HomeMy WebLinkAboutDept Report 12-18-07 CARMEL PLAN COMMISSION
DEPARTMENT REPORT
DECEMBER 18, 2007
12I. Docket No. 07070059. D'P /ADLS: 531 S Guilford Rd (Kousa Street Cottages)
The applicant seeks site plan and design approval for 40 units (formerly 33 single family homes)
on 6 acres. The site is located at 531 S Guilford Rd. and is zoned B-7/Business.
Filed by Justin Moffett of Uptown Partners, LLC.
As of November 26, the petitioner has withdrawn the primary plat and subdivision waiver requests. The
petitioner has proposed the idea of preparing a Horizontal Property Regime (HPR) application for
condominium units, instead of aprimary plat. The HPR application only involves administrative
review /approval.
This site was rezoned in the 1980's from a residential classification to a business classification for
church office use. Now that the applicant wants to put in a residential development, many waivers and
variances are necessary to have a residential development on a parcel with a business classification.
The petitioner seeks development plan and site design approval for a residential development of 40 units
on 6.08 acres (formerly 33.units). This is a density of 6.6 units per acre. The buildings will be duplexes
and triples, rather than the initially proposed single family homes. The petitioner will incorporate some
green/sustainable building practices. The homes along Guilford Ave will face that street and have garage
alley access. Most of the wooded area will be preserved, and the detention area will be natural in shape
and landscaping. The site is surrounded by single family homes and townhomes, as well as a school.
Please see the petitioner's informational packet for more detail.
Interior sidewalks are provided: throughout the development, which will connect to the 10 -ft path along
Guilford Rd. The 10-ft path is shown along Guilford Rd, to be constructed by the City or others with the
widening of Guilford Rd.
The petitioner appeared before. the Board of Zoning Appeals on Sept. 24 and received approvals for one
use variance and multiple variance requests, which run with the land:
At the Nov. 29 committee meeting, the committee voted 5 -0 to forward this item on to the full plan
commission with a favorable. recommendation with the following conditions:
A. The petitioner provide written commitment to the base minimum design for the garage doors,
B. The petitioner will add language the covenants regarding the location of satellite dishes,
C. The petitioner will add language the covenants putting a limit on overnight guest parking, and
D. The driveway length will be extended to 20 or 21 feet.
DOCS comments /concerns:
1. The City Forester still needs to meet with the landscape architect to finalize the landscape plan,
regarding the east buffer and the vegetated swales. However, the plan is on right track to approval.
2. The Engineering Dept has just received revised plans and a response from the petitioner on
12/11/2007. No part of engineering aspects should be considered approved; some issues still need to
be resolved.
3. One committee member had a concern with no curbs on some of the private interior streets /alleys; the
Engineering Department is reviewing this.
DOCS recommends this item: be tabled to the. January 22, 2008 meeting, due to unresolved issues
with the Engineering Dept and City Forestry Dept. However, if the Commission chooses to vote
and approve this item on Dec. 18, DOCS recommends adding a condition that the petitioner must
resolve all Forestry Dept and Engineering issues prior to the release of construction documents.