HomeMy WebLinkAbout2007-013 Inf Sheet 5240 Drew Avenue North Application Filed on 7-12-07
City Council Action Should Be
Taken By 9-10-07 (60 Days)
Planning Commission Information Sheet
Application No. 2007-013
Applicant: Brad Schumacher
Location: 5240 Drew Avenue North
Request: Site and Building Plan Approval
The applicant, Brad Schumacher, is seeking site and building plan approval to construct a six stall garage for the apartment building he owns at 5240 Drew Avenue North. The property
in question is .65 acres in area and is zoned R-5 (Multiple Family Residence). It is located at the southeast corner of Drew and 53rd Avenue North and is surrounded on the north by
53rd Avenue with single family homes on the opposite side of the street; on the east by R-5 zoned property containing the Twin Lakes Manor Apartment Complex; on the south by R-1 zoned
property containing a single family home; and on the west by Drew Avenue with R-1 zoned property containing legal, but non-conforming, duplexes on the opposite side of the street.
The applicant plans to construct the new garage to the south of the apartment building with three units facing east and three units facing west. A new driveway on Drew Avenue will be
constructed to access the three west facing garage stalls, while the three east facing garage stalls will be accessed from the existing parking lot. The footprint of the garage is 30
ft. by 44 ft. or 1,320 sq. ft. Two existing parking spaces will be eliminated and the parking lot will be expanded to the south to access the three east facing garage stalls.
Section 35-230 of the City’s Zoning Ordinance regarding plan approval requires site and building plan approval before commencing the construction or major alteration of structures except
for one and two family dwellings and buildings accessory thereto. This application is in response to that requirement.
ACCESS/PARKING
The existing access to the site from 53rd Avenue would remain unchanged. As mentioned, a new driveway would be constructed on Drew Avenue to access the westerly three garage units.
A permit from the city’s Engineering Department is required for the driveway. The allowable width for a driveway is 24 ft. at the property line and is the standard in this case. The
plan shows a wider width and should be modified to comply with the 24 ft. wide requirement. The existing parking lot lies to the east of the apartment building and can currently accommodate
approximately 18 parking spaces given the ordinance minimum parking space width of 8 ft. 8 in.
The parking lot will be expanded to the south approximately 12 ft. in order to access the three garage units on the east side of the newly proposed garage building. This will require
that approximately two surface parking spaces be removed. Sixteen surface parking spaces and six garage spaces exceed the parking requirement for this ten unit apartment building which
is two spaces per dwelling unit.
GRADING/DRAINAGE
The Public Works Director/City Engineer has reviewed the proposed plan and has no concerns at this time and will not be providing any written comments. Grading and elevation of the
garage are a concern in that the existing and proposed grades are such that the westerly three garage stalls will be at a higher elevation (857 ft.) than the easterly three garage stalls
(853 ft.). The grade break will be in the center of the garage creating two 30 ft. by 22 ft., three stall garages with different roof lines. An existing shed will have to be removed
or relocated as will a 6 ft. high fenced area serving as a trash enclosure. The trash enclosure will have to be reestablished somewhere on the site that does not encroach on building
setbacks or buffer requirements. The plan should be modified to show the location of the new trash enclosure.
LANDSCAPE/SCREENING
The applicant’s plan shows existing trees on the site and he has provided an analysis of the landscaping based on the landscape point system used by the Planning Commission to evaluate
landscape plans. The inventory shows a total of 62 points from five shade trees (two Elms, three Maples) a Spruce tree, an apple tree and various shrubs. He proposes to add five coniferous
trees at an unknown location. This .65 acre site is required to have 59 landscape points. We certainly would encourage additional landscaping, however, the existing landscaping exceeds
the minimum requirements of the point system.
A 15 ft. buffer and setback is required along the south property line where this property abuts R-1 property. A 4 ft. high opaque screening device is required within the 15 ft. area.
The plan shows an existing fence of 5 ft. to 6 ft. in height that runs the width of the lot meeting the screening requirements of the ordinance.
A portion of the applicant’s parking lot encroaches into the neighboring apartment complex to the east. The applicant has indicated on the plans that this encroachment will be removed.
It should be noted that there is an existing shed that appears to be the neighbor’s and it encroaches on the applicant’s property. This is a civil matter that should be resolved by
the parties.
The applicant has also provided building elevations showing the proposed six stall garage.
RECOMMENDATION
The application for the most part appears to be in order and approval is recommended subject to at least the following conditions:
The building plans are subject to review by the Building Official with respect to applicable codes prior to the issuance of permits.
Grading and drainage plans are subject to review and approval by the City Engineer prior to the issuance of permits.
The plans shall be modified in the following manner:
The maximum driveway width for the new driveway onto Drew Avenue to be no more than 24 ft. wide at the property line.
To show the location of the relocated trash enclosure to be provided with an opaque screening device at least 6 ft. high to include a solid screen gate.
The applicant shall obtain a driveway permit from the Engineering Department for the proposed access onto Drew Avenue North.
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