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HomeMy WebLinkAboutStaff Comments CITY OF MERIDIAN PLANNING AND ZONING DEPARTMENT STAFF REPORT. QLŒSTIONS? CALL (208) 884-5533 SUBJECT: Hearing Date: June 6, 2006 Mayor & City Council Josh Wilson, Associate City Planner Caleb Hood, Current Planning Manager Conger Comp Plan Map Amendment . CPA-05.002 olft <rrv .J" 1~' N {} 2 2006 . . CI 'Of'Meridian tJrldlâflci Cle~ Office I ILJ.\HO I , . J? 'r. y 'it,{. /.. -f&> -" ""-!lit-r. ..,,¡.~-,-~/r. ="".L!'""",-~ -..' -- . T~¡ STAFF REPORT TO: FROM: Comprehensive Plan Map Amendment to change approx. 11.79 acres from Office to Mixed-Use Community 1. SUMMARY DESCRIPTION OF APPLICANT'S REQUEST The subject Comprehensive Plan Amendment (CPA) application proposes to amend the Future Land Use Map of the 2002 Comprehensive Plan (adopted August 6, 2002). The applicant is proposing to change an existing Office designation to a Mixed Use-Community designation for two parcels, which total approximately 11.79 acres ofland, located at 675 and 715 S. Wells Street, west of Eagle Road/SH 55 and north of Interstate 84. The properties are zoned RUT (Ada County) and are not currently within Meridian City limits. There are no other annexation, rezone or plat applications associated with the request. The applicant does state in the application letter that, if approved, the property owners intend to develop a medium high-density residential project. Approval of the subject CPA application would allow the applicant to obtain a medium high-density residential zone (R -15) for the properties, which would allow for the development of a variety of housing types (see the accompanying conceptual site plan). The amendment would not change the Future Land Use Map designation for any other parcels or for any other features of the Comprehensive Plan. (NOTE: Comprehensive Plan amendments for text changes are allowed at any time. Comprehensive Plan amendments for map changes are allowed only every six (6) months. It has been more than six months since the Comprehensive Plan Future Land Use Map has been amended.) 2. SUMMARY RECOMMENDATION Staff has provided a detailed analysis of the application below. Staff is in support of the conceptual development plan submitted by the applicant, and supports the Comprehensive Plan Amendment provided that the development of the property substantially complies with the submitted conceptual plan. Staff is recommending approval of the Comprehensive Plan Amendment for the reasons outlined in this report, provided that an Annexation/Rezone application requesting an R-15 (Medium High.Density Residential) zone, and an accompanying development proposal which substantially complies with the conceptual plan attached to this report, is submitted for concurrent approval by City CounciL On October 17. 2005. the Planning & Zoning Commission voted to recommended approval of CPA-05-002 to the City CounciL This favorable recommendation was contingent upon the applicant submitting an annexation and development plans to accompany the CPA. The applicant has subsequently submitted annexation and zoning, preliminary plat. and conditional use permit applications for the subject property (these applications are being processed as Wells Street Subdivision.) On May 4, 2006. the Planning & Zoning Commission voted to recommend approval of the Wells Street Subdivision to the City CounciL 3. APPLICATION AND PROPERTY FACTS a. Site Address/Location: 675 and 715 Wells Street /1/2 mile west of Eagle Road and 1/2 mile north ofI-84 CPA-OS-002 Conger Management Group PAGE 1 CITY OF MERIDIAN PLANNING AND ZONING DEPARTMENT STAFF REPORT. QUESTIONS? CALL (208) 884~SS33 3NIE17 b. Owners: 1. David and Betty Pearcy 675 S. Wells Street Meridian, Idaho 83642 2. Bonnie Robinson and Judy Hambley 715 S. Wells Street Meridian, Idaho 83642 c. Applicant: Conger Management Group 405 S. 8th Street, Suite 290 Boise, Idaho, 83702 d. Representative: Dave McKinnon, Conger Management Group e. Present Zoning: RUT (Ada County) f. Present Comprehensive Plan Designation: Office g. Applicant's Statement/Justification (reference submittal material): The applicant has stated that medium high-density residential development in this area will benefit the City by providing housing close to 1-84 and major employment centers such as St. Lukes, Silverstone/EI Dorado and the Crossroads shopping center, which will reduce traffic and pollution, and encourage the use of alternative transportation. The applicant has also stated that office properties located one-half mile off of a major arterial do not appear to be in high demand, and the subject properties have been for sale for a number of years without success. 4. PROCESS FACTS a. The subject application will in fact constitute a Comprehensive Plan Amendment as determined by City Ordinance. By reason of the provisions of the Idaho Code Title 11 Chapter 16, a public hearing is required before the City Council on this matter. b. Newspaper notifications published on: September 5 and 19, 2005 (for Planning & Zoning Commission hearing) c. Radius notices mailed to properties within 300 feet on: August 30, 2005 (for Planning & Zoning Commission hearing) d. Applicant posted notice on site by: September 13, 2005 (for Planning & Zoning Commission hearing) 5. LAND USE a. Existing Land Use(s): Rural residences and accessory buildings b. Description of Character of Surrounding Area: A mix of undeveloped land located within the County, a residential subdivision within Meridian city limits, and commercial development within Meridian city limits. To the immediate south and north lie rural properties with existing residences and outbuildings and vacant land. To the west of the properties, Woodbridge Subdivision was platted in 2000 with 164 single family residential lots on approximately 50 acres in the RA zone, with a gross density of 3.28 dwelling units per acre. CPA-OS-O02 Conger Management Group PAGE 2 CITY OF MERIDIAN PLANNING AND ZONING DEPARTMENT STAFF REPORT. QUESTIONS? CALL (208) 884-SS33 The area to the east of the properties, near Eagle Road and Interstate 84, has been developed as a mix of offices, automobile service stations, and hotels. In February 2005, an application was approved by the City of Meridian for Annexation and Zoning (Cottonwood Lane AZ.04-029) of the parcel immediately to the east of these properties, to a mix of Office and Commercial zoning. The proposed development includes a hotel and restaurant on Freeway Drive and an office park on the remainder of the property, including the portion which fronts on S. Wells Drive. c. Adjacent Land Use and Zoning 1. North: Rural residences, zoned RUT (Ada County) 2. East: Rural residences, zoned RUT (Ada County) and 3. South: Rural residences, zoned Rl (Ada County) and RUT (Ada County) 4. West: Woodbridge Subdivision, zoned R-4. d. History of Previous Actions: N/A e. Existing Constraints and Opportunities: 1. Public Works Location of sewer: Location of water: Available in E. Magic View Drive and S. Wells Street Available in E. Magic View Drive 2. Vegetation: There are numerous existing trees on the subject properties that should either be preserved or mitigated for at the time of development. 3. Flood plain: A portion of the south property lies with the 100 year floodplain for Fivemile Creek. 4. Canals/Ditches Irrigation: N/ A 5. Hazards: Staff is not aware of any potential hazards on this site. 6. Proposed Zoning: No annexation or zoning is proposed at this time. 7. Size of Property: Approx. 11.79 acres f. Summary of Proposed Streets and/or Access (private, public, common drive, etc.): The north parcel has frontage on S. Wells Street and E. Magic View Drive and the south parcel has frontage on S. Wells Street and access to a currently undeveloped ACHD right-of-way on the south boundary. The parcels would be developed together, and the applicant foresees providing access to the development from E. Magic View Drive and S. Wells Street, and providing a stub to the undeveloped ACHD right-of-way. 6. COMMENTS MEETING No Agency Comments Meeting was held to review this application since there is no development or annexation associated with the request. 7. COMPREHENSIVE PLAN POLICIES AND GOALS PROPOSED & POTENTIAL USES OF PROPERTY If the CPA application is approved, the applicant intends to develop a medium high-density residential project. The applicant has submitted a conceptual development plan which shows a variety of housing types on the property, including single family detached homes, alley loaded single family detached homes, townhouses, and multifamily buildings. The conceptual plan shows 108 dwelling units on the property which would result in a gross density of 9 dwelling units per acre, in accordance with the CP A-OS-002 Conger Management Group PAGE 3 CITY OF MERIDIAN PLANNING AND ZONING DEPARTMENT STAFF REPORT. QLŒSTIONS? CALL (208) 884-SS33 Comprehensive Plan definition for MU-Community. Without a concurrent Annexation and Zoning or Conditional Use Permit application, the City could not restrict the applicant to a specified development plan, and all uses available for the MU-Community designation would be an option for future development of the properties. The MU-Community designation allows for up to 25 acres of non- residential uses, up to 200,000 square feet of non-residential buildings, and a residential density of 3 to 15 units per acre. Potential zoning would include C-C (Community Commercial) and C-N (Neighborhood Commercial), as well as the L-O (Limited Office), medium and medium high-density residential zones (R-8 and R-15) and the traditional neighborhood districts (TN-C and TN-R). Sample uses in this area include residences, offices, clothing stores, garden centers, hardware stores, restaurants, banks with drive through facilities, and department stores. The City will have the opportunity to review any proposed development on the properties and impose any conditions necessary to protect the best interests of the City through the Conditional Use Permit process. The Comprehensive Plan states: "All development within this designation [Mixed Use] will occur only under the Conditional Use Permit process" (Page 97, Chapter VII 2002 Comprehensive Plan). The Comprehensive Plan defines the present Office designation as follows: "This designation will provide opportunities for low-impact business areas. These would include offices, technology and resource centers; ancillary commercial uses may be considered (particularly within research and development centers or technological parks)." Although, the Meridian City Code allows multifamily housing developments as a Conditional Use in the L-O (Limited Office) zone, any use other than those listed above proposed on lands with the Office designation would not be in compliance with the Comprehensive Plan and would not be supported by staff. The purpose of the MU designation on the Future Land Use Map is to identify key areas which are either infill in nature or situated in highly visible or transitioning areas of the city where innovative and flexible design opportunities are encouraged (Page 97, Chapter VII 2002 Comprehensive Plan). COMPREHENSIVE PLAN ANALYSIS Neither the Idaho State Code nor Meridian City Code has required findings for reviewing CPA applications. The Commission and Council should base any decision upon the worthiness and suitability of the application in lieu of the City's economic and planning needs, both existing and proj ected. Idaho Code 67-6508 does state that "the plan shall consider previous and existing conditions, trends, desirable goals and objectives, or desirable future situations for each planning component." Therefore, in the absence of any required fmdings, staff has reviewed the subject application and offers the following analysis and recommendations for the Commission and Council's consideration. The 2002 Comprehensive Plan contains a variety of goals, objectives, and action items relevant to this CPA application. The following policies most directly apply to the proposed project and are repeated here for the Council and Commission's consideration during the hearing process (staff analvsis is in italics below the quoted policv): . Mixed Use, pages 97 and 98, Chapter VII: 0 Second Bullet, bottom of page 97: Where feasible, multi-family residential uses will be encouraged, especially for projects with the potential to serve as employment centers and when the project is adjacent to State Highways 20-26,55 or 69. As the applicant has stated, the subject properties are located near major employment centers, including St. Luke hospital, Silverstone and El Dorado business campuses, and Crossroads Shopping Center. The properties are also near two major transportation corridors, Interstate 84 and Eagle Road/SH 55. CP A-OS-002 Conger Management Group PAGE 4 CITY OF MERIDIAN PLANNING AND ZONING DEPARTMENT STAFF REPORT. QUESTIONS? CALL (208) 884-SS33 . Fifth Bullet, top of page 98: Where the project is developed adjacent to low or medium density residential uses, a transitional use is encouraged. Stafffeels that medium high-density residential is an appropriate buffer between the medium density residential subdivision to the west and the intense commercial uses to the east. The MU-Community designation does, however, allow uses that would not be appropriate transitional uses, such as retail stores and banks with drive through facilities. With a concurrent annexation application on the properties, the City can ensure that an appropriate transitional use will be provided. Objective D, page 107: Encourage appropriate land uses along transportation corridors. 0 Action 7: Develop incentives for high-density development along major transportation corridors to support public transportation system. The subject properties are near two major transportation corridors, Interstate 84 and Eagle Road/SH 55, which would support the future development of a public transportation system in the area. 0 . Objective A, page 108: Encourage quality housing projects for all economic levels in a variety of areas. Action 6: Develop incentives for a variety of housing types, suitable for various income groups, close to employment and shopping centers. The subject properties are located near major employment centers, including St. Luke hospital, Silverstone and El Dorado business campuses, and Crossroads Shopping Center. 0 ECONOMIC & LAND USE ISSUES Since the Land Use Planning Act requires a Comprehensive Plan to address economic development issues as part of a city's long-range plan, staff is including the following analysis for the P&Z Commission and City Council as part of this CPA application. We believe the maj ority of these issues support amending the Future Land Use Map from Office to MU-Community. Over-Supplv of Office Land: Meridian's 2005 office vacancy rate has been noted by the Chamber of Commerce and other local real estate sources to continue to be high (between 9% and 25%, depending on the sub-area). This supports the applicant's statement that the properties have been difficult to market within the constraints of the Office designation. The Commission and Council should, however, bear in mind that the purpose of the Comprehensive Plan is to establish a long-term, reliable blueprint for both the business and residential sectors of the community. It is not the goal of the Plan to always accommodate market swings or demands. Transportation Issues: The demands on the local transportation system created by residential uses are typically less than those created by retail uses, at least with regard to peak hour vehicle trip generation. The Comprehensive Plan encourages the location of high-density residential developments in close proximity to major transportation corridors and employment centers, thus reducing the number and distance of vehicle trips per day by residents. Compatibilitv & Design Issues: Staff believes that allowing a MU-Community designation on this has the potential to adversely affect other properties in the area, due to the nature of the uses allowed in within the MU-Community designation. Staff does not feel that the applicant's submitted conceptual plan for a medium high-density residential project would be detrimental to other properties in the area, and also feels that residential uses adjacent to other residential uses are generally compatible with each other. The term "compatible" is not defined in the Zoning Ordinance and is, for better or worse, determined largely CP A-OS-002 Conger Management Group PAGES n__n_> CITY OF MERIDIAN PLANNING AND ZONING DEPARTMENT STAFF REPORT. QUESTIONS? CALL (208) 884-S533 through the public hearing process. Ultimately, the Commission and City Council establish the parameters for compatibility via zoning and comprehensive plan designations. High intensity commercial uses directly abutting low or medium density residential uses are generally not preferred. The Comprehensive Plan supports transitional zones/uses, such as offices, to buffer commercial and residential uses (Chapter VII, Goal 1, Objective B, Action item 7). The existing Office designation on the subject properties was intended to buffer the residential properties to the west from the commercial development to the east, and staff acknowledges that the office uses are more compatible with the existing residential development than the proposed medium high-density residential. However, staff does feel that a medium high~density residential development would be an acceptable buffer between the medium density residential development to the west and the commercial developments to the east, and in this circumstance may be a more appropriate land use. Staff feels that uses allowed in the MU-Community designation other than medium high-density residential would not be appropriate buffers. IDAHO STATE CODE Idaho State Code Title 67, Chapter 65, states that the commission may recommend amendments to the land use map component of the comprehensive plan to the governing board not more frequently than once every six (6) months. [NOTE: A formal recommendation of the other three CPA applications being heard on September 22, 2005 could impact the approval timeframe of this application. 8. ZONING ORDINANCE No amendments to the Zoning Ordinance are being proposed. If the application is approved and the Mixed Use-Community designation is granted, a number of different zoning districts could be applied for at the time of annexation, including C-C and C-N districts, the medium and medium-high density R- districts, and the Traditional Neighborhood Commercial or Traditional Neighborhood Residential districts. 9. RECOMMENDATION Staff is in support of the conceptual development plan submitted by the applicant, and supports the Comprehensive Plan Amendment provided that the development of the property substantially complies with the submitted conceptual plan. Staff is recommending approval of the Comprehensive Plan Amendment for the reasons outlined in this report, provided that an Annexation/Rezone application requesting an R-I5 (Medium High-Density Residential) zone, and an accompanying development proposal which substantially complies with the conceptual plan attached to this report, is submitted for concurrent approval by City CounciL 10. PROPOSED MOTION Approval I move to approve File Number CP A-05-002 as presented in the staff report for the hearing date of June 6, 2006. Denial I move to deny File Number CP A-05-002 as presented in the staff report for the hearing date of June 6, 2006, for the following reasons: (you can state specific reasons for denial. They should address how the applicant might re.do the application to gain your recommendation for approval). 11. EXHffiITS A. Drawings 1. Conceptual Development Plan CPA-OS-O02 Conger Management Group PAGE 6 CITY OF MERIDIAN PLANNING AND ZONING DEPARTMENT STAFF REPORT. QUESTIONS? CALL (208) 884-SS33 CP A-OS-002 Conger Management Group PAGE 7 M M or) or) ~ co co ÕÒ 0 N '-' .....¡ .....¡ ~ U ". f.I1 Z 0 - E-< f.I1 ê3 0 ~ 0 Q.. '"" ~ þ.., ~ E-< f.I1 E-< Z u..¡ ¿ ~ Q.. u..¡ Q 0 ~ ð N Q ~ 0 2: z ~ .....¡ Q.. 3 Q ;¡ ~ p.. 0 :>< E-< - U æ E: -= Q) s c.. 0 ~ ;> Q) Q -¡:¡; ~ ..... 0.. Q) 0 t: rn 0 gr U .~ Q ..:¿ Woodbridge Subdivision 1 08 total dwellings ~ <II $ \J .ò) ItJ ~ LEGEND 1 - two story town homes- three units per structure 2 ~ single family detached front garage 3 - Big Block appearance of one large home {mansion) but really two or three separate dwellings 4 - Single family detached facing the street wìth rear garage and alley access' 5 - single family detached facing center common area with rear garage and alley access 6 - center common area 7 - other common area 8 - main entrance 9 . secondary entrance ~ 10 - alleys c' ~ , ~ -, ': -'-'-~'5,,"_' . ~