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HomeMy WebLinkAboutDept Report 02-02-10 CARMEL PLAN COMMISSION SPECIAL STUDIES COMMITTEE DEPARTMENT REPORT February 2, 2010 5. 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 within the US 421/Michigan Rd. Overlay Zone. 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 grocery store anchor and a strip of smaller "B" shops, all with retail front facades comprised mostly cast brick and cast stone and glass. 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 (INDOT) 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 informational packet 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 Feb. 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maximum height of multi- tenant building complex identification sign drive -thru location on building (might be withdrawn) perimeter fence design (will be withdrawn) maximum 75% gross floor area permitted for retail uses (might be withdrawn) maximum building setback from US 421 right of way (might be withdrawn) Jan. 21 Plan Commission meeting overview of public hearing comments /concerns /questions: a. Many requests to keep the 75% maximum retail. b. Truck delivery and trash pickup hours should be amended. c. Buffering, with landscaping or fence /berm needs to be further discussed. d. Noise concern reverse beeps or cars honking e. Outlots no design /use discussed yet f. Internal access drive to connect south needs to be added g. Sidewalk system must make sense; no sidewalks to nowhere h. Stoplight location; INDOT's decision i. Drive -thru locations, its hours, car honks, car exhaust, etc. j. Crime safety /lighting/sound /buffer /odor k. Petitioner will extend the overlay (and most of its regulations) to apply to the whole parcel by commitment. 1. At committee level, the Committee needs to see a delivery schedule of trucks, commit to only 1 set of truck delivery /trash pickup hours, and make sure there are no sidewalks to nowhere. m. Commitments about abandoned properties upkeep when vacant? City Code Chapter 6, Article 8 is the Property Maintenance Code (adopted In May 2006), and it states in 6 -222 (a) (4) that "all vacant structures and premises thereof or vacant land shall be maintained in a clean, safe, secure, healthful and sanitary condition as provided herein so as not to cause a blighting problem or adversely affect the public health or safety or violate the provisions of this code." n. Check code enforcement dept. for Home Depot and violation of its commitments of truck delivery hours /noise: Currently, there are no open cases within the Code Enforcement Dept. Here is a list of the past cases regarding Home Depot: 06- 08 -07= outdoor display, 05 -28 -08 =noise violation, 06- 18 -08= outdoor display, and 05- 18 -09= outdoor display. Also, DOCS is checking with the Hamilton County Sherriffs Dept about any past phone calls relating to noise /truck idling. o. Fence /wall design at Clay Terrace: the privacy fence along its west property line is 8 -ft tall, with brick/masonry columns with caps sited approximately every 52 -ft, and with wood panels. Additionally, there is a 50 -ft wide tree /landscape buffer between the residences and that fence. p. Perimeter fence standards in the US 421 Overlay, Section 23C.14.07: Perimeter Fences shall be permitted for privacy, buffering and screening purposes and shall be identified on the DP. When used, perimeter fences shall be constructed of wood and masonry materials, be solid as viewed from any angle, and shall be at least eight feet (8') in height. Primarily cedar fences are permitted; however, twenty -four inch (24 wide red brick or stone columns shall be incorporated into the fence design at least every twenty -six feet (26'). Alternatively, metal fencing with landscaping is permitted such that 100% landscaping screen is achieved within three (3) years. All fences shall be properly maintained and repaired, as necessary. q. At committee level, provide a traffic plan with semi truck traffic flow pattern r. Is there really a need for the Right In only at the northwest corner of the site? s. Show drive thru stacking and on -site traffic flow. t. 3 truck bays behind Kroger— can they be rotated, with orientation to the north? u. Change the design of the parking lot pole light fixture design to maybe a gooseneck design. v. Show the location of cardboard compactor and address the stacking of cardboard. Staff's outstanding issues or comments: 1. Petitioner should provide an update on their correspondence with the adjacent neighbors and their concerns. 2. The Forestry Dept. has no issues with the Landscape Plan Tree Preservation Plan. This submittal not only meets the requirements of the Michigan Road Overlay, but in terms of most perimeter buffer yards, it far exceeds the 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. 3. The Hamilton County Surveyor's Office's preliminary review of the plans is positive. 4. This project is located outside the jurisdiction of the Carmel Engineering Dept. 5. 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. 6. The Department requests the Petitioner add the following to the B Shop signage specifications: "a logo may be 25% of the total sign area and is not limited in color as well as adding a restriction regarding the maximum length of a sign (i.e. 80% of tenant space width). This would help clarify requirements when a tenant obtains a sign permit. 7. Please specify what sign is located over the Pharmacy drive thru. It is not called out in the info packet. 8. Please consider requiring one color (font style may be different) for all tenant names (text) on the monument sign for the center in addition to requiring the same background color of all tenant panels. This would help give a cohesive look to the sign and would be consistent with other monument signs in the Corridor. 9. Alternative Transportation Systems: Since the TAC meeting, an access path from Michigan Rd to the front door of the Kroger store has been added. Initially, the petitioner noted that this path would be a 6 -ft wide sidewalk, but an 8' path is requested to be implemented to provide adequate bike access. The Dept of Community Services (DOCS) recommends that the Committee discusses this item, and then continues it to the March 2 Special Studies Committee meeting.