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HomeMy WebLinkAboutDepartment Report 08-20-241 CARMEL PLAN COMMISSION DEPARTMENT REPORT AUGUST 20, 2024 1. Docket No. PZ-2024-00028 PUD: Towne 146 PUD Rezone. The applicant seeks PUD rezone approval to allow a mixed-use neighborhood consisting of single- family homes, townhomes, and neighborhood commercial. The site is located at 2275 W 146th Street and is zoned S-1/Residence. Filed by Jim Shinaver and Jon Dobosiewicz of Nelson & Frankenberger on behalf of Lennar Homes of Indiana, LLC. Project Overview: The applicant seeks approval to rezone approximately 15.67 acres from S-1/Residence to PUD/Planned Unit Development. The proposed development will be a mixed-use project with small, neighborhood shops, single- family detached homes, and townhomes. A maximum of 92 dwellings is proposed. Please see the Petitioner’s Information Packet for more details. Site Context: Surrounding zoning classifications are S-1/ROSO to the south, PUD to the east and west, with 146th St. located to the north. Across 146th St. is property in Westfield that is zoned PUD. The Subdivision to the south and southeast is Saddle Creek; a single-family neighborhood that has 467 lots with the old ROSO zoning that allowed smaller lot standards than S-1. To the east is the Ambleside Subdivision which is currently under construction, is zoned PUD, and allows a mix of 260 smaller single-family lots and townhomes. To the southwest is the Lincolnshire Subdivision which is composed of 82 single-family homes that were developed under the old ROSO standards and allowed smaller lot standards and setbacks. Directly west is Shadow Wood; a single-family subdivision zoned PUD with 29 lots. The property to the north in Westfield is zoned PUD and allows a large office/retail area and a multi-family area with no more than 480 dwelling units. Rezoning Process: The rezone process involves the following: • The Plan Commission will hear the proposal brought forward by the Developer, so long as proper public notice has been given. • Once the public hearing has been held and subsequent committee meetings where the items are fully evaluated, the Plan Commission will then make a recommendation on the rezone to the City Council. • They can vote to send it to the City Council with a Favorable Recommendation, an Unfavorable Recommendation, or No Recommendation. • If this rezone is ultimately approved by the City Council, the developer would have to come back through the Plan Commission process for Development Plan and ADLS approval for the commercial areas, and Primary Plat approvals for the residential areas, to ensure compliance with the PUD. According to Section 9.05.A.3. of the UDO, in considering this PUD rezone proposal, both the Plan Commission and the Common Council shall pay reasonable regard to: • The extent to which the PUD Ordinance provides 1) a mixed use development or 2) addresses unusual site conditions or surroundings; • The Comprehensive Plan and any other adopted planning studies or reports; • The extent to which the proposal fulfills the general purposes of the Subdivision Control/Zoning Ordinances • Current conditions and the character of current structures and uses in each district and its surroundings; • The most desirable use for which the land in each district is adapted; • The conservation of property values throughout the City and the Township; and • Responsible development and growth. 2 Comprehensive Plan Analysis: • The Comprehensive Plan (Comp Plan) provides a guide for development and a common vision for the City. • The Policy Goals and Objectives of the Comp Plan calls for such things as a variety of housing types, a mixture of land uses, and promoting housing options to support aging in place. • It also guides development to protect single-family neighborhoods from dissimilar adjacent uses with respect to scale of buildings, lighting, noise and other incompatible impacts. • Some other objectives from the Comp Plan that can been seen in this project are: Support opportunities that allow more residents to be located within a short walk or bike ride to many daily needs, Commercial uses will fit within the character of their surroundings by their form, use, and design, and are described in this plan’s Typical Corridors Development Pattern, and Consistently require street and multi-modal connectivity between adjacent developments, to improve residential mobility options, as well as improved access for delivery, maintenance, and emergency vehicles. • Under Development Patterns in the Comp Plan, this area is classified as West Neighborhoods which can have characteristics including lot sizes from 1/8 to 5+ acres; building coverage between 20% to 50%; 2.5 story heights; front yards, gardens, porches, stoops; and residential uses. • Because this site is along 146th St, it also falls into the Typical Corridor classification as well. • Typical corridors are “Primary E/W and N/S routes that provide connectivity to community assets throughout the City. These corridors are based on adjacent patterns and serve as transitions between places. They allow expanded housing options and limited commercial as long as they are consistent with the character of adjacent patterns.” • Building a majority residential neighborhood with small neighborhood shops on a Typical Corridor, adjacent to a residential neighborhood is a compatible land use. • The 2-story height of the homes, location of neighborhood shops along 146th St., the large setback to the south, and the landscaped buffer area allows for a sensitive transition from the 2-story single-family homes to the south to this neighborhood and then busy 146th St. Additional Analysis: Concept Plan: • The site provides appropriate changes in use by locating a landscape buffer along the south, followed by single-family detached lots, and then moving to smaller detached single-family homes, townhomes and finally locating a small commercial building at the northwest corner. • There are 4 proposed entrances from the frontage road that runs south of 146th Street. • The internal street layout is similar to a grid style street system and provides short blocks with good connections to promote pedestrian friendly streets. • A traffic impact study was completed by a third-party consultant and showed a minimal increase in peak hour trips from this project. • The traffic study found that no improvements were needed to ensure the roadway system would accommodate the increased traffic volumes. • 3 acres of common area are planned through a pond along the east side and a few pocket parks. • Stormwater drainage will be accommodated by expanding and connecting to the pond to the east. • The commercial building is located in the northwest corner of the property toward 146th St. and Towne Rd., so that it is not directly adjacent to the existing single-family neighborhood to the south. • The size of the commercial building is limited to 17,000 sq. ft. with no tenant allowed to be larger than 7,000 sq. ft. • This size will avoid big box retail and will accommodate shops or restaurants to serve nearby residents. • For comparison, below are similar neighborhood shopping center sizes in Carmel: o Café Patachou building at Hazel Dell Pkwy. and Main St. – 10,660 sf. o Pizzology, Subway, animal hospital at Hazel Dell Pkwy and Main St. – 12,950 sf. o Shops north of Fresh Market with Piada in it on Rangeline Rd. – 19,900 sf. o Needler’s shopping center at Gray Rd. and 126th St. – 68,910 sf. 3 Active Transportation • Sidewalks are required on both sides of the street. • A path will connect to the path in Ambleside and it will go north all the way to the path along 146th St. • This will allow the two neighborhoods to be connected to each other and allow residents to choose to walk or bicycle to the neighborhood shops. Architectural Design • The PUD includes Architectural Character Imagery along with Architectural Standards. • There will be some homes with the garage doors facing the street, but the majority of the residential units will have garage doors facing any alley. This further enhances the streetscape aesthetics. • The Character Imagery shows 1-story and 2-story buildings, with the maximum height limited to 35 ft., including the commercial building. • Residential buildings shall have a masonry wainscot, and the front wainscot material shall be the same on the sides and rear. • Covered porches and/or stoops are required on all dwellings, and monotony mitigation standards are in place to help avoid a cookie cutter or repetitive aesthetic. • ADLS approval will also be required for the townhome buildings and the commercial building. • The commercial building architecture has improved since the first submittal, but there are still many recommended changes, such as more masonry, improved design on the back, and additional detailing. Landscaping: • A minimum of 3 acres of the development will be common area. • A drainage easement and landscape buffer are shown along the southern border on the Concept Plan. • A central park is shown in the middle of the site with homes facing the park, and a park and courtyard area is located south of the shops. • Foundation and lot plantings (like a tree in the front yard) are required in the PUD as are street trees. • Native vegetation areas shall be provided along the perimeter of the pond. • Parking lot plantings are required in the commercial area, and staff as requested foundation plantings. Signage: • The PUD allows a subdivision entry sign at each connection of internal streets to the frontage road. • All other signage requirements shall comply with the UDO. DOCS Remaining Comments/Concerns: The petitioner has made several changes to the site layout and PUD standards based on Dept. feedback. The Dept. continues to review the PUD and work with the Petitioner on our remaining 50 comments as this project moves onto Committee review. Some of the outstanding comments include: 1. Can the western townhomes be turned so they do not face the back of the shops? 2. Will there be variation between the townhome buildings? 3. Improve the architectural design of the neighborhood shops, including adding more masonry. 4. Increase the monotony mitigation standards for the homes and townhomes. 5. Provide a character image that shows a 6-unit townhome building. 6. Add building base landscaping requirements for the neighborhood shops. 7. Show a sidewalk connection on the Concept Plan from Towne Rd. to the development entrance. Recommendation: The Dept. of Community Services recommends the Plan Commission sends this item to the Plan Commission Committee meeting on Tuesday, September 3, 2024 for further review and discussion.