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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1985 10-10 PCP Planning Commission Information Sheet Application No. 85027 Applicant: Foundation Stone Ministries, Inc. Location: Southwest corner of I-94 and Brooklyn Boulevard Request: Site and Building Plan/Special Use Permit The applicant requests site and building plan and special use permit approval to construct a church at the southwest corner of I-94 and Brooklyn Boulevard. The property in question is zoned R5 and is bounded by I-94 on the north, by Brooklyn Boulevard on the east, and by single-family homes on the south and west. This appli- cation was tabled by the Commission at its September 26, 1985 study meeting to allow for clarification of landscaping, drainage, and traffic elements of the proposed plan. A separate landscape plan has been submitted showing the plantings existing and proposed for the church site and the proposed fencing. The latest landscape plan has added two Maples, twenty (20) Radiant Crabs, and approximately 15 Pfitzer Juni- pers in perimeter green areas and around the church. Since there are not quanti- tative landscaping standards for this type of development in the Zoning Ordinance, we cannot give either a passing or a failing grade. The proposed plantings may be described as adequate, but not generous. A note should be added to the plan indi- cating sod in all green areas of the site. It appears that virtually the entire site will be disturbed by the construction and sodding is the only practical way of insuring a viable turf in a timely manner. Proposed lighting fixtures direct light downward and should present no serious problem. An entirely new grading and drainage plan has been submitted. Instead of draining the entire site to a single catch basin in the southwest corner of the site, the new plan provides for a series of catch basins at higher elevations around the site, connected by a network of storm sewer. The site is constrained by an existing storm sewer service that is only 15" in diameter. It is also at an elevation which re- quires that the church site be raised significantly to provide positive drainage and adequate ground cover so the storm sewer lines do not freeze up during the winter and impede spring runoff. The elevation of the existing storm sewer service means that the site must be raised substantially which will cause some ponding of water on the lots to the south which have, in the past, been draining onto this site. Some grading modifications to the north end of these lots (4024 and 4100 65th Avenue North) will almost certainly be necessary to drain them into a catch basin inlet into the existing storm sewer line. The other drainage problem confronting the site is the size of the existing storm sewer service. Because it is only a 15" line and because it cannot be widened (this would have far-reaching ramnifications for the City' s storm sewer system in the area) , the site will drain more slowly and there will be more water in the parking lot for a longer time than in other locations in the City. Some parking spaces will probably not be usable for an hour or more during a major storm (5 yr. storm) . Nevertheless, because the church does not have the kind of continuous operation that an office building or retail center would have, it is staff' s judg- ment that the drainage system is adequate. No additional holding ponds other than one indicated north of the church should be necessary. The City Engineer will be prepared to discuss this matter in more detail at Thursday' s meeting. As to traffic concerns, staff would reiterate that the proposed church use will generate less overall traffic than alternate uses for the site. Although the traffic will be significant during services, it will occur at off-peak periods on F Brooklyn Boulevard. Staff' s primary concern for this site is that access be gained only off Brooklyn Boulevard and that it be a right-in/right-out access only. The 10-10-85 _I_ Application No. 85027 continued median will have to be extended within Brooklyn Boulevard to prevent attempts at left turns to and from the site. It is the City' s objective to eventually extend the median all the way to 65th Avenue North. Nevertheless, we would encourage the church to seek eventual acquisition of the lots immediately south of the site to provide more space from the I-94 exit ramp. Altogether, we feel that the plans are acceptable and approval is recommended, sub- ject to at least the following conditions: 1. Building plans are subject to review and approval by the Building Official with respect to applicable codes prior to the issuance of permits. 2. Grading, drainage, utility and berming plans are subject to review and approval by the City Engineer, prior to the issuance of permits. 3. A site performance agreement and supporting financial guarrantee (in an amount to be determined by the City Manager) shall be submitted prior to the issuance of permits to assure completion of approved site improvements. 4. Any outside trash disposal facilities and rooftop mechanical equip- ment shall be appropriately screened from view. 5. The building is to be equipped with an automatic fire extinguishing system to meet NFPA standards and shall be connected to a central monitoring device in accordance with the requirements of the uniform Building Code, Chapter 3802 b. 6. Plan approval is exclusive of all signery which is subject to Chapter 34 of the City Ordinances. 7. B612 curb and gutter shall be provided around all parking and driving areas. 8. Access to the church site shall be right-in/right-out only. The median in Brooklyn Boulevard shall be extended in accordance with the recommendations of the City Engineer and Hennepin County. Access to the site from 66th and Indiana shall be prohibited. 9. A deceleration lane on the outside of the southbound lane of Brooklyn Boulevard shall be installed in accordance with the recommendations of the City Engineer and Hennepin County. 10. The special use permit is subject to all applicable codes, ordinances and regulations and any violation thereof shall be grounds for revocation. 11 . The permit is issued to the applicant and is nontransferable. 12. Plan approval in no way commits the City to acceptance of the con- ceptual master plan submitted with the development plans for the church. Future additions shall be subject to an amendment of the Special Use Permit and conformance to City requirements through the site and building plan process. 10-10-85 -2- Application No. 85027 continued 13. The site shall be bounded on all sides adjacent to single family resi- dences and to Indiana Avenue North right-of-way with a minimum 6' high wood fence for both screening and security purposes. 14. An as-built survey of all site utilities shall be submitted to the Engineering Department prior to release of the performance guarantee. 15. The applicant is encouraged to acquire the lots adjacent to the site to the south along Brooklyn Boulevard in order to move the access as far from the intersection of I-94 and Brooklyn Boulevard as possible. 16. Site lighting shall conform to the requirements of Section 35-712 of the Zoning Ordinance. 17. The applicant shall obtain a temporary construction easement for re- grading of the north portion of the lots at 4024 and 4100 65th Avenue North prior to the issuance of permits. The Planning Commission opened and closed the required public hearing for this appli- cation at its September 26, 1985 meeting. Informational notices have been sent re- gardin9 this meeting, but no public hearing has been scheduled. 10-10-85 -3- 1 1 Planning Commission Information Sheet Application No. 85032 Applicant: Arby' s Location: 1341 Brookdale Center Request: Sign Variance The applicant requests a variance from Section 34-140, 3a, l.b of the Sign Ordinance (attached) to allow a tenant wall sign for Arby' s restaurant on wall space not abut- ting the Arby' s tenant space. Arby' s is located in the northwest corner of Brookdale, near T. J. Applebees. Under the Sign Ordinance, individual establishments within Brookdale "may have such [wall ] signs on each of its exterior walls, provided the aggregate area of such signs does not exceed 30% of the wall supporting the signs". Alternately, a clustered establishment such as Brookdale may have a collective identi- fication sign band for all tenants around the entire building. Brookdale has not sought such a collective identification sign and, therefore, only major tenants with exterior wall space have wall signs. The applicant proposes a 3' x 7' sign on the canopy above the northwest entrance to the center. A letter has been submitted by Mr. Doug Kennedy (attached) addressing the Standards for a Sign Variance (also attached) . The letter argues that the Arby's space is unique because it is the only operation open before and after normal center hours without any visible exterior wall for signery. Mr. Kennedy asserts that a hardship would result without elaborating what it is. Finally, the letter argues that the granting of the variance will in no way be detrimental to the public welfare or injurious to other property or improvements in the neighborhood. Staff agree that the applicant' s situation is somewhat unique. However, while the main argument for uniqueness rests on the supra-normal hours of operation, the _proposed identification sign makes no reference to hours. The Arby's space is certainly not unique in having no visible exterior wall . The adjacent Applebees restaurant also has supra-normal hours of operation, but it was granted a sign permit under the provisions of the Sign Ordinance because it has an exterior wall , not because of abnormal hours. No tenant in Brookdale, in fact, has received extraordinary signery because of the hours of its operation. Of course, that may be because the other tenants with supra-normal hours also have exterior wall space. We are concerned with the precedent that would be set by approval of this application if it is considered to apply to all tenants with no exterior wall space, or to allow identification signs on walls not abutting a tenant space. Such an action would seem to throw open the possibility that every exterior wall would become a signboard for any and every tenant within a multi-tenant building. This may actually be possible if pursued by the center itself on a coordinated basis. But the proposal is for a tenant sign unique in style to the tenant, not part of a center-wide effort at collective identification signery. One possibility not pursued until now would be an informational sign erected by the _ center at any wall entrance open before and/or after normal hours. Such a sign could specify the hours that entrance would be open and the tenants operating on the longer hours. For such a sign not to be construed as an identification sign, the names of the tenants would have to be fairly low-key and no larger in total area than the informational portion of the message. This might ultimately lead to a form of col- lective identification signery erected at mall entrances showing names of tenants and hours for the respective entrances. Such collective signery would be under the control of the center management. and could be allowed by the ordinance. r 10-10-85 -1 - Application No. 85032 continued These alternatives within the parameters of the Sign Ordinance may have a greater visual impact than the proposed sign by itself. However, unless approval of the application were to cite hours of operation only as a basis for uniqueness, the potential effect of granting the variance would, in the long run, be quite uncon- trollable. The Commission is urged to discuss whether hours of operation is a proper basis for a variance. In genral , staff would recommend an alternate form of signery erected by the center management to make known the supra-normal hours at certain entrances and for certain businesses. A public hearing has been scheduled. 10-10-85 -2- Planning Commission Information Sheet Application No. 85033 Applicant: Zantigo Mexican Restaurants Location: 5532 Brooklyn Blvd. Request: Site and Building Plan/Special Use Permit The applicant requests site and building plan and special use permit approval to con- struct a Zantigo Restaurant with drive-up window at the site of the existing Nankin Express at 5532 Brooklyn Boulevard. The existing restaurant is to be demolished and a new building built. The property in question is zoned C2 and is bounded on the north by the Green Mill restaurant, on the east by a private service road, on the south by the Fifties Grill restaurant, and on the west by Brooklyn Boulevard. Convenience food restaurants and restaurants with drive-up windows are special uses in the C2 zoning district which are not permitted to abut R1 , R2, or R3 zoned property. Although this site abuts R1 zoned property across Brooklyn Boulevard, the City has not con- sidered this abutment to apply when a frontage road or limited access road separates the developments. Access to the site is to be from the service road, as in the past. The northerly access is to be an exit only. Stacking for the drive-up lane is proposed on the west and south sides of the building. The lane is 10' wide, separated from the regular driving lanes by a 3' wide median. Parking on the north and west sides of the site is 900 . On the south side, it is 45 ° angle parking. There are two driving lanes leading to the southerly exit, one from the drive-up window and one from the parking area. There is the possibility of conflict at this exit point if a car in the southerly lane turns north while a car in the northerly lane turns south. Because of the location of the proposed building, there is little that can be done to avoid this conflict. To shorten the median to allow more room for drive-up customers to weave to the right would open up the possibility of cars backing into the drive-up lane. Moving the building westward would result in fewer parking spaces than required because of shifting to angled spaces. Lastly, narrowing the throat of the exit would probably lead to more conflicts than the proposed arrangement. Therefore, the proposed arrange- ment does appear to be the best under circumstances. The site plan provides for 44 parking spaces, enough for 82 seats and 6 employees at a ratio of 1 per two of each. The plan provides a row of nine stalls adjacent to the building with one being a handicapped stall . All other stalls are on the perimeter. The site is to drain out to the service drive as it does at present. All parking and driving areas are to be bounded by 8612 curb and gutter. An additional island is recommended, however, along the south side of the lot where the stalls change from 90° to 45° . Berming is indicated in the greenstrip adjacent to Brooklyn Boulevard. The landscape plan calls for two Red Maples and three Colorado Green Spruce in the Brooklyn Boulevard greenstrip. Two Snow Crabs are indicated in the northwest corner of the site. The plan also calls for generous use of Green Barberry Jackman Potentilla and Gold Coast Junipers in the large parking delineators. Decorative rock is proposed along the north and south edges of the site. The applicant feels that fronts of cars hanging over this small green area will make grass nonviable. This may be an accurate assessment, but it has been a long-standing policy to require grass in these interior lot line greenstrips. The policy was reaffirmed during review of the Ramada Hotel site plans. Staff, therefore, recommend that the plans be altered to provide grass unless the Commission is willing to recommend a change in policy to allow either sod or rock mulch. 10-10-85 -1- Application No. 85033 continued The building exterior is to be stucco with dark bronze anodized aluminum windows. Treated cedar boards, 8' wide, are to be placed above and below the windows and above the doorways. The front portion of the building is to have a tile roof, the back a flat roof. While this may be somewhat of a false facade, it is not unlike the Sal- vation Army building and also reflects two valid expressions of Spanish-American architecture. In general , we feel the plans are in order and approval is recommended, subject to at least the following conditions: 1. Building plans are subject to review and approval by the Building Official with respect to applicable codes prior to the issuance of permits. 2. Grading, drainage, utility and berming plans are subject to review and approval by the City Engineer, prior to the issuance of permits. 3. A site performance agreement and supporting financial guarantee (in an amount to be determined by the City Manager) shall be submitted prior to the issuance of permits. 4. Any outside trash disposal facilities and rooftop mechanical equipment shall be appropriately screened from view. 5. The building is to be equipped with an automatic fire extinguishing system to meet NFPA standards and shall be connected to a central monitoring device in accordance with Chapter 5 of the City Ordinances. 6. An underground irrigation system shall be installed in all landscaped areas to facilitate site maintenance. 7. Plan approval is exclusive of all signery which is subject to Chapter 34 of the City Ordinances. 8. B612 curb and gutter shall be provided around all parking and driving areas. 9. The special use permit is subject to all applicable codes, ordinances, and regulations and any violation thereof shall be grounds for revocation. 10. The plans shall be modified prior to consideration by the City Council to provide the following: a) A curbed and landscaped delineator between 900 and 450 stalls on the south side of the parking lot. b ) Indication of sod rather than rock mulch in the interior side yard greenstrips. 11 . On-site traffic control signery shall be subject to review and approval by the City Engineer. 12. A copy of an as-built utility survey shall be submitted to the Engineer- ing Department prior to release of the performance guarantee. 10-10-85 -2-