Town of Paradise Valley
Action Report
TO: Chairman and Planning Commission
FROM: Eva Cutro, Community Development Director
DATE: May 2, 2017
CONTACT:
Staff Contact
Eva Cutro, 480-348-3522
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AGENDA TITLE:
Title
Phoenix Country Day School - Intermediate SUP Amendment
3901 E. Stanford Drive
Body
RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the Planning Commission forward The Intermediate Special Use Permit Amendment for Phoenix Country Day School to the Town Council with a recommendation for approval, subject to the following stipulations:
1. All improvements to the property shall be in substantial compliance with the following:
a. Intermediate Special Use Permit Amendment Application. Submitted November 2016. Resubmitted April 2017.
2. The illumination of the proposed signs shall be turned off between the hours of 9:30 p.m. and 5:30 a.m.
3. All existing Special Use Permit stipulations shall remain in full force and effect, unless changed or modified by this Intermediate Amendment.
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BACKGROUND
The Town annexed the subject property in 1961. The original Special Use Permit (SUP) was issued in 1972 and has been amended several times. The property is 39 acres in size and is bisected by the Arizona Canal.
The Planning Commission discussed this application at their January 3, 2017 meeting. This application was advertised for action at the January 17, 2017 Planning Commission meeting. The application was then continued until March 7, 2017. At the March 7th meeting the applicant requested a continuance until April 18th. The applicant had a scheduling conflict on April 18th and the application was continued until May 2nd.
Request:
Phoenix Country Day School is requesting an amendment to their Special Use Permit (SUP) to allow for the replacement of the existing Administration Building, new fencing, and updated signage. The proposed improvements are approximately 9935 square feet in size.
§ New Administration Building
The new building is proposed at the northern part of the campus setback from Stanford Drive. The building is single story, with a maximum height of 20 feet. An architectural spire that was previously contemplated has been eliminated. The building is proposed at 7908 square feet in size with an additional 2027 square feet of covered exterior space. It will replace the existing 2,700 square foot administration building. It is setback approximately 220’ from Stanford Drive in the same general location as the existing administration building. New landscaping is also proposed around the building per the attached landscape plan.
The new administration building will replace and upgrade the undersized, existing administration building. No new uses are proposed for this building and while existing staff members may be moved to this building, no new staff will be hired and no additional parking or changes in circulation are contemplated.
§ Signage
A new sign is proposed for the corner of Stanford and 40th Street. This will replace an existing sign in the same location, but at a larger size. The height of the existing sign is about 4’ maximum at the center and the end columns. The proposed sign is 56” high for the entire length of the sign. The applicant has prepared a comparison of the two signs. The sign is setback behind the 50’ corner sight triangle.
An additional sign is proposed along Stanford Drive at the main entrance to the school. This is a double sided sign, 30 square feet per side, for an aggregate square footage of 60. The SUP Guidelines recommend an aggregate of 32 square feet. However, there are three entrances off of Stanford and only one sign is proposed, therefore the Planning Commission may wish to allow a double sided sign. The applicant is working with the Town Engineer on the setback of this sign and this will be discussed in more detail at the meeting.
Identification signage on the proposed administration building is also included as part of this amendment. This lettering matches what was recently approved at the gymnasium and aquatic center.
A new ground mounted sign is also proposed just east of the administration building. This sign with logo was originally proposed on the building but was removed due to Planning Commission input. This sign is approximately 45.75” in height and should not be visible off site.
Sign lighting is proposed and the applicant is preparing photometrics at the property line. The illumination of the signs shall be turned off between the hours of 9:30 p.m. and 5:30 a.m.
§ Fencing
To help secure the campus, new fencing is proposed to connect the administration building to the buildings on each side of it. The fencing will match the existing fencing throughout the campus. Per the Planning Commission’s request, the applicant is also proposing additional fence screening at the Arts and Sciences Building.
General Plan:
The proposed improvements are consistent with the Land Use policies of Goal LU 2.1.2 of the Town’s General Plan which encourages the continued revitalization and improvement of the Town’s Special Use Permits while protecting the adjacent residential neighborhoods.
Zoning Ordinance and Special Use Permit Compliance:
The proposed improvements are consistent with the permitted use for the approved SUP, a private academic school and related facilities. The approved 1,000 student at any one time enrollment cap remains the same. The proposed improvements will match the architectural style of the existing buildings.
The improvements are compliant with the maximum 25% lot coverage and 40-foot setback standards for structures adjoining a street outlined in the Town’s SUP Guidelines.
Intermediate Amendment Criteria:
The scope of an intermediate amendment is limited to the geographic area of the application request. The proposal meets the intermediate amendment criteria to a Special Use Permit. This criterion shall include any proposal which does not:
• Change or add any uses; or
• Increase the floor area of the project by more than 40%, with any such increase to be measured cumulatively over a sixty month period; or
• Have any significant material effect on the adjoining property owners that is visible, audible, or otherwise perceptible from adjacent properties that cannot be sufficiently mitigated.
The proposed improvements do not change any approved existing use, as an administration building, additional fencing, and signage are all part of a school facility. The additions are not expected to result in any significant material effect that cannot be mitigated.
Statement of Direction
Per the Town’s SUP ordinance, the Town Council shall issue a Statement of Direction for Intermediate SUP Amendments. The Statement of Direction is not a final decision of the Town Council and does not create any vested rights to the approval of a Special Use Permit. Any applicant for a Special Use Permit shall not rely upon the matters addressed in the Statement of Direction being the same as those that may be part of an approved Special Use Permit. At any time during the review process, the Planning Commission may request clarification and/or expansion of the Statement of Direction based on additional information that has evolved.
The Town Council approved Phoenix Country Day School’s Statement of Direction on December 1, 2016. The application is consistent with the uses and limitations outlined in the approved Statement of Direction.
Next StepS
This application is scheduled for a May 11, 2017 Town Council study session and May 25, 2017 Town Council public hearing.
ATTACHMENTS:
Applicant’s Narrative with exhibits
Statement of Direction