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HomeMy WebLinkAboutDepartment Report 05-28-24 11 of 14 CARMEL BOARD OF ZONING APPEALS REGULAR MEETING DEPARTMENT REPORT TUESDAY, MAY 28, 2024 (UV) The Family Place Day Care Use Variance. The applicant seeks the following use variance approval: 1. Docket No. PZ-2024-00060 UV UDO Sections 2.19 & 3.01 Permitted Uses – Day Nursery/Day Care use not permitted; Day Care with Preschool component use requested. The site is located at 10455 College Ave. The site is zoned B1/Business and Home Place Overlay District – Home Place Business Sub-area. Filed by Joy Skidmore of Single Source Real Estate Services, LLC., on behalf of The Family Place, LLC., owners. General Info: • The Petitioner seeks approval to use an existing office building for a day care, with a preschool component. • A Use Variance is required for a Day Care / Day Nursery land use in the B1/Business zoning district. • The site is a Corner Lot with two street frontages, hence two front yards. • The subject site is located in the Home Place Subdivision, Section 2, Lots 254, 255, Part 249, and Part 253. • The surrounding properties are zoned B1/Business and R3/Residential, and all are located within the Home Place Business Sub-area. • The intent of the Business Sub-Area is to foster urban neighborhood village-like commercial activity, in keeping with the intention of the Comprehensive Plan. • Please see the Petitioner’s info packet for more detail on the use variance request. UDO Definitions: • The Unified Development Ordinance defines a Day Care or Day Nursery as: An organized group program for the care of preschool children away from their own residence for any part of a twenty-four (24) hour day, for compensation or otherwise. • And, the UDO defines a Kindergarten or Pre-School as: A school for children primarily between the ages of three and five, whose only function is providing preparation for elementary school. A Kindergarten (Pre- School) will not provide daycare services. Comprehensive Plan Analysis: • The Comp. Plan contains a guide for growth in the city, including the Home Place Subarea plan, to promote a neighborhood serving commercial district. • The demand for daycare is high, statewide and nationwide. Working parents need this service, and not all of the demand has been met. • The proposed land use falls in line with the Comp Plan goals and objectives, and it also complements the surrounding existing business and residential uses. Additional Analysis: Site Plan & Circulation: • The site will mostly remain as-is today. Some pavement and an extra driveway cut will be removed, and landscaping will be added, as well as a play yard. • The existing building and parking area that fronts 105th Street and College Ave. will remain in place, and a playground area is proposed along Jessup Blvd. • The Family Center is open earlier and open later than typical facilities, which will spread out drop off & pick up times (5:30am – 7pm). In addition, a valet pick-up option is available to parents. • There will be a maximum of 12 employees on site at one time. 12 of 14 • Once all building phases are complete, the building is estimated to support approximately 120 children with about nine classrooms, plus meeting rooms, therapy rooms, and offices for education and training. Active Transportation: • Bicycle parking and sidewalk segments have been requested, where they are currently missing. • The Carmel Engineering Dept. is working with the Petitioner to get street right-of-way dedicated along their 105th Street frontage. Architecture: • The existing building has a brick exterior, which will remain unpainted. And the Petitioner proposes to re- paint the trim the existing white/off-white color. One upper window is proposed to be bricked in, so a wall sign can be installed on the west building façade. Lighting: • The exterior lighting will remain as is, and a few additional exterior security light fixture wall paks will be added. (Planning Staff recommends that the lighting be 90-degree cutoffs and/or downlighting.) Landscaping: • Landscaping exists today. Any dead, dying or missing landscaping needs to be replaced. Also, additional supplemental landscaping is proposed. The Petitioner continues to work with the City Forester on gaining approvals. Signage: • Wall Signage is proposed on the west building façade, and it appears that a window is proposed to be removed and filled in, in order to accommodate that wall sign location. There will be no Ground Sign. The Petitioner continues to work with the Sign Permits Administrator to secure approvals and sign permits. Trash Screening: • The trash bins will be screened from view. A white privacy fence with gates will be utilized to roll containers out on trash day. Final Comments: • The Petitioner continues to work with all relevant departments and entities to address review comments and concerns. • The Planning Dept. supports the use variance request, with the condition of the Petitioner addressing all remaining review comments from all relevant departments and entities and in ProjectDox (our online electronic plan review software). 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) recommends positive consideration of this request, with the condition of the Petitioner addressing all remaining review comments from all relevant departments and entities (mostly in ProjectDox), and with adoption of the Findings of Fact submitted by the Petitioner.