Planning Report
ADP16-0007/Pecan Creek Business Park
City Council District 1
Planning & Zoning Commission
September 14, 2016
REQUEST:
Title
Consider approval of an Alternative Development Plan (ADP) for the construction of an office development. The subject property is generally located on the north side of Duchess Drive, approximately 750 feet west of South Loop 288 within a Community Mixed Use General (CM-G) District. (ADP16-0007, Pecan Creek Business Park, Mike Bell)
Body
OWNER:
Kent Key & John Rainey/Triple Crown Properties, Inc.
APPLICANT:
Lee Allison/Allison Engineering Group, LLC.
BACKGROUND:
The applicant is proposing to develop the site with an office use consisting of two buildings, each approximately 12,750 square feet of gross floor area. Phase 1 will include the northern building, northern parking lot, and the drive aisle from Duchess Drive. Phase 2 will include the southern building, the central parking lot, and the 35 additional spaces along the drive aisle. Please refer to the attached Site Plan, Landscape Plan, and Phasing Plan for more detail. The property is zoned CM-G District and office is a permitted use. However, the applicant is requesting to deviate from the following site design criteria in Subchapter 35.13 of the Denton Development Code (DDC):
• Subchapter 35.13.13.3.C.1 generally requires parking areas be located behind or the sides of buildings and not between the building and the street. Parcels that are adjacent to a Primary or Secondary Arterial, are not part of a pedestrian oriented district, and comply with the screening requirements in Subchapter 35.13.13.C.3 are exempted from this requirement, however the subject property does not meet these qualification as Duchess Drive is classified as a Collector Street. The applicant is therefore requesting the ADP to allow a circular parking lot with 18 spaces between the two buildings and the street.
• Subchapter 35.13.10.B.1.d requires all parking spaces that exceed the number required to be constructed of permeable paving. The development requires 57 parking spaces, however the applicant is requesting to construct a total of 101 spaces without using permeable paving. To mitigate the increased runoff from the excess spaces, the applicant is proposing to design the drainage towards landscape islands in the center of the two parking spaces. This will aid in naturally treating the drainage in these areas before it is piped along the eastern properly line towards the storm sewer system in Duchess Drive.
SITE DATA:
The subject property was a platted in March 2016 as a Lot 1, Block A of the Pecan Creek Business Park. Approximately 2.6 acres in size, the lot is currently undeveloped with a few small trees and shrubs located along the northern property line. A small section of FEMA floodplain is located on the southeast corner of the property, however no development is proposed within this area. Water and sewer are available within Duchess Drive, a 60 foot right-of-way classified as a Collector Street per the City of Denton Mobility Plan.
CONSIDERATIONS:
1. The applicant is requesting an ADP to deviate from design criteria within Subchapter 13 of the DDC relating to front parking and paving material for excess parking. Per Subchapter 35.13.5 of the DDC, an ADP provides the option to address site design criteria through a flexible discretionary process subject to approval by the Planning and Zoning Commission. The goals and objectives which must be met, and by which the proposal will be judged are:
1. Preserve Existing Neighborhoods.
The proposed deviations will have no impact on existing neighborhoods.
2. Assure quality development that fits in with the character of Denton.
The proposed deviations are not requested by the applicant to lower design standards, but to provide a quality office development meeting the character of Denton.
3. Focus new development to activity centers to curb strip development and urban sprawl.
The circular front parking area proposed for this development is intended to promote a campus aesthetic and character, meaning a collection of buildings designed to be interconnected to one another through transportation linkages and architectural style, rather than to provide parking along a drive aisle running parallel between the building and the street as is typical with standard strip development. The owner of the property also owns the approximately 30 acres to the south across Duchess Drive and has expressed interest in developing the corridor with office campus to be known as the Pecan Creek Business Park.
4. Ensure that adequate infrastructure is capable of accommodating development prior to the development occurring.
The property was platted in March 2016 as the Pecan Creek Business Park. The infrastructure requirements for this development were reviewed and approved as part of this plat.
5. Ensure that the developer’s alternative proposal results overall in a high quality development meeting the intent of the design standards in Subchapter 13.
The intent of requiring parking to the sides or rear of buildings is to minimize standard strip development by bringing buildings closer to the street and to promote a mixed-use, walkable urban form, as is a stated goal in Denton Plan 2030. The subject property, however, has a triangular shape with curvilinear frontage that makes it difficult to completely meet this requirement. The applicant’s proposal makes the most of the property’s unique shape by siting the structures around a circular parking area and landscaped courtyard, while locating the majority of the parking spaces to the rear of the property.
The applicant’s proposal to the mitigate additional runoff created from excess impervious parking spaces by directing it towards landscaped islands meets the intent of the DDC requirement to provide excess parking spaces in pervious materials. The end result is that the additional runoff from the excess impervious area is first treated naturally by draining through the soil rather than be immediately collected in drainage inlets and piped directly into the City’s storm sewer system.
2. The applicant is proposing to construct 101 parking spaces, which exceeds the required number of spaces by 44. To reduce runoff, the applicant is proposing to construct landscaped parking islands as water filtration areas. The purpose of this design is to increase the infiltration of water to the ground on the property and reduce the additional runoff resulting from the added parking spaces. The centralized parking areas, totaling 3,557 square feet of treatment area, would capture approximately 17,700 square feet of impervious areas. Flood-tolerant tree species would be planted in these water filtration areas.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends approval of the request as it meets the criteria for approval of an ADP in Subchapter 35.13.4 of the DDC, subject to the following conditions:
1. The proposed development shall substantially comply with the Site Plan, Landscape Plan, and Phasing Plan in the attached exhibits.
2. The primary building material for all facades shall be brick or masonry.
3. The proposed buildings shall be constructed with the same or similar architectural design and materials to promote an office campus aesthetic and character.
OPTIONS:
1. Approve as submitted.
2. Approve subject to conditions.
3. Deny the item.
4. Table the item.
PUBLIC NOTIFICATION:
No public notification is required as part of an Alternative Development Plan.
PROJECT TIMELINE:
Application Received: March 24, 2016
1st Submittal Sent to DRC Members: March 31, 2016
Comments Released to Applicant: April 15, 2016
2nd Submittal Sent to DRC Members: May 17, 2016
Comments Released to Applicant: June 2, 2016
3rd Submittal Sent to DRC Members: June 10, 2016
Comments Released to Applicant: June 30, 2016
4th Submittal Sent to DRC Members: July 20, 2016
Comments Released to Applicant: August 5, 2016
Business Days under DRC Review: 48
Business Day out to Applicant: 35
Total Business Days: 83
EXHIBITS:
• Aerial Map
• Zoning Map
• Future Land Use Map
• Site Plan
• Landscape Plan
• Phasing Plan
• Applicant Narrative
Respectfully submitted:
Shandrian Jarvis, AICP
Development Review Committee Administrator
Prepared by:
Michael J. Bell
Senior Planner