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CARMEL BOARD OF ZONING APPEALS HEARING OFFICER
DEPARTMENT REPORT
MONDAY, JANUARY 27, 2025
(V) Parkwood Crossing East Parking Variance.
The applicant seeks the following development standards variance approval to remove some parking lot
area and add greenspace:
8. Docket No. PZ-2024-00240 V PUD Ordinance Z-362-01, Section 4.5 Parking Ratio: 3.5
parking spaces / 1,000 SF of gross floor area required; 2.90 spaces / 1,000 SF requested.
The 19.6 acre site is located at 900 and 800 E. 96th Street (not in any subdivision). It is zoned College
Hills PUD/Planned Unit Development. Filed by Bryan Sheward of Kimley-Horn.
General Info:
• The Petitioner seeks approval to remove some parking lot area and add in greenspace and trees.
• Variance is requested for not meeting the required parking ratios of the College Hills PUD zoning district.
• The site is not in any subdivision; however, an OA (Owner’s Association) does exist.
• Surrounding this site are office/commercial and residential uses.
• Please see the Petitioner’s info packet for more details on the variance request.
Variance Requested:
Parking Ratios -
• The College Hills PUD Ordinance requires the following for Parking Ratios: 3.5 parking spaces / 1,000 SF of
gross floor area is required. And 2.90 parking spaces / 1,000 SF is requested by the Petitioner.
• The property owner would like to remove 233 existing parking spaces and add 47 newly configured parking
spaces, netting a total reduction of 186 spaces on the south side of the Parkwood 8 building to create a
passive green space to beautify the commercial office development.
• Around 58,664 sq. ft. (or 1.3 acres) of green space and trees/plantings will be added to the site.
• The College Hills PUD Ordinance Z-362-01, Section 4.5, which encompasses Parkwood East (Buildings 8
and 9), requires 3.5 parking spaces / 1,000 SF.
• There are currently 1,613 parking spaces shared between Parkwood buildings 8 and 9, therefore the total
parking spaces after the proposed project will be 1,427 spaces.
• This reduction will result in a 3.37 spaces / 1,000 SF parking ratio, which is below the current 3.5 spaces /
1,000 SF requirement.
• The Petitioner’s request is to lower the required parking ratio from 3.5 spaces / 1,000 SF to 2.90 spaces /
1,000 SF, yielding a 200-space buffer so the owner could remove additional parking spaces beyond this
project in the future if desired without needing to seek a future variance.
• For comparison, Carmel's MC zoning classification requires 2.86 spaces / 1,000 SF (1 space per 350 SF),
which aligns with this request and is consistent with the portion of the greater Parkwood development on the
west side of College. (Other office zoning districts in the city require a parking ratio of 1 space per 250 sq ft.)
• Kimley-Horn has conducted an inventory of existing parking spaces on both the east and west sides of
College Avenue within the greater Parkwood commercial office building development in comparison with
total building square footage to derive existing parking / square foot ratios.
• The proposed reduction in parking on the west side of College Avenue will not drop the parking ratio below
the 2.86 spaces / 1,000 SF MC zoning requirement, but since the required parking space / SF requirement on
the east side of College Avenue is different (College Hills PUD), a variance is required for the proposed
reduction in parking on the east side.
• Kimley-Horn's parking analysis determined current parking demand based on a known percent occupied of
Buildings 8 and 9 and then extrapolated up to assume 100% full building occupancy.
• One step further, Kimley-Horn took a conservative approach assuming a 90% usage of available parking
spaces would be effectively "full".
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• Lastly, Kimley-Horn considered an unlikely scenario in which in the current condition a portion of
employees are assumed to be working from home and considered parking demand if all employees came
back to the office (and did not work remotely).
• This very conservative full occupancy, all work from office scenario yielded the ability to provide sufficient
parking for the demand at a 2.90/1,000 SF parking ratio.
Remaining Review Comments:
• All Planning/Zoning comments have been addressed.
Final Comments:
• A traffic/parking study has also been provided by the Petitioner and is in the file.
• The Owners’ Association is also in support of this project. A letter is in the file.
• The Planning Dept. fully supports the variance request. It is rare that a developer removes underused or
unused parking lot area and adds back in greenspace and vegetation. This will benefit the employees and
patrons of the development, as well as the city.
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 the variance request, and
with the adoption of the Findings of Facts submitted by the Petitioner.