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HomeMy WebLinkAbout02/03/2000 ORIGINAL CITY OF WHEAT RIDGE PLANNING COMMISSION Minutes of Meeting February 3, 2000 1. CALL THE MEETING TO ORDER: The meeting was called to order by Chair MACDOUGALL at 7:30 p.m. on February 3, 2000 inthe Council Chambers of the Municipal. Building, 7500 West 29th Avenue, Wheat Ridge, Colorado. 2. ROLL CALL: Commission Members Present: Anne Brinkman Jerry Collins Paulette Cooper Dick Doyle Dean Gokey Don MacDougall Nancy Snow Janice Thompson Staff Members Present: Alan White, Planning Director Martin Orner, Economic Development Specialist/Planner Mary Austin, Planner Ann Lazzeri, Secretary 3. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE The following is the official set of Planning Commission minutes for the public hearing of February 3, 2000. A set of these minutes is retained both in the office of the City Clerk and in the Department of Planning and Development of the City of Wheat Ridge. 4. APPROVAL OF ORDER OF THE AGENDA It was moved by Commissioner SNOW and seconded by Commissioner GOKEY to approve the order of the agenda as presented. The motion passed by a vote of 8-0. 5. APPROVAL OF MINUTES It was moved by Commissioner SNOW and seconded by Commissioner GOKEY to approve the minutes of January 20, 2000. The motion passed by a vote of 7-0, with Commissioner COLLINS abstaining. 6. PUBLIC FORUM There was no one signed up to speak before the Commission on unscheduled matters. 7. PUBLIC HEARING A. Case No. WZ-99-15 (continued from January 6. 2000): Application by Legend Properties, LLC, for approval of a zone change from Residential-Two and Restricted-Commercial to Planned Commercial District (PCD) for the purpose of developing a commercial building for small businesses located at 97 51 West 44th Avenue. The January 6, 2000, meeting was continued to allow staff and the applicant to research some unresolved issues which were identified in the hearing. Mr. Orner reviewed each of these issues as outlined in the staff report. Mr. Orner presented copies of a letter from the school district which stated the district was in favor of the existing six-foot chain link fence along the applicant's northern property line. This letter was entered into the case file. Mr. Orner presented slides from January 6, 2000 at the request of Commissioner GOKEY who was unable to attend the hearing that evening. In response to a request from Commissioner SNOW, Alan White pointed out the Village Commercial designations on the Comprehensive Plan map. Commissioner SNOW asked if Public Works believed the subject area should be included in a Transportation/Circulation Master Plan. Martin Orner stated that when the adjacent property, referred to as Chado, is considered for development approvals, a circulation master plan will be required for the property at that time. Commissioner BRINKMAN referred to discussion at the previous hearing about requesting landscaping requirements in excess of 18% and asked ifthis matter had been discussed with the applicant. Mr. Orner replied that the applicant would address this issue later in the meeting. Commissioner BRINKMAN asked if there would be an issue in removing item one from the list of permitted land uses. Alan White stated that his recollection was that item one was removed at the last meeting and his recommendation would still stand that it be removed. Tony Ficco 12425 West 38th Avenue Mr. Ficco, the applicant, was sworn by Chair MACDOUGALL. He addressed the following concerns expressed by the Commission: Signage: Mr. Ficco stated his desire to restrict signage to 25% of the glass area in the office portion ofthe units. If a tenant chooses to have glass in place of the metal delivery door, no signage would be allowed in that glass area. In addition, there would be allowance for signage in the l8-inch facade above the door. Lighting: Mr. Ficco plans to have six outdoor lights. Those on the west side of the building would be mounted at the top to shine downward. 0 the lighting on the east (adjacent to the residential properties), two would be installed on the ground to shine upward toward the building and one on the south end would be building mounted. A ground mounted light would shine on the monument sign. Truck delivery impacts on area to the east: Mr. Ficco stated that his plan calls for a 56-foot setback from the property line which far exceeds the 15- foot setback requirement. The 10- foot doors would also preclude large delivery trucks from backing in for deliveries. Regarding semi truck traffic, he indicated he would be agreeable to increasing the driveway apron radius from 15 feet to 20 feet. Planning Commission Minutes February 3, 2000 Page 2 Commissioner SNOW stated that her previous comment about buffering for the residential area to the east was more in reference to trucks driving through and the small amount of landscaping in the buffer area. Mr. Ficco responded that in addition to a 6-foot solid fence, he has planned for landscaping in excess of the requirements. The code requires 10% landscape while his plan provides for 16.44%. Mr. Orner suggested that a few trees planted in the 6- foot landscape area could serve to further buffer the residential area. Mr. Ficco stated that he could transfer a 1-1/2" caliper tree from another part of the property to the buffering area. Fencing - Mr. Ficco stated that he originally thought the chain link fence on the northern property line was 4 feet in height; however, the actual height ofthe fence is 6 feet. He contacted the school district about the fence and they responded with a letter (earlier entered into the case file) indicating their desire to retain the 6-foot chain link fence. There will be 6- foot wooden fences on the east and the west. In response to concerns about traffic circulation when the adjacent property is developed, Alan White stated that staff would analyze traffic circulation patterns in relation to the specific type of development planned for the property at the time of development. Commissioner COLLINS noted that the drawing shows cedar fences on both sides of the trash enclosures; however, the Arvada Fire Department had requested noncombustible material for the enclosures and doors. Martin Orner stated that the plan would be corrected to require the noncombustible materials. Commissioner COOPER expressed concern regarding trucks parking in the drive aisle parallel to the building and, while traffic could still circulate past the parked truck, cars could be prevented from exiting their parking spaces. It was the consensus of the Commission that this would be a self managed situation. For instance, if customers complain to the owner of the business, the owner could request the truck to move. Chair MACDOUGALL asked if there were any other individuals present who wished to address this matter. There was no response. It was moved by Commissioner SNOW and seconded by Commissioner GOKEY that Case No. WZ-99-15, a request for approval to rezone 1.10 acres from R-2 Residential and 0.79 acres zoned R-C, Restricted Commercial to PCD, Planned Commercial Development, be recommended to the City Council for approval for the following reasons: 1. The rezoning to Planned Commercial Development is generally consistent with the City's Comprehensive Plan. 2. The proposed land uses and the development criteria of the Planned Commercial Development meet the standards of other commercial zone designations in the City. Planning Commission Minutes February 3, 2000 Page 3 3. Approval of this application will eliminate a pre-existing split zoning situation on this property. With the following conditions: 1. The corrections noted in the staff report on page 4 shall be made to the outline and final development plan. 2. The delivery apron radius be increased to twenty feet per recommendation of the Public Works Department. 3. No more than 25% of the glass frontage may be covered by additional signage. If the overhead doors are replaced with glass, no signage will be allowed on these glass areas. 4. A minimum of four additional trees shall be added in the landscape buffer to the east. 5. The correction be made, which was already voted on, to remove the words "all uses permitted in the RC district as permitted principal uses"; and the staff will check the tape ofthe January 6, 2000 meeting to make sure all the uses are as approved at that hearing. The motion passed by a vote of 8-0. Chair MACDOUGALL declared a brief recess at 8:40 p.m. The meeting was reconvened at 8:47 p.m.) B. Case No. WZ-99-16: Application by Ted Prythero for approval of a final development plan for Lot 1 of the Onyx Park Development for the purpose of building an 18,000 square foot, two-story professional office building located at 10055 West 43rd Avenue. This case was presented by Mary Austin. She reviewed the staff report and presented slides and overheads of the property. All pertinent documents were entered into the record and accepted by Chair MACDOUGALL. Ms. Austin advised the Commission that there was jurisdiction to hear the case. Staff recommended approval with a condition that the mechanical unit on top of the building be screened. Commissioner BRINKMAN asked if it was necessary to call in the ditch company with this lot. Ms. Austin replied that a referral was not necessary. Commissioner THOMPSON inquired about the requirement for semi-flat roof. Mr. White replied that it was most likely an attempt to make the development blend in with the residential area. Commissioner SNOW asked for an explanation about a discrepancy in the amount of required landscaping. Ms. Austin believed that 25,828 square feet was the correct figure; however, the applicant would verify the correct figure. Planning Commission Minutes February 3, 2000 Page 4 In response to Commissioner SNOW's question about allowance for parked cars to overhang . into the landscaped area, Ms. Austin explained that the initial site plan submitted exceeded the City's regulation in the ratio of compact spaces allowed. Therefore, the applicant requested a two-foot overhang allowance for spaces around the perimeter of the parking lot. Staffwas willing to grant the allowance on only the north side of the parking lot because that overhang did not occur over sidewalks, vegetation or shrubbery. The overhang allowed in that area would be over river rock ground cover. Commissioner SNOW askedifthe building would be consistent with others in the area. Ms. Austin replied that it would be consistent with buildings in the area, most of which are across 43rd Avenue. Commissioner SNOW expressed concern that the flood plain delineation was correct. Ms. Austin explained that the flood plain delineation on the site plan was the most accurate because it was established based on detailed site elevations. The flood plain on the zoning map was taken from the flood insurance rate map and is not site specific. Commissioner SNOW asked if the drainage plan was approved by Urban Drainage and Flood Control District. Mary Austin explained that the city's drainage engineers determined it was not necessary to make such a referral due to the fact that there was nothing which would impact the flood plain beyond the detention pond and the City does not, by practice, refer on-site drainage plans. For the record, Commissioner SNOW commented that there have been times in the past when Urban Drainage would not approve a plan previously approved by the Public Works Department. Bob Louden 1110 S. Williams Street, Denver Mr. Louden, architect for the applicant, was sworn by Chair MACDOUGALL. Mace Pemberton 4521 East Virginia, Denver Mr. Pemberton, civil engineer for the applicant, was sworn by Chair MACDOUGALL. Ted Prythero 12684 Willow Lane Mr. Prythero, the applicant, was sworn by Chair MACDOUGALL. In regard to the roof-top screening wall, Mr. Louden stated that the original drawings did show a screen for the mechanical equipment; however, as the design was analyzed, it became apparent that the screening would not be as effective as originally hoped. Since the building will be occupied by a single tenant, there is a need for only one unit on the roof which is planned to be set back about thirty feet from the edge of the building. The top of the unit would be about five feet above the parapet wall and would not be visible under 180 feet from the building. He would share staffs concern if there were going to be several mechanical units on the top. Planning Commission Minutes February 3, 2000 Page 5 Commissioner GOKEY commented that mechanical screening is not always a good architectural feature. In response to a question raised by Commissioner BRINKMAN, Mr. Louden explained there is a mixture of asphalt and concrete parking materials due to the difficulty of getting asphalt equipment under the building overhang. Regarding a question about fencing from Commissioner COLLINS, Mr. Louden stated there were no plans to build any fences around the site. Mr. Louden addressed the latidscaping issues. He stated that he has employed the practice of cars overhanging landscaped areas in other large corporate parking lots and has found that cars don't sit long enough to keep grass from growing. However, the applicant has heeded staffs recommendation to limit overhang for this project to areas where there is only river rock in the landscaping. He explained that removal of a portion of the sidewalk is necessary to make room for the curb cut which will allow entrance into the parking lot. In response to concerns expressed by Commissioner SNOW regarding handicapped spaces, Mr. Louden explained that all handicapped spaces are in one place as close as possible to the main entrance of the building. There is only one entrance. Other doors are for exit purposes only. . Commissioner SNOW expressed a desire for some handicapped spaces to be located under the overhang to provide shelter. In response to a question raised by Commissioner BRINKMAN, Mr. Louden stated that the original plan did not include bicycle racks but the applicant would be willing to add them if the Commission so desired. They could be placed on the paved area underneath the building. Commissioner BRINKMAN asked if trees in islands would be irrigated. Mr. Louden replied that trees would be irrigated and maintained. Mace Pemberton addressed concerns expressed by Commissioner COLLINS about detention requirements. He stated that there is a unique factor of a large basin which includes a lot of off- site flows as well as landscaping at the lower end that would slow down water flow as well as remove some pollutants. While the flood plain area cannot be used, the large basin compensates to meet the total requirements. Ted Prythero referred to the mechanical equipment screening and stated that, after studying the architectural design, they did not believe the screening would be an enhancement. Commissioner GOKEY stated his support of eliminating the screening or limiting it to the smallest area as possible. Mr. Louden mentioned that screening has to be large enough to allow air flow around the units. He also mentioned the roof top unit would be of a color to complement the color of the building. Commissioner THOMPSON expressed concern that a future owner could require more rooftop units and, therefore, screening would become more desirable. She also asked if screening Planning Commission Minutes February 3, 2000 Page 6 requirements on this building would set a precedent for future buildings in the area. Ms. Austin explained that future buildings would be examined and decided upon their particular merit. Commissioner SNOW asked about the 50 foot ingress/egress easement. Mr. Prythero explained this was originally a fire access easement. The City has since vacated that easement because the Arvada Fire Department found it to be unnecessary. Chair MACDOUGALL asked if there were any other individuals present who wished to address this matter. There was no response. It was moved by Commissioner THOMPSON and seconded by Commissioner GOKEY that Case No. WZ-99-16, a request for approval of a Planned Commercial Development final development plan for property located at 10055 Wet 43rd Avenue, be approved for the following reasons: 1. It is consistent with the underlying design parameters of the outline development plan. 2. It exceeds the City's standards for commercial development. 3. It meets the requirements for a Planned Commercial Development final development plan. With the following conditions: 1. The drainage plan be sent to Urban Drainage and Flood Control District for their evaluation and comments prior to a city council hearing on this case. Commissioner SNOW offered the following conditions as amendments: 2. The plan be corrected for discrepancies in the amount of landscaping between page one and page four. 3. The plan be corrected on page one to correct the discrepancies in the number of parking spaces. 4. Two ofthe handicapped spaces be located in the covered area on the north side of the building and two would remain on the east side of the building. Mr. Prythero commented that the discrepancy between the landscaping amounts on the architectural plan versus the landscaping plan is that the architectural plan shows all landscaping including vegetation, rock and sidewalk while the landscaping plan only shows vegetation. The amendments were accepted by Commissioners THOMPSON and GOKEY. Commissioner BRINKMAN offered the following conditions as amendments: 5. The new fire hydrant shall be installed prior to any building above ground. Planning Commission Minutes February 3, 2000 Page 7 6. Sheet 4 of 4, under general notes (No.2) regarding irrigation: Add wording to provide for sprinkler system for areas with trees as well as sodded and planting areas. 7. Sheltered bicycle stands shall be included as part of the final development plan. The amendments were accepted by Commissioners THOMPSON and GOKEY. The motion carried by a vote of 8-0. 8. CLOSE PUBLIC HEARING Chair MACDOUGALL declared the public hearing closed. 9. OLD BUSINESS There was no old business to come before the Commission. 10. NEW BUSINESS A. Kiosks: Commissioner SNOW requested that kiosks be removed from the middle ofthe sidewalk near the KKBNA building, south ofthe site of Case No. WZ-99-16. B. Plans for Commission Packets: Commissioner SNOW requested that plans included in the packets be larger so they are easier to read. C. Gash Prooertv - Commissioner THOMPSON inquired as to the legality of storing semi trailers on this property. Staff will investigate the situation. D. Prooertv at 35th and Wadsworth - Commissioner COLLINS asked about the status of this property. Alan White replied that this case was appealed and an ordinance on first reading has taken place. The second reading ofthe ordinance will be heard at the City Council meeting of February 28, 2000. E. Temoorarv Use Permits - Commissioner SNOW expressed concern that, rather than appealing a Planning Commission decision, applicants are allowed to appear before the Board of Adjustment and obtain temporary use permits. It was moved by Commissioner THOMPSON and seconded by Commissioner SNOW that the record reflect the Planning Commission's concern that the Board of Adjustment is being used to bypass the Planning Commission and City Council, and that temporary use permits are being used in place of rezoning and in place of appeals to the City Council. The motion carried by a vote of 8-0. 11. COMMISSION REPORTS There were no Commission reports. Planning Commission Minutes February 3, 2000 Page 8 12. COMMITTEE AND DEPARTMENT REPORTS There were no committee or department reports. 13. ADJOURNMENT It was moved by Commissioner GOKEY and seconded by Commissioner COLLINS that the meeting be adjourned at 10:20 p.m. The motion passed by a vote of 8-0. ~~AA Ann Lazzeri, Recording Secretary Planning Commission Minutes February 3, 2000 Page 9