HomeMy WebLinkAboutDept Report 06-25-12 CARMEL BOARD OF ZONING APPEALS
DEPARTMENT REPORT
JUNE 25,2012
1. (SU) Carey Addition,Lot 3 -Starting Line Preschool.
The applicant seeks the following special use approval:
Docket No. 12040004 SU ZO Chptr. 8.02 Special Uses, preschool on residential site.
The site is located at 110 3rd Ave NE. It is zoned R-2/Residence and lies with the Old Town Overlay
Character Subarea. Filed by Diane Atkins.
t,-1-'4 t- 1,44. ., syd ya��"t' 011 y General Info:
,.. - .- , — , ' The petitioner is requesting a Special Use approval to
" �` .: , ("171:: f�1 `f F -14,-_-'-!. allow a preschool in a residential structure on a
i, , f- a " ' ' ,......�.. residentially zoned property. Directly north and west
L. z4 0 I „ , _`1 C' are single family homes. To the east is the Masonic
`�,,1 / SZ " : a t �' ;z Lodge and to the south is an office building and
'°�,: _ � µma_ f°� '�
�, ae parking area The Carmel High School is a block away
F.. 4'4
:. # ' c y � to the east. The site received a use variance approval in
„.o; 2003 to be used as a business for offices. A variance
s:j � $ I ¢11 ' , was also granted in 2003 for a reduced number of
'1 {C' __.4.4,14.„----2-: F, ., w :'`2 parking spaces for that office use. Please refer to the•lststreet°t� _ 43f petitioner's information packet for more details.
�, i,m� , ' ' _ Carmel High Analysis:
tiw, 1s! t r ,' School A special use is generally looked upon favorably,and
a"El f i�A-�Ii 3 . °'. °; " in a residential area a school may make sense as the
i . - } '9 'C''• ,i `$ };^, Carmel Clay Comprehensive Plan (C3 Plan) suggests
y .., i��. i 1 ' . �'' : . that school uses are complementary to residential uses.
'°' i ` :: °~1 - 1 #'` x L' Also,the only zoning districts where a preschool or
kindergarten are specifically allowed are in business districts and a few of the Old Meridian Districts. However,the
department does not think that the current proposal is appropriate for this site. The site is sized for a single family home
and a preschool would be too intensive for this lot. Parking and traffic are probably the biggest concerns. We appreciate
the petitioner's efforts to accommodate onsite drop off of students,however,the small drive proposed does not appear to
be sufficient. It will only have space for 2 or 3 cars, which is no more than can currently be accommodated by the on-
street parking in front of the site. The petitioner should show how they will handle the traffic so that it will not have a
detrimental effect on the surrounding properties. This petition was heard by the BZA in November of 2011 and was
denied. The department does not feel that the petitioner has satisfactorily addressed the Board's concerns from the
previous hearing.
Other Possibilities for the Board to Consider
1. A time limit could be imposed on this use as a trial period.
2. A clear,strict circulation pattern should be submitted by the petitioner which she will enforce on her clients.
3. A staggered drop off time could be implemented to reduce the number of students being dropped off at once.
Recommendation: The Dept. of Community Services does not support Docket No. 12040004 SU at this time unless the
site issues can be affectively addressed.
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