Planning Report
ADP17-0002/Ross Law Office
City Council District 1
Planning & Zoning Commission
October 25, 2017
REQUEST
Title
Consider a request for approval of an Alternative Development Plan for a proposed office development on approximately 0.56 acres located on the east side of South Woodrow Lane, approximately 275 feet south of East McKinney Street. The property is currently zoned Community Mixed Use General (CM-G) District. The purpose of the Alternative Development Plan is to deviate from Section 35.13.10.B.1.d of the Denton Development Code which requires permeable paving for those parking spaces that exceed the number of parking spaces required. (ADP17-0002, Ross Law Office, Julie Wyatt).
Body
OWNER
Joanne Simmons
APPLICANT
Cody Crannell
BACKGROUND
The applicant is requesting an Alternative Development Plan (ADP) to allow 15 parking spaces to be constructed with an impervious surface for a proposed 4,350-square foot professional office. This request is a deviation from the Section 35.13.10.B.1.d of the DDC, which requires permeable paving for those parking spaces that exceed the number of parking spaces required. The ADP process provides an applicant the option to deviate from the design criteria of Subchapter 13 of the Denton Development Code (DDC) through a discretionary site plan review by the Planning and Zoning Commission.
Per DDC Section 35.14.4.B.5, office uses require one parking space per 450 square feet of gross floor area. Based upon the square footage of the proposed office building, the required parking for this use is 10 spaces. Since 15 spaces are proposed, per Subchapter 13, the 5 additional spaces over the 10 required must be constructed with a pervious surface. However, the applicant has requested approval of an ADP to construct all 15 spaces with an impervious surface.
The subject property is located on the east side of South Woodrow Lane, within a Community Mixed Use (CM-G) District. The site has approximately 180 feet of frontage on South Woodrow Lane, which is classified as a secondary arterial roadway. The surrounding area is predominately developed with uses serving the Denton County Court, including government facilities, law offices, retail, and other professional offices. Property to the east adjacent to the subject property is developed with multi-family dwelling.
The attached Site Layout Plan, Landscape Plan, and Drainage Area Map submitted by the applicant were reviewed in association with the request and reflect the following:
• The development includes a 4,350 square foot, one-story office building constructed of brick and stone.
• The proposed maximum lot coverage of all impervious surface, including the building and parking area, is approximately 13,196 feet (58.3%). The maximum lot coverage permitted under the current zoning of CM-G District is 80%.
• 15 parking spaces constructed of impervious surface are proposed, 5 more than permitted by Section 35.14.4.B.5 of the DDC. The approximate square footage of the impervious surface generated by the additional 5 spaces is 810 square feet.
• In order to mitigate for the additional impervious surface, the landscape plan depicts a grass channel planted with dense grasses located adjacent to the excess parking. This channel is designed to remove pollutants suspended within the runoff produced by the excess pavement and reduce the environmental impact of the additional parking area.
CONSIDERATIONS
1. The applicant is requesting an ADP to deviate from Section 35.13.10.B.1.d of the DDC, which states that any parking spaces which exceed the required number of parking spaces must be constructed with pervious surface. The applicant is proposing to construct 15 parking spaces, exceeding the required number of impervious parking spaces by 5.
2. The intent of the pervious parking requirement is to reduce negative effects associated with extra parking, including the additional contaminants produced by excess impervious surface and the visual impacts of large surface lots.
3. The proposed ADP satisfies the Criteria for Approval for an ADP outlined in Section 35.13.5.A of the DDC, which identifies the following goals and objectives to be met, and establishes the parameters by which the proposal will be judged.
a. Preserve Existing Neighborhoods.
The additional parking spaces are to accommodate an office development in an area primarily developed with office and retail uses and their associated parking. The request is not anticipated to negatively impact the surrounding area.
b. Assure quality development that fits in with the character of Denton.
The proposed additional parking spaces are not requested to lower design standards, but to provide a development which conforms to the character of the surrounding commercial uses.
c. Focus new development to activity centers to curb strip development and urban sprawl.
The proposed development is located on a vacant lot adjacent to an existing secondary arterial roadway in an area surrounded by office and retail development. Permitting the use and parking spaces to be constructed as proposed would provide appropriate infill development in an established commercial and office district.
d. Ensure that infrastructure is capable of accommodating development prior to the development occurring.
The proposed development is located on an existing road network; therefore, infrastructure requirements necessary to accommodate the development are in place.
e. Ensure that the developer's alternative proposal results overall in a high quality development meeting the intent of the design standards in this Subchapter.
In order to meet the intent of the pervious surface requirement, the applicant has proposed the following:
• Per Section 35.5.4.3 of the DDC, the maximum lot coverage for CM-G District is 80%. As proposed, development would include approximately 13,196 square feet of impervious surface, resulting in a total lot coverage of 58.3%.
• Construct a grass channel stormwater control designed to treat approximately 972 square feet of drainage area during an event generating 1.5 inches of rain or less. Grass channels are capable of removing total suspended solids (50%), total Phosphorus (25%), total Nitrogen (20%), and heavy metals (30%) (iSWM 2014).
• The proposed channel meets almost all design specifications for attaining the pollutant removal efficiencies listed above with the exception of the treatment residence time, or the average length of time runoff would remain in the channel. A five minute treatment residence time is recommended for this type of stormwater control. However, the channel, as designed, would provide approximately 4 minutes of treatment. Therefore, the applicant has chosen to line the channel with dense types of grasses to reduce the flow velocity and further increase the treatment residence time.
4. Often, visitors to retail or office establishments may use the public right-of-way to accommodate overflow parking. However, due to the classification of South Woodrow Lane, no parking is permitted in the public right-of-way. Therefore, it is incumbent upon the developer of the proposed office to ensure that there is adequate parking provided onsite. By providing 5 extra spaces, employees and other visitors may park safely onsite, without encroaching into the right-of-way.
OPTIONS
1. Approve as submitted.
2. Approve subject to conditions.
3. Deny.
4. Postpone consideration.
5. Table item.
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends approval of this request with the following conditions:
a. Construct a grass channel stormwater control designed to treat approximately 972 square feet of drainage area during an event generating 1.5 inches of rain or less as depicted on the attached Landscape Plan and Drainage Area Map.
b. Line the channel with dense types of grasses to reduce the flow velocity and further increase the treatment residence time as depicted on the attached Landscape Plan.
PROJECT TIMELINE
Application Received: August 8, 2017
1st Submittal Sent to DRC Members: August 11, 2017
Comments Released to Applicant: August 26, 2017
2nd Submittal Sent to DRC Members: September 8, 2017
Comments Released to Applicant: September 22, 2017
Business Days under DRC Review: 20
Business Day out to Applicant: 10
Total Business Days: 30
EXHIBITS
1. Aerial Map
2. Zoning Map
3. Site Layout Plan
4. Landscape Plan
5. Drainage Area Map
Respectfully submitted:
Richard Cannone, AICP
Interim Director of Planning
Prepared by:
Julie Wyatt
Senior Planner