Item Coversheet

CITY COUNCIL AGENDA COMMUNICATION
AGENDA DATE:July 14, 2020
SUBJECT:

Conduct a Public Hearing and Adopt an Ordinance to Amend the Development Regulations of Planned Development PD No. 92 Corridor Commercial "CC" and to Adopt a Concept Plan, Building Elevations, Landscape Plan, and Screening Cross Section for Approximately 3.838± Acres of Land in the Francis Dosser Survey, Abstract No. 280, Generally Located at the Southwestern Corner of the Intersection of Ridgeview Drive and Watters Road. [Allen Fire Station 6]

STAFF RESOURCE:

Hayley Angel, Planner II

PREVIOUS COUNCIL ACTION:

Planned Development No. 92 - Approved March 2004

Planned Development No. 92 - Approved December 2004

BOARD / COMMISSION ACTION:

On June 16, 2020, the Planning and Zoning Commission voted 6 in favor (Commissioners Trahan, Platt, Orr, Autrey, Metevier, Ogrizovich, and Shaikh), 1 abstaining (Commissioner Platt), and 0 opposed to recommend approval of the request.

ACTION PROPOSED:

Conduct a Public Hearing and Adopt an Ordinance to Amend the Development Regulations of Planned Development PD No. 92 Corridor Commercial "CC" and to Adopt a Concept Plan, Building Elevations, Landscape Plan, and Screening Cross Section for Approximately 3.838± Acres of Land in the Francis Dosser Survey, Abstract No. 280, Generally Located at the Southwestern Corner of the Intersection of Ridgeview Drive and Watters Road. [Allen Fire Station 6]




BACKGROUND

The property is located at the southwestern corner of the intersection of Ridgeview Drive and Watters Road. The property to the north and east (across Ridgeview Drive) is zoned Planned Development PD No. 92 Corridor Commercial. The properties to the east (across Watters Road) are zoned Planned Development No. 92 Corridor Commercial CC and Planned Development PD No. 92 Single-Family Residential R-5. The properties to the south are zoned Planned Development PD No. 39 Single-Family Residential R-3.

 

The property is currently zoned Planned Development PD No. 92 Corridor Commercial CC and is in Tract A of the Planned Development. The Planned Development was adopted and amended in 2004, and Tract A focused on entertainment and commercial uses. The applicant is requesting to amend the development regulations to allow for the development of Fire Station No. 6.

 

The subject property is approximately 3.838± acres. The Concept Plan shows the 18,500± square foot fire station fronting Ridgeview Drive. A large portion of the site is currently encumbered by the fully developed floodplain. The applicant is requesting to reclaim portions of the floodplain as indicated on the Concept Plan. A flood study has been reviewed and preliminarily approved by the Engineering Department.

 

Due to the constraints of the floodplain on the site, the applicant is requesting a reduction in the front yard setback and parking setback. The front yard setback has been reduced from 25 feet to 20 feet, and the parking setback has been reduced from 20 feet to 10 feet.

 

In addition to the aforementioned setbacks, the applicant is seeking deviations for landscape buffer width requirements. The landscape buffer has been reduced from 20 feet to 10 feet. There are easements along Ridgeview Drive that would prevent some of the required plantings in this reduced width landscape buffer. The applicant is proposing to plant this material elsewhere on the property. These deviations are detailed on the Concept Plan and the Landscape Plan. 

 

The Landscape Plan also illustrates an alternative screening method. At the rear property line, the property is adjacent to single-family residential. The Allen Land Development Code (ALDC) requires a masonry screen wall in this condition. However, there is a 15-foot-wide drainage, maintenance, and utility easement on the adjacent neighborhood's property. In addition to requiring the removal of several existing trees along the property line, the installation of a masonry screen wall would create an isolated strip of land between homeowners' fences and the wall. As an alternative to this requirement, the applicant is proposing to preserve the existing tree line and increase the landscaping in this area. Additionally, the applicant has included a cross section to illustrate the proposed screening method.

 

There are three points of access into the site--two on Ridgeview Drive and one on Watters Road. Two of these access points are emergency-only access. The first emergency access point is located on Watters Road with an associated median opening. The second emergency access point is the western access point along Ridgeview Drive with an associated median opening. Finally, the eastern access point on Ridgeview Drive is intended for public access.

 

The building elevations show an approximately 42-foot tall building with brick and cast stone as primary building materials. While building materials cannot be regulated by the proposed ordinance, these materials are shown for illustrative purposes.

 

The development regulations include area regulations, landscaping, screening, and floodplain regulations.

 

The request has been reviewed by the Technical Review Committee.

 

On June 16, 2020, the Planning and Zoning Commission recommended approval of this request.

 

LEGAL NOTICES:

 

Public Hearing Sign - June 5, 2020

Public Hearing Notice - June 5, 2020

Newspaper Notice - June 25, 2020


STAFF RECOMMENDATION

Staff recommends approval to amend the Development Regulations of Planned Development PD No. 92 Corridor Commercial for a property generally located at the southwestern corner of the intersection of Ridgeview Drive and Watters Road.
MOTION

I make a motion to adopt Ordinance No. _____ to amend the Development Regulations of Planned Development PD No. 92 Corridor Commercial for a property generally located at the southwestern corner of the intersection of Ridgeview Drive and Watters Road.



ATTACHMENTS:
Description
Ordinance
Property Notification Map
Draft Minutes of the June 16, 2020 P&Z Meeting