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HomeMy WebLinkAboutDepartment Report 11-21-231 CARMEL PLAN COMMISSION DEPARTMENT REPORT NOVEMBER 21, 2023 1. Docket No. PZ-2023-00224 ADLS: North End Fields Market Garden 2. Docket No. PZ-2023-00232 V: UDO Sec. 2.18: 20 ft. Maximum Front Setback required, No maximum Requested. 3. Docket No. PZ-2023-00233 V: UDO Sec. 5.05.D: 75% Building Frontage required, 0% Requested. The applicant seeks site plan and design approval as well as 2 variances for a greenhouse, production space, and expanded growing space at the urban farm at the North End Development. The site is located at 270 West Smoky Row and is zoned UR/Urban Residential with a Use Variance approved to allow the urban farm. Filed by Rebecca McGuckin with Old Town Companies. Project Overview: The petitioner proposes to build a new greenhouse and other farm buildings at the urban farm in the North End development which is located north of Smoky Row and just east of Meridian St. The property is zoned UR/Urban Residential and has a use variance to allow the urban farm. The Primary Plat has been approved for this project. Due to the use of the site as a farm and not urban dwellings, a few additional variances are needed from the Urban Residential zoning. Please see the Petitioner’s Information packet for more details. Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) requirements the project MEETS: • Permitted Uses – 2019 Use Variance approved for Urban Farm and Roadside Sales • Max building height – 3 stories • Min. building height – Variance approved in 2021 to allow 1 story. • Min. front setback – 0 ft. for principal building and 10 ft. for accessory building • Min. side setback – 5 ft. • Min. rear setback – n/a • Maximum rear setback – Variance approved in 2021 to allow 600 ft. setback • Maximum Lot Coverage Unified Development Ordinance Standards NOT MET therefore variances are needed: • 20 ft. Maximum front setback – No maximum requested • 75% Building frontage required – 0% requested • No parking allowed in the Special Flood Hazard Area, a variance would be supported if pervious pavement is used for the parking. Site Plan, Parking and Engineering: • This Combo Hearing is for an ADLS request and 2 variances to approve some new farm buildings on the Fields Market Garden urban farm. • There will be a greenhouse, production house/wash station (headhouse), high tunnel, and farm stand. • The headhouse and high tunnel need to be a minimum of 6 ft. from the property line. • The existing drive will remain to provide access to the property. • 14 new parking spaces are proposed with a pervious pavement. • The parking lot is within the floodway, which is why pervious pavement is proposed, but a variance from the UDO will be needed as well as approval from the DNR. • An asphalt path exists along Smoky Row. • Short-term bike parking spaces are provided on the edge of the parking lot. 2 Architectural Design: • The greenhouse will be 945 sq. ft. and 12 ft. tall and will have a dark brown frame with polycarbonate walls, on a masonry base. Petitioner, what type of masonry will the base be? • The headhouse will be 726 sq. ft., about 16 ft. tall and will have fiber cement siding, painted white. • There will also be a typical high tunnel and a small farm stand painted to match the head house. • Overall, the Dept. is supportive of the proposed architecture for this urban farm use. • The proposed buildings will not be in the floodway, but they will be in the floodplain and the Engineering Dept. will need a flood mitigation plan. Lighting: • No additional lighting is proposed for the site at this time. Landscaping: • No additional landscaping is proposed at this time as this is an urban farm. Signage: • The petitioner proposes a 30 sq. ft. sign at 6 ft. tall which is permitted. • The sign will need to be located 5 ft. from the right-of-way. Petitioner, please show this on the plans. • The design of the sign will use a limestone base and the main Fields Market Garden logo. • The final drawings for the sign are still being completed. • A sign permit will be required for the ground sign. Variances: • Staff is supportive of the variances due to the unique nature of the urban farm use. • Additionally, since part of the parcel is in the floodplain, there is a practical difficulty to meet the maximum front setback and the building frontage requirement as it would require the buildings to be placed in the floodway. DOCS Remaining Comments/Concerns: • The headhouse and high tunnel need to be a minimum of 6 ft. from the side property line. • What type of masonry will the base of the greenhouse be? • Review process through Project Dox needs to be finalized. • Variance needed for the parking in the floodway. • Engineering Dept. needs flood mitigation plan. Recommendation: The Department of Community Services recommends the Plan Commission votes to send this item to the Residential Committee with final voting authority.