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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1988 07-28 PCP Planning Commission Information Sheet Application No. 88009 Applicant: Toys "R".-Us Location: 5425 Xerxes Avenue North Request: Site and Building Plan Location/Use The applicant requests site and building plan approval to construct_a 48,200 sq. ft. toy store on the site of the retail building including C.O.M.B. and on the site of the Mares Big Boy restaurant. These two buildings are to be demolished with the land areas to be combined and a new Toys "R" Us store built in approximately the same location as the C.O.M.B. building. The property in question is zoned C2 and is bounded on the north by 55th Avenue North and the Firestone store, on the east by Xerxes Avenue North, on the south by Highway 100, and on the west by Brooklyn Boulevard. Retail stores are permitted uses in the C2 zoning district. Access/Parking The site will gain access, as it does now, from a driveway off Xerxes Avenue North and via a service road off 55th Avenue North which also serves the neighboring Firestone repair garage. Both driveways are approximately 30' in width. The parking requirement for the entire building (48,200 sq. ft. ) is 318 spaces. This is the requirement counting the entire space as retail. There is an approximate 13, 750 sq. ft. mezzanine at the west end of the store which will be used primarily for storage and even this space has been counted under the retail parking formula. Nevertheless, the proposed site plan calls for 349 parking stalls, including 7 handicapped stalls. Thus, the proposed site would actually have a parking surplus of 31 stalls. We have encouraged the applicant to preserve some of this excess space in green area. However, they insist they will need the entire amount during peak holiday shopping days. Staff recommend that the eight parallel stalls behind the building be signed for customer pick-up which will be handled from a door near the southwest corner of the building. Landscaping The landscape plan calls for 17 shade trees, 16 coniferous trees, 28 decorative trees, and 78 shrubs for a point total of 347 points. The point requirement is 337.6 points based on a 4.96 acre site. Most of the shade trees (including Summit Ash, Shademaster Honeylocust, Greenspire Littleleaf Linden, Red Sunset Maple and Sugar Maple) are located along the Brooklyn Boulevard greenstrip and along the northerly entrance drive off 55th Avenue North. A row of six Red Splendor Crabapple trees is proposed along the Highway 100 greenstrip. A row of nine Colorado Green Spruce is proposed in the greenstrip adjacent to Brooklyn Boulevard to provide screening of the loading dock area behind the building. Another cluster of plantings is a row of 20 Compact American Cranberrybush shrubs on a parking lot delineator off the entrance drive from 55th Avenue North. There are no foundation plantings proposed next to the building. We have also requested that the applicant expand somewhat the greenstrip adjacent to Xerxes Avenue North and install a berm in this area. Right now, the plan shows a wider than necessary driving lane in front of the building. This driving lane will encourage customers to park in an area with insufficient depth if it is left at its present width of approximately 401 . Underground irrigation is noted on the landscape plan as required by Section 35-412 of the Zoning Ordinance. 7-28-88 -1- Application No. 88009 continued Grading, Drainage, Utilities The grading plan calls for most runoff on the south side of the site to drain to a catch basin in the southeast corner of the parking lot. The northerly parking lot would drain partially to two catch basins near the northwest corner of the building and partially to a set of catch basins near or at the Xerxes Avenue North access drive. The City Engineer has some concern that drainage running toward the Xerxes access will ice over in winter creating a hazardous condition. All drainage will be conveyed via storm sewer to a large 60" storm sewer running through the southerly portion of the site. A 2" water service and an 8" sprinkler service will enter the building on the south side as an extension of existing service lines. The services will come off a 16" watermain in the Highway 100 right-of-way. The utility plan proposes three hydrants serving the site, one south of the building on a large parking lot island, one north of the building in the island off the north entrance drive, and one actually located off-site in the Xerxes Avenue right-of way near the access drive. The Fire Chief has indicated that the proposed hydrants give adequate coverage of the building. Finally, a 6" sanitary sewer service line will connect with a 15" main running through the site, parallel to the large storm sewer main. Building The proposed building is to be a white split face concrete block with a brown trim (also split face concrete block). This treatment is to be carried all the way around the store with the exception of an area in the middle of the front of the building which will have clear glass windows and vertical fiberglass battens over plain concrete block. The entire front of the store will be a 10' wide vestibule with entrance and exit doors on either end. In other words, there will be no entrance facing Xerxes. Rather, the entrances will be at the northeast and southeast corners of the building, on the north and south walls. The building has two loading berths off a receiving area in the rear as required by Section 35-600 of the Zoning Ordinance. The loading berths are to be screened by a 9' high wall. This should be high enough since the dock approach is sunk so that trailers back up to a dock at ground floor level. In any case, proper screening of the loading area is required. Toys "R" Us has shown sign locations on all the elevations of the building. Most of these signs are acceptable under the Sign Ordinance. However, the sign on the front (east) elevation is made a roof sign because it is placed on a heightened mansard treatment that extends above the roof line of the regular mansard to be carried along the roof line above the one-storey section of the retail store. We have asked the applicant to either extend the heightened mansard all the way along the roof line back to the two-storey section of the building or to get rid of it altogether. The applicant will have a revised drawing available for the Planning Commission's consideration Thursday night. Lighting/Trash The lighting fixtures are to be box lamps placed on 33' high poles with 400 watt super metal halide luminaires. Average illuminations over the entire site is 3.31 foot candles. There is residential property across Brooklyn Boulevard. It does not appear that illumination levels will exceed three foot candles at the property line along Brooklyn Boulevard although one of the brighter areas of the site will be along the rear of the building facing Brooklyn Boulevard. That area, as well as the north and south sides of the building, will be illumined with wall-mounted lamps. Trash will be handled by a compactor located in the loading dock area and appropriately screened. 7-28-88 -2- Application No. 88009 continued Platting The property in question presently consists of two separate parcels. Section 35- 540 of the Zoning Ordinance requires that parcels serving a common use under common ownership must be combined by plat or registered land survey. No plat has been submitted to accompany this application. Since construction is not scheduled until next year, there is still time to complete a replat of the property into a single parcel prior to construction. In any case, no building permits will be issued until the new plat has received final approval and has been filed at the County. In addition, the applicant intends to allow the existing Big Boy restaurant to operate for some time while the new store is under construction. No occupancy of the new store will be allowed until the restaurant site is cleared and the parking lot completed. Recommendation Altogether, the plans are generally 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 applicant shall submit an as-built survey of the property improvements and utility service lines, prior to release of the performance guarantee. 10. The property owner shall enter into an Easement and Agreement for Maintenance and Inspection of Utility and Storm Drainage Systems prior to the issuance of permits. 7-28-88 -3- Application No. 88009 continued 11. The property shall be combined into a single parcel by plat or registered land survey, said plat or registered land survey to receive final approval and be filed at the County prior to the issuance of permits. 12. The site of the Big Boy restaurant shall be cleared and the parking lot fully installed prior to occupancy of the Toys "R" Us E store. 13. The plans shall be revised prior to consideration by the City Council to indicate the following: a) Consistent mansard treatment around the entire one-storey section of the store. b) Narrowing of the driveway in front of the store to no wider than 30'. c) Installation of a berm in the greenstrip adjacent to Xerxes Avenue North. I j 7-28-88 -4-