HomeMy WebLinkAboutStaff Comments
MAYOR
Tammy de Weerd
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LEGAL DEPARTMENT
(208) 466-9272 - FAX 466-4405
CITY HALL
(208) 888-4433 - Fax 887-4813
PUBLIC WORKS
BUILDlNG DEPARTMENT
(208) 887-2211 - Fax 898-9551
CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS
Keith Bird
Christine Donnell
Shoun Wardle
Charles M, Rountree
MEMORANDUM: Transmittal Date: March 31, 2005
City Council Hearin~ate: C~NE D
M d C' C 'I ttE
ayor an !ty ounC! .r Ii
Josh Wilson, Associate City PlamJeéí~ MAR 3 1 2005
D B. h P kin V . City Of Meridian
ave mc ar g anance City Clerk Office
To:
From:
Re:
.
Request for a Variance from Meridian City Code (MCC) 11-13-5 (Schedule
of Parking Space Requirements), for a Reduction in Parking Requirements
for a proposed 3-story mixed use project, in the O-T Zone for 641 North
Main Street, by Dave Buich. (File No. VAR-O5-003).
Planning and Zoning staff have reviewed the applicant's submittal, and we offer the following
comments and recommendations:
APPLICATION SUMMARY
The applicant, Dave Buich, has requested a variance from Meridian City Code (MCC) 11-13-5
for a reduction in parking requirements for a proposed 3-story mixed use project located at 641
North Main Street, in the Old-Town (O-T) zoning district.
The applicant has also requested approval of a Conditional Use Permit (CUP-OS-OOS) for a new
mixed use three-story building consisting of retail, office, and residential uses on approximately
.41 acres in the O-T Zone. Professional offices, retail, and apartment buildings are all
conditional uses in the Old Town zone. Currently, a Shell automobile service station exists on
the property, which will be removed for construction of the new building.
The proposed mixed use building consists of 8,300 square feet of ground floor retail, 8,460
square feet of second floor office, and third floor residential with four (4) units. Ordinance
requires one (1) off-street parking space per 200 s.f. of gross floor area for retail, one (1) off-
street parking space per 400 s.f. of gross floor area for office, and two (2) parking spaces for
each residential unit, for a total of 71 required spaces. The proposed site plan shows 22 off-
street parking stalls, 11 of which are compact spaces. The adjacent city-owned parking lot
contains 32 parking spaces.
Buich.VAR.doc
VAR-05-003
The applicant is requesting relief from the following ordinances:
. MCC 11-13-5 Schedule of Parking Space Requirements
LOCATION & SURROUNDING USES
The subject property is located at 641 N. Main Street, on the southwest corner of Main Street
and Broadway Avenue, in downtown Meridian. The following uses surround the subject
property:
North - Farmers and Merchants State Bank, zoned O-T.
South - Alley and Zarnzows feed factory, zoned O-T.
East - Lumbermen's Building Center and Frontier Tires, zoned 0- T.
West - A city-owned parking lot and The Creamery, zoned O-T.
CURRENT OWNERS OF RECORD
The owner of record is Shepard Enterprises Ltd. Partnership, who has given consent for the
applicant to submit the requested application.
REOUIRED FINDINGS
According to Ordinance 11-18-1, Variances, the Council may authorize in specific cases a
variance from the terms of either the Zoning or Subdivision Ordinance. Specifically, the
Ordinance lists the following Findings (MCCl1-18-3), all of which must be determined before
granting a variance:
"A.
That there are such special circumstances or conditions affecting the property that
the strict application of the provisions of this Title would clearly be impracticable
or unreasonable;
Staff finds that the subject property, as depicted, is large enough to accommodate the
required open spaces and landscaping required by the ordinance, but not parking. The
City of Meridian has prepared draft Downtown Design Guidelines that apply to projects
in the city's downtown core. The guidelines have not been adopted by the City as of the
date of this report; however, these proposed guidelines do not require new buildings
such as this one in the downtown core to provide any off-street parking.
Variances for a reduction in parking requirements have recently (in the past two years)
been approved for many properties in the downtown area, including Farmers and
Merchants State Bank, Aromatic Sensations and Holy Trinity Charismatic Episcopal
Church. In addition, the Meridian Development Corporation (MDC) has submitted
comments in support of the request which state: "And MDC specifically supports the
request for reduced parking since it should be MDC's role to provide additional parking
at some time in the future when it is needed."
The proposed mixed use building consists of 8,300 square feet of ground floor retail,
8,460 square feet of second floor office, and third floor residential with four (4) units.
Ordinance requires one (I) off-street parking space per 200 s.f. of gross floor area for
retail, one (1) off-street parking space per 400 s.f. of gross floor area for office, and two
(2) parking spaces for each residential unit, for a total of 71 required spaces. The
VAR-05-003
BuichV AR.doc
2
proposed site plan shows 22 off-street parking stalls, 11 of which are compact spaces.
The adjacent city-owned parking lot contains thirty -two (32) parking spaces.
B.
That strict compliance with the requirements of this Title would result in
extraordinary hardship to the owner, subdivider or developer because of unusual
topography, the nature or condition of adjacent development, other physical
conditions or other conditions that make strict compliance with this Title
unreasonable under the circumstances, or that the conditions and requirements of
this Title will result in inhibiting the achievements or the objectives of this Title;
The City has adopted goals, objectives, and policies that support mixed uses within the
Old Town district. If off-street parking be strictly required for all properties in Old
Town, staff believes that a majority of the properties would be restricted to a
residential-only use and would not redevelop. Staff generally supports the
redevelopment of the smaller, older lots in the original Meridian Township, as these
conversions allow for a more vibrant downtown area. Staff finds that strict compliance
with the City's parking requirements on this site would result in an extraordinary
hardship to the developer due to the circumstances surrounding this property
mentioned in the previous finding. Further, staff fInds that enforcing the conditions and
requirements of the off-street parking ordinance will inlÜbit the objectives of allowing
Old Town to be a mixed use area.
C.
That the granting of the specified variance will not be detrimental to the public's
welfare or injurious to other property in the area in which the property is
situated;
Staff anticipates that the variance will not be detrimental to the public's welfare or
injurious to other properties in the area. Further, the Council has granted parking
variances to properties with sin1Ìlar situations within Old Town, and staff is unaware of
any harmful impacts from these parking variances. Staff recommends that the Council
reference any written or oral testimony provided at the public hearing, as well as staffs
analysis, when determining whether or not the surrounding properties may be
negatively affected by granting a variance.
D.
That such variance will not have the effect of altering the interest and purpose of
this Title and the Meridian Comprehensive Plan."
Staff finds that the issuance of a variance for reducing parking standards to allow the
redevelopment of a small piece of property in Old Town will not have the effect of
altering the purpose and/or interest of the Zoning Ordinance or the Comprehensive Plan.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION
Staff is recommending approval of the parking variance for the following reasons:
. There is a thirty-two (32) space City parking lot immediately adjacent to the site;
. Requiring the applicant to provide seventy-one (71) parking stalls on-site would be
impossible due to the size constraints of the property;
VAR-05-003
BuichV AR,doc
VAR-O5-003
.
Enforcing the conditions and requirements of the parking ordinance will inlÜbit the
objectives of allowing Old Town to be a n1Ìxed use area.
That there are such special circumstances or conditions affecting the property that the
strict application of the provisions of this Title would clearly be impracticable or
unreasonable;
That strict compliance with the requirements of MCC would result in extraordinary
hardship to the developer because of unusual topography, the nature or condition of
adjacent development, other physical conditions or other conditions that make strict
compliance with this Title unreasonable under the circumstances, or that the conditions
and requirements of MCC will result in inhibiting the achievements or the objectives of
MCC and the Comprehensive Plan;
Granting the specified variance will not be detrimental to the public's welfare or
injurious to other property in the area in which the property is situated; and
The subject variance will not have the effect of altering the interest and purpose ofMCC
and the Meridian Comprehensive Plan.
.
.
.
.
BuichV AR.doc
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