TO: Chair and Planning Commission
FROM: Eva Cutro, Community Development Director
Paul Michaud, Senior Planner
DATE: August 16, 2016
CONTACT:
Staff Contact
Paul Michaud, 480-348-3574
End
AGENDA TITLE:
Title
Discussion of a proposed lot split (LS 16-05)
7808 N Ironwood Drive (APN: 169-03-039)
Background
BACKGROUND
Request:
The applicants, Sharat Kanaka and Punnaiah, are requesting approval of a lot split to divide a 2.251-acre parcel into two lots. Lot 48A is 43,560 square feet in size (1.0 acre) and 48B is 54,481 square feet in size (1.251 acres). The subject property is zoned R-43 for single-family homes on minimum one-acre lots and it is located at 7008 N Ironwood Drive.
Existing Site:
The existing single-family home, tennis court, and related structures were removed as part of a demolition permit issued in March 2016. There are some remnant perimeter site wall sections that remain to be removed or reconstructed, such as the wall running across the drainage easement and a portion of wall within the street yard setback along Northern Avenue and Ironwood Drive. All nonconforming walls must be removed or reconstructed prior to recordation of an approved plat.
General Plan/Zoning:
The subject property is shown as Low Density Residential (0-1 house per acre) on the Town’s General Plan Land Use Map. The proposed site is zoned R-43 and is limited to one house per acre. The subject site is not designated hillside.
Proposed Stipulations
Any proposed stipulations can be discussed at the study session. Draft stipulations are attached for discussion. The Planning Commission will make a recommendation on the lot split application to Town Council at that time.
ENFORCEMENT
There are no current zoning violations associated with the subject property.
DISCUSSION/FACTS
Right-of-Way/Road Improvements: No right-of-way dedication is required. Northern Avenue and Ironwood Drive adjoining the subject site are designated as a local road. The Town’s General Plan suggests a minimum right-of-way width of 50 feet. The right-of-way along Northern Avenue is 60-feet in width and the right-of-way along Ironwood Drive is 50-feet in width.
Curbing and some additional roadway pavement will be required. The roadway pavement adjacent to the subject site along Northern Avenue is approximately 28 feet in width, with ribbon curb on the north side of the road and no curb adjacent to the subject site. The roadway pavement adjacent to the subject site along Ironwood Drive is approximately 20 feet in width, with no ribbon curb on either side of the street. As typical during the plat process, a stipulation will be suggested to require the necessary curb and roadway pavement to meet Town standards of pavement with curb at 26 feet in width. Approval of such improvement plans by the Town Engineer and submittal of the necessary assurances to complete such improvements are typically required prior to recordation of the plat map. Completion of said improvements are either required prior to issuance of the building permit for the first home or prior to issuance of the certificate of occupancy of the first home. The latter allows much of the construction on the subject site to take place, thus reducing the risk of damage to the roadway improvements. Although, stipulating the improvements with the certificate of occupancy pushes back the timeframe the roadway improvements are completed.
The Town’s General Plan does not indicate either adjoining roadway for bicycle or pedestrian improvements. However, the Town is in process of drafting a bicycle and pedestrian master plan. At this point, no specific draft guidance is available for this area.
Traffic:
Per the Town Engineer, a traffic study is not required. As a new lot will be created, this may increase vehicular and pedestrian traffic. However, it is not expected to cause a significant increase in traffic. The Trip Generation Manual by the Institute of Transportation Engineers estimates the typical single-family detached home averages between 8.78 to 10.09 vehicle trip ends per day.
Lot Configuration:
The proposed lot split meets all area requirements for R-43 lots, including size, lot width, access to a public street, and setbacks. Although the lot split meets the standards for R-43 properties, the lot sizes may be somewhat out of character for the immediate neighborhood. The lots south of Northern Avenue tend to be in the one and one-half acre to three-acre size range, while the lots north of Northern Avenue are in the one-acre size range. It should be noted, that the many larger lots south of Northern Avenue is a result of private deed restrictions prohibiting splitting the original 1953 platted lots. The Town does not enforce private deed restrictions, only Town Code standards. For the subject site’s subdivision, these deed restrictions were changed by the lot owners of Mummy Mountain Park in 1989 to allow for land divisions that meet applicable zoning requirements. Also, the deed restrictions had an automatic sunset clause of 1995.
Utilities:
Each of the proposed lots will have the required 6 or 8-foot public utility easement along the perimeter of the lot in accordance with Section 6-3-3 of the Town Code. All typical type of utilities will be provided; such as water, electricity, natural gas and sewer. The prior home on the subject lot was on septic. The new homes will be on sewer, with the existing sewer line underneath Northern Avenue adjoining the site to be extended underneath Ironwood Drive adjoining the subject site.
Drainage:
There is an existing wash that crosses both proposed lots. The appropriate Town drainage easement maintenance agreement and easement have already been recorded.
Each lot will require an individual engineering site/grading and drainage plan with each building permit application submittal. On-lot retention will be required with the development of each lot.
Fire Protection Issues:
The two proposed lots will meet all standards related to fire protection. Both lots will have direct access onto a public roadway. The nearest fire hydrant is located 60 feet away from the northeast property line. The Town Code requires a fire hydrant to be located within 400’ of a property line. The new homes that will be constructed as a result of this lot split will have fire sprinklers in accordance with the Town Fire Code.
The lots are in a designated low water pressure area. This designation occurred over ten years ago. Since that time, the City of Phoenix has made some water line improvements positively affecting the designated low flow area. The Town Code requires a minimum flow test rate of 1,500 gallons per minute (gpm). If the fire flow rate is below the minimum rate, the property owner shall demonstrate that the fire sprinkler system will comply with the National Fire Protection Association standard 13D or the current equivalent code requirement. The applicant has provided documentation from the City of Phoenix water utility that demonstrates compliance to Town fire flow rate standards.
PUBLIC COMMENTS
There are no public comments. Neighborhood notification is not required for lot splits.
Next Steps
The proposed lot split application is scheduled for action on September 6, 2016.
ATTACHMENTS
1. Vicinity Map (Aerial/General Plan/Zoning)
2. Application
3. Existing Plat
4. Approved Drainage Easement
5. City of Phoenix Water Correspondence
6. Draft Stipulations
7. Proposed Lot Spilt Plat
C: - Applicant / Case File: LS-16-05