a better full Plan Commission meeting.Vince Dora: If we are doing our jobs right,the Ritz and our hotels are additives to each other. There will be times where the customers would be shared. Kirsh: I would not use that language. It does not resonate with the commissioners.It may be true,but it may not help.Dierckman: Having the hotel should be positive for the Ritz,ask them to have the trucks offsite with agreement with the city of Carmel,with a legitimate place to park.Vince Dora: Cornerstone has asked them to move,they are supposed to move.I am happy to go and try this. Alexia Lopez: The ordinance allows shared parking offsite within 800-ft off the building footprint. So,when looking at the aerial and there is a connection with the next parcel.You may be able to reach out to this office for the extra spaces.Dierckman: That will not resolve the problem of not having enough parking. Only removing the vehicles from Ithe site will free-up parking. A Motion made by Leo Dierckman and seconded by Christine Zoccola to continue PZ-2022-00238 ADLS: Tru Hotel Carmel to the next Commercial Committee meeting.Approved 3-0. 2. Docket No.PZ-2023-00005 DP/ADLS: III Corporate Headquarters The applicant seeks site plan and design approval for a new,4-story office building with covered parking on 19 acres.The site is located at the SW corner of 111th Street and Meridian Street.It is zoned MC/Meridian Corridor and is not within any overlay district. Filed by Brian Tuohy with Tuohy Bailey Moore LLP on behalf of Irving Materials,Inc. Petitioner: Brian Tuohy: Recapped the site location.Just under 20 acres. • Long term Bicycle location: exhibit shows 14 spaces towards the east end of the subsurface garage.Pointed out additional,closer-in bike parking spaces near the entryway,this is the employee entry to the building. Kirsh: What kind of bike racks are these?Eric Rowland: The interior ones will probably be a wall mounted type rack system. • Provide examples of concrete panels and what the vertical and horizontal textures and finishes look like: Eric Rowland:A modular precast system will be used; it is intended to have integral insulation in the precast panels as well. Modular system of 9'/6'/3' panels with alternating embossed patterns. The texture and the finish are intended to be concrete,but there will be ribs in the panels,some will be horizontal and some vertical ribs. In the larger panels there will also be an inset of aluminum framing like what is in the window 111 system to brink that metallic texture across the precast panels themselves.On the garage level there will be an extruded aluminum louver system adjacent to the panels(silver extruded aluminum). Tuohy: This addressees two of the Staff comments,one on the exterior and the second was the louvers and aluminum posts. • Rendering of the building at night from 31: produced rendering. • Adding Trees along the east side to help buffer the view of the garage and along Meridian St.: 3 Commercial Committee Meeting Minutes 4-10-23 Joann Green: maintained as many existing trees as possible and worked with existing vegetation.Augmented those areas with native trees,some flowering some not to give seasonal interest to the area. Over the course of time,there may be some loss of trees over the next 3 years, so that was accounted for. We were strategic to make sure those were replaced. • Updated lighting plan: This is a unique site,more than 500ft back from Illinois and there is a large green area that will stay in place in large part.Rowland: Showing graphics with light intensity-you can see the goal has been to be consistent with the lighting along the driving paths,both to the garage and the main building entrance. Where the building occurs,we are using a lower bollard fixture so the lighting is denser,but low standing;the post lights that light the driving aspects of the driveway are very directed with sharp cutoffs so light does not get thrown off of the property. Wall pack lighting in dumpster and generator area—fully enclosed in a fenced area and turned on when the need arises.Kirsh: Can you share information about the lighting cast from inside the building?Rowland: Lighting and occupancy sensors inside,when the building or an area of the building is not occupied for a certain amount of time those lights will shut off.Rendering shows at full occupancy.Zoccola: The neighbors complain about the KAR building which has every light turned on at all hours of the day. Rowland: code requires some lights to remain on for Life safety,but not bright and to illuminate paths. Tuohy: The height of these poles is 14',car poles are 22'.Kirsh: I would like there to be some consistency between the new medical offices in the Bridges new section and this development.Alexia Lopez: These are less.Rowland: We do have some in grade up-lighting around the canopy so there is a brighter entrance space. • Owners requested Eric and his team to look at the front canopy.This building is a continuation of a long-time family enterprise with headquarters in Maxwell,Indiana. They would like to have a canopy as shown,creating some symmetry on the building that's more similarly reflects their headquarters where they are moving from and place more emphasis on the entry of the building.Rowland: Described details on canopy. Structural grid of the parking and building.Columns and canopy continue into the lobby and help to define that space. Tuohy: showed more renderings including impact of up-lights on building emphasizing controlled light spill. We have presented all renderings requested by staff. • Drainage: Dennis Dye: We met with INDOT,they explained the intent to add lanes to the median side of 31, so there won't be an extension on the outside of the current footprint. It is a substantial project;they think the federal review of the project will be done at the end of 2025 with the ability to begin construction in mid to late 2026 with completion in 2027. They asked us to consider coordinating the drainage with theirs which we agreed to.Their intension is to drain to the southern end of the site,but we don't have specifics on what that is. They understand how much they need,and it is not as significant as we thought. Their pond size will be roughly about 25%of ours. We will continue to work with them as we finalize what we are going. • Native grasses depiction request: Tuohy: Urban Forester(UF)made requests for native shade tree planting near the woodlands. Green: We are incorporating trees as much as possible into those wooded areas. Kirsh: Question regarding thinning out some of the not so desirable items.Green responded concessions have been made.OF has been ok with filling stuff in place of leaving it?How does that work with your plan?Green: it depends on the size of the trees and where they are located. We hope there will be pedestrian use of these grounds. Concerns of fallen trees and bugs/battles.Kirsh: I want to make sure you have options.Green: yes. Those areas will be protected all throughout construction with a fence for preservation for the larger trees and then specific areas.Zoccola: This will be used as a park with many people walking through.Green: There are walkways planned. • Landscape maintenance plan: Tuohy: submitted to Alexia. • Signage on east side of the building: Rowland: Sign meets the ordinance; it is an internally lit sign. Solid during the day and glows at night. • Median cut on Illinois street: Tuohy: It is very important to IMI,there is a 6' wall almost directly across from where the cut would be and landscaped median between the north and south lanes of Illinois St. and additionally this site is about of 140' before you get to that wall,and then the topography of our site,as the vehicles are leaving the site they will be slightly pointing downwards because of the dips from east to west. We believe that with the distance, screening,and wall it should not be an issue to neighbors. • This development is compatible with others in the area, set back about 500', allows for preservation of existing vegetation and has substantial screening from our neighbors to the west. 4 Commercial Committee Meeting Minutes 4-10-23 IDepartment Report: Alexia Lopez: Comments addressed.One outstanding comment from OF recommending native shade tree reforestation planting. I have not seen a response in ProjectDox yet.Green: This is what was suggested on today's presentation.Alexia Lopez: Recommend approval. Committee Comments: Dierckman: Looks great.Kirsh: We addressed lighting,median,connectivity from TAC. Median provides protection for people in neighborhood.If cut,would you add some additional evergreens to the west side of Illinois.Dennis Dye: Yes,we committed to that at the public meeting. The caveat is Cannel's ability to help us do that because it's in your right of way.Kirsh: Maybe they can make a dedication to tree fund and have OF plant them?Mike: It does not matter;we can coordinate with Joanne and their team.They can be installed at the same time they are doing the site landscaping. Green: The City would maintain?Kirsh:Yes. Please take those steps to make sure it happens.Confer with UF.Dierckman: Looks great, like the detail at the entrance. A Motion made by Leo Dierckman and seconded Christine Zoccola by to forward PZ-2023-00005 DP/ADLS: IMI Corporate Headquarters to the Full Plan Commission with a favorable recommendation.Approved 3-0. 3. Docket No.PZ-2023-00060 ADLS Amend: L'Etoile Amendment The applicant seeks site plan and design approval to reduce the height from 6 stories to 4 stories for a new mixed-use building with 4,000 sq.ft.of retail on the ground floor,45 apartments above,and parking in the back. The site is located at 833 W.Main Street. It is zoned UC/Urban Core. Filed by Dan Moriarity with Studio Mon behalf of the owner,Aziz Mamaev. IPetitioner: Dan Moriarity: Started as a 6-story building. There was a new 40-foot right-of-way which caused the building to be pulled back. We got an ADLS approval with 2 levels of parking,but the cost went very high,plus covid stalled the project. We had started demolition of the old building. Our new plan was to do a smaller building,less units, less parking,4000sf of retail,but maintain same approach. We believed it was going to be a C-2 zone(CRC Project which has no parking requirements and different setback). We got a variance for the lot width,number of buildings and step back,with the same setbacks.Alexia reminded us that this is Urban Core,which has more requirement. We have filed for variances for parking,parking setbacks and building setback in the rear.There is retail in the front,some parking under the building,and some on the surface lot behind the building. We are at 45 units, so we are short parking per UC zone requirements. They are very small units, in a higher density UC. There is a public garage across the street plus one at the ICON/Rose,plus behind the Legion there will be another garage with a public aspect. 3 parking garages within around 800'.In the owner's view he is comfortable with this. He understands we have more units than parking. Housing is not aimed at families. Kirsh: Are there 20 spots at rear of the building?Petitioner responded: 38 total,22 covered and 16 open air spaces.Zoccola: how many units?Petitioner responded: 45.Kirsh: are the 38 first come first served,are they going to be permit or reserved parking?Moriarty: I do not know.Zoccola: You have 38,66 are required,my primary concern is that there is at least one spot for each one of the units. Moriarty: The counter to this would be if they don't have a car, it's a different approach. The owner's argument is that he gave up right-of-way for street parking,can't he count the street parking?We only have 4 spots in front,so not that many.Zoccola: Happy to see lower elevation,but did you have a garage originally?Moriarty: We had 2 levels.Asked owner,what if we lose 7 units,can we use the back half.He said he could not. Is it acceptable to get some sort of parking agreement? Dierckman: He won't be able to lease the units if people require parking.He will ultimately lease the units to people who do not require it. It's an economic decision for the owner.I would like to see the site developed.Petitioner: We Ihave quite a bit of bicycle parking,we need to add one or two bicycle spots up front,which we will do along the right- of-way area. We have the garage area with dedicated bicycle parking.We worked through landscaping.Moriarty: The other accommodation,the storm drain, it drains at the gas station.Moriarty: There is a drainage easement that we are maintaining,and we have underground detention storm water in the parking area.Which we cannot build on top of. Are we storing water just for our site?Petitioner responds: We are storing the right-of-way and our site,but it's a 15" 5 Commercial Committee Meeting Minutes 4-10-23 pipe that comes through our entrance with our easement that we must maintain. Department Report: Alexia Lopez: They are keeping the design with what was approved before. The big change is reducing the height and parking. We like the design and architecture. Outstanding item is parking but applied for variance. Based on ordinance(5.32),they are allowed to use offsite parking,public or private where a permanent allocation has been acquired as long as it is located within 800-ft from footprint. Moriarity: Does the ordinance recognize public?Alexia Lopez: Public or private parking garage where a permanent allocation has been given.Kirsh: If we have a TIF district set up with parking structures and they are under parked,we should be able to provide a letter to make this possible.Alexia Lopez: What are the numbers required for that site and that make sure they have enough.Dierckman: at Sophia there is reserved parking for some tenants.Kirsh: You need to figure out how to allocate the 38 spots.Alexia Lopez: It would help the tenants.Kirsh: Check on getting a letter to alleviate these concerns.Mike Hollibaugh: The agreement needs to be Henry with Aziz. We will organize,but Henry needs to do this.Alexia Lopez: I can look at the numbers and provide information. Committee Comments: Kirsh:All comments are being addressed.How much long-term bike parking is there.Alexia Lopez: 16 long term. Kirsh: Check your bike parking numbers,but with this scenario,you may want to have more bike parking.A hanging bike rack per studio apartment may help.Alexia Lopez: This is an ADLS Amend with a quick TAC review,but since then David Littlejohn,Alternative Transportation Coordinator,has looked at it and he was going to ask for some of the long-term bike racks not to be on the wall so that people who can't lift have options.This also applies to the short-term bike parking,he was concerned about how you get there,there isn't great access from the path. He wants a spot that is more easily accessible from the path. If approved, it needs to be contingent on the outstanding items like reducing the lighting foot candles on the south and west for the residential. We would also like a sign package otherwise they would have to come back for an ADLS Amendment.Kirsh: I would like to see this continue. Moriarty: Should we just take the signage off until a tenant applies?Aliza Shalit: The sign package is separate from the permits themselves. When you have a commercial building what we like to see is consistency in certain items or characteristics that have to do with the signs. Those are lighting and mounting style, sign location,sign type,and any specifics that you want to add for consistency. The sign package should specify which kind of signs will you allow, what requirements these tenants will have to abide by so that there is a consistent look. How many tenants,about 3 or 4?Moriarty: Maybe 1.Aliza Shalit: Now,but what about in the future.Is there a possibility that these spaces will be split into more tenant spaces. Dierckman: We want a quality standard from today until perpetuity,so show us the standards you want,and we will review it. Specify what you want,and this is what your tenants have to live by. I recommend something that is tastefully done.Kirsh: Continued to next month. Docket No.PZ-2023-00060 ADLS Amend: L'Etoile Amendment was continued to next month. Meeting adjourned at 7:40 PM. A iza Shalit Recor mg Secretary Josh a Kirsh _.mmittee Chair 6 Commercial Committee Meeting Minutes 4-10-23