HomeMy WebLinkAboutDept Report 03-02-10 CARMEL PLAN COMMISSION
SPECIAL STUDIES COMMITTEE
DEPARTMENT REPORT
March 2, 2010
4. Docket No. Docket No. 09100009 DP /ADLS: Long Branch Market w/ Kroger (Altum's site).
The applicant seeks site plan and design approval for a multi tenant commercial development with outlots.
The site is located at 11335 N. Michigan Rd. It is zoned B -3 /Business and located partially within the US
421/Michigan Rd. Overlay. Filed by Robert Barker of Zinkan Barker Development Co., LLC.
The applicant seeks site plan and design approval for a multi- tenant service and retail center with a fuel center and
two outlots. The site is approximately 22 acres in size. Buildings are designed with a grocery store anchor and a
strip of smaller `B" shops, all with retail front facades comprised of mostly cast brick and cast stone and glass. For
now, no site or building plans have been submitted relating to the two outlots. Landscape buffer plantings provided
greatly exceeds what the ordinance requires. The petitioner has entered into a traffic signal agreement with the
Indiana Dept of Transportation (1NDOT) for the main access point onto US 421, which aligns directly east of
Bennett Parkway. Adjacent to the site is a church to the west, Weston Pointe townhomes to the southeast, Weston
Pointe retail center to the south, a funeral home to the north, single family detached homes (Woodhaven) to the
north, and a residential use to the east. Please refer to the petitioner's 02/25/2010 supplemental information,
including the Bullet Points Summary for Commitments, for more detail.
Previous 1988 rezone commitments (part of the Altum nursery rezone /project) are proposed to be further clarified
with new proposed comprehensive commitments on the type of land uses permitted on the site, a limit to the trash
pickup and truck delivery times, specifications on the landscape buffering, architecture requirements, addressing
the sanitary sewer line extension, etc.
BZA variance requests will be heard at the March 22 Board of Zonings Appeals meeting for:
Signage: Frontage on a public street
Signage: three signs for a single tenant building (anchor tenant)
Signage: three signs facing west (anchor tenant)
Signage: maximum sign area (anchor tenant)
Signage: type of changeable copy for a sign
Signage: copy, multi- tenant building complex directory sign
Signage: maximum height of multi tenant building complex identification sign
drive -thru location on building (might be withdrawn)
perimeter fence design (will be withdrawn)
maximum 75% gross floor area permitted for retail uses (might be withdrawn)
maximum building setback from US 421 right of way (might be withdrawn)
Feb. 2 Plan Commission Committee meeting overview of comments /concerns /questions:
A. Question about Carmel City Code's limit on hours of construction. (It is between 6 am 10 pm.)
B. Committee wants one set of hours. (Right now there are four: no trash removal from 7pm -8am, pharmacy drive
thru hours of 7am -9pm, B -shop drive thru hours of lam— midnight, and truck delivery hours of 9pm -7am.)
C. There was a request to have a pull down curtain when the drive -thru windows are closed.
D. Clarify truck idling, and noise concern of trucks idling during unloading.
E. There will be no outdoor commercial kennels.
F. The petitioner should add a clause for violations and fees to the commitments.
G. Discussion about buffers and transitions with 10 -ft tall walls, berms /mounds, and evergreen trees.
H. The dumpster enclosures will include a roof.
I. The location of outdoor sales is restricted to a small area in front of Kroger.
J. Request to enclose outdoor sales area.
K. The 2 outlots will come back before the plan commission at a later date for approval of the site plan /design.
L. The petitioner wants to extend the requirements of the US 421 overlay over the whole site, with the exception
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of the 75% retail (to have 85% maximum retail), fence design, and drive thru locations.
M. Cardboard stacking will occur within the store.
N. The petitioner needs to commit to the following: that no residences can see the signs' direct illumination,
replace dead trees up to 14 -ft tall (with 12 -ft tall), address menu boards, keeping sidewalk/path along Michigan
Rd. clean during construction, and provide into on the sewer pipe installation as it regards wells and cross
contamination possibilities.
O. Need commitments on drainage.
P. There was discussion about connectivity to Weston Pointe via internal drive and sidewalks.
Q. Can a trash compactor be committed to, instead of a dumpster?
R. Pest control was discussed.
S. Need info on the Kroger generator.
T. Can the wall be erected prior to construction of the project?
The Department Report for the Feb. 2 Committee meeting listed an overview of public hearing comments /concerns/
questions voiced at the Jan. 21 Plan Commission public hearing. Most of those items were addressed in one way or
another at the Feb. 2 committee meeting or with the revised set of commitments submitted on Feb. 25.
Staff's comments:
1. The Forestry Dept. has no issues with the Landscape Plan Tree Preservation Plan. This submittal not only
meets the requirements of the Overlay Zone, but far exceeds the perimeter buffer yards requirements. The
petitioner has attempted to preserve all existing trees (planted as a buffer for Altum's) and plant the additional
plant material required as a new buffer, too. The Forestry Dept. does not want to see the existing trees removed
from the buffer yard in order to put in a mound and wall, only as presently proposed by Kroger. Regarding the
question of what City would like to see on the northeast corner of the property, we would like to see the
existing trees preserved as a buffer. It seems that the existing trees will provide a more complete buffer, and it
already exists today. The wall and mound should end where the tree line crosses over the property line, along
the east property line.
2. The Hamilton County Surveyor's Office's preliminary review of the plans is positive. While there are some
things to work out, the Surveyor's Office has no issues with the project. Final drainage and Phase II
Stormwater Quality approvals will be done prior to issuance of a building permit.
3. Right now, this project is located outside the jurisdiction of the Carmel Engineering Dept.
4. The Planning Dept. contacted Williams Realty Group (leasing rep. for Weston Pointe retail) about the internal
driveway connection proposed between the two sites; follow up will occur by the Dept. or the Petitioner, within
the next few weeks, as the DOCS feels that the internal drive connection to the south is important.
5. Alternative Transportation Systems: all comments have been addressed.
6. Carmel Fire Dept update: Fire Chief Smith has sent a letter to INDOT requesting authorization for preemptive
opticoms to be installed on traffic signals on state controlled roads in our district. He has not received any
word back from INDOT at this time. CFD just contacted the petitioner on Feb. 25 to see what could be worked
out. (This technology is a traffic control system that provides a green light, and therefore intersection right -of-
way, to emergency vehicles.)
7. Regarding the proposed commitments, section 8, page 5- Extension of US 421 requirements over entire real
estate: this section should probably be amended to address perimeter fence design and the outdoor sales land
use, currently excluded in the Overlay.
After all comments and concerns are addressed, the Dept of Community Services (DOCS) recommends that
the Committee forwards this item to the March 16 Plan Commission meeting.
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