Planning Report
Z16-0024 / Ranch View Specialty Hospital
City Council District 3
Planning & Zoning Commission
October 12, 2016
REQUEST:
Title
Hold a public hearing and consider making a recommendation to City Council regarding a request to provide an initial zoning district designation of Regional Center Commercial Neighborhood (RCC-N) District to an approximately 0.375 acre property generally located on the north side of Crawford Road, approximately 675 east of the I-35W Crawford Road on-ramp. (Z16-0024, Ranch View Specialty Hospital, Julie Wyatt)
Body
OWNER:
Matt Macleod, Castle Development Group
APPLICANT:
Konstantine Bakintas, BHB Engineering & Surveying
BACKGROUND:
The applicant, on behalf of the owner, Matt Macleod of the Castle Development Group, requests an initial zoning designation of RCC-N District for the subject property in order to facilitate a hospital and medical office development. The proposed development includes three tracts of land, two of which have a zoning designation of RCC-N District, and the subject property, which was voluntarily annexed on September 20, 2016.
Upon annexation, the subject property received a temporary designation of RD-5X District in accordance with Section 35.16.8.G of the Denton Development Code (DDC). RD-5X District is not an official zoning district of the City of Denton, but rather a temporary placeholder until an initial official zoning designation is approved for the recently annexed property.
The purpose of the applicant’s request is to provide an initial zoning designation of RCC-N District to correspond with the adjacent parcels and facilitate the proposed hospital and medical office development.
SITE DATA:
The subject property is generally located on the north side of Crawford Road, approximately 675 east of the I-35W Crawford Road on-ramp. The approximately 0.375 acre rectangular parcel includes 85 feet of frontage along Crawford Road, a Primary Arterial as defined by the Mobility Plan.
USE OF PROPERTY UNDER CURRENT ZONING:
When annexed on September 20, 2016, the subject property received a temporary designation of RD-5X District. This permits development in accordance with the Rural Residential (RD-5) District. Primary uses permitted within RD-5 District include farms, ranches, and agriculture on five acre tracts or larger.
SURROUNDING ZONING AND LAND USES:
North: Property to the north is zoned RCC-N District and is undeveloped.
East: Property directly adjacent to the east is located within the City of Denton’s extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ), and is undeveloped. Further east, the property is zoned as Planned Development 174 (PD-174) Country Lakes West District, a single-family residential neighborhood currently under development.
South: Property to the south across Crawford Road is located within the Town of Argyle.
West: Property to the west is zoned RCC-N District and is undeveloped.
COMPATABILITY OF REQUEST WITH SURROUNDING ZONING AND LAND USES:
The Regional Mixed Use Centers, including RCC-N District, are intended to be centers of activity that include shopping, services, recreation, employment, and institutional facilities to support and service the entire region. RCC-N District’s maximum permitted building height is 65 feet and the maximum impervious lot coverage is 85%. Moderate to high density residential uses with a maximum density of 80 units per acre are permitted, including townhomes and apartments associated with a mixed-use development. Several commercial uses and institutional uses are permitted, including Retail Sales and Service, Movie Theaters, Professional Services and Offices, Hospitals, Medical Offices, and Colleges. Industrial uses that are permitted, including Bakeries, Craft Alcohol Production, and Retail Warehouses are limited or required a Specific Use Permit (SUP). Distribution Centers and Light and Heavy Manufacturing are not permitted. A list of permitted uses in the RCC-N District has been attached for reference.
The proposed RCC-N District is a logical extension of the adjacent RCC-N District, and the permitted uses and dimensional requirements are appropriate for areas with close freeway access.
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN:
Per the Future Land Use Map in Denton Plan 2030, the subject property is designated as Low Density Residential. Low Density Residential includes predominately single-family neighborhoods, with lot sizes ranging from one acre or more in rural fringe areas, up to four units per acre gross density throughout many of the City’s suburban subdivisions.
Since the request for RCC-N District does not conform to the Future Land Use Designation, additional analysis is required to determine if the requested initial zoning is appropriate. During the review, staff analyzed the intent of Low Density Residential within the context of this request, and determined that low-density, suburban-type development is unlikely for the property, given the potential nuisances from the nearby freeway and the typical land use pattern of positioning commercial uses adjacent to high-traffic, high-visibility roads.
A more likely development scenario would concentrate commercial development at the node created by the intersection of I-35W and Crawford Road, allowing the future land uses to gradually transition from intense commercial and employment development near the freeway to moderate and low density residential development farther out.
As part of the foundation for the Denton Plan 2030, the community identified preferred areas for new development and more intense development. These areas became the basis for the Preferred Growth Concept map and the Future Land Use Map (FLUM). While RCC-N District is in conflict with the Low Density Residential Future Land Use Designation identified in the FLUM, the request is supported by the Preferred Growth Concept. According to the Plan, the Preferred Growth Concept indicates the community’s preference for more compact and purposeful growth clustered around distinct locations, such as I-35 W and Crawford Road. The Preferred Growth for the area surrounding the subject property is moderate-density and mixed-use, including residential, commercial, and employment development.
Therefore, although RCC-N District does not meet the Future Land Use Designation, the request is supported by the Denton Plan 2030, as the permitted uses within RCC-N conform to the Preferred Growth Concept.
CONSIDERATIONS:
1. The applicant has requested an initial zoning of RCC-N District following the recent annexation of the subject property.
2. Being less than 5 acres, the subject property does not conform to the minimum lot size for RD-5X District.
3. The surrounding area is undeveloped; however, continued growth at Robson Ranch and anticipated development in the Hunter Ranch MPC will induce demand for commercial and office services, including medical facilities.
4. Clustering commercial and office development near the intersection of I-35W and Crawford Road will provide highway access and connectivity for future development while allowing for an adequate transition to existing and proposed low-density residential development.
5. Per Section 35.3.4.B of the Denton Development Code, the following criteria shall be considered for a rezoning request:
a. The proposed rezoning conforms to the Future Land Use element of the Denton Plan 2030
The proposed rezoning does not conform to the Future Land Use Designation of Low Density Residential; however, the subject property is located near the intersection of I-35W and Crawford Road. Upon further analysis of the surrounding property and consideration of the character of highway corridors, it is unlikely that the subject property could develop with low density residential uses. The Preferred Growth Concept is a more applicable metric, accounting for the visibility and access that the adjacent road network provides. As such, the Preferred Growth Concept for the area is moderate-density mixed-use, which is consistent with the moderate density housing and commercial uses permitted in the requested RCC-N District.
b. The proposed rezoning facilitates the adequate provision of transportation, water, sewers, schools, parks, and other public requirements and public convenience.
There is adequate capacity in the existing infrastructure to support the proposal.
6. The uses permitted in RCC-N are appropriate for property adjacent to I-35W and rezoning the subject property to RCC-N is a logical extension of the existing zoning pattern.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends approval of the request as it is compatible with the surrounding property and is consistent with the goals and objectives of the Denton Plan 2030.
OPTIONS:
1. Recommend approval as submitted.
2. Recommend approval subject to conditions.
3. Recommend denial.
4. Table the item.
PUBLIC NOTIFICATION:
To comply with the public hearing notice requirements, 3 notices were sent to property owners within 200 feet of the subject property, 1 courtesy notice was sent to physical addresses within 500 feet of the subject property, a notice was published in the Denton Record Chronicle, and signs were placed on the property. No responses have been received to date.
EXHIBITS:
• Aerial Map
• Zoning Map
• Future Land Use Map
• Preferred Growth Concept
• RD-5 District Permitted Uses
• RCC-N District Permitted Uses
• Notification Map
Respectfully submitted:
Shandrian Jarvis
Development Review Committee Administrator
Prepared by:
Julie Wyatt
Senior Planner