TO: Mayor Collins and Town Council
FROM: Eva Cutro, Community Development Director
Paul Michaud, Senior Planner
DATE: June 8, 2017
CONTACT:
Staff Contact
Paul Michaud, 480-348-3574
End
AGENDA TITLE:
Title
Consideration of a Statement of Direction for “The Villas at Cheney Estates” Private Roadway Gate
Body
RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
Approve the Statement of Direction for The Villas at Cheney Estates Private Roadway Gate Special Use Permit located at the northwest corner of Northern Avenue Alignment and Scottsdale Road.
Background
BACKGROUND
Town Council Study Session:
The Town Council discussed the proposed application at the meeting of May 25, 2017. There was discussion regarding the application timing. It was explained that there are several application requests for the proposed development, with only the private roadway gate Special Use Permit requiring direction by Town Council before moving through the Planning Commission and Town Council process. Although the SOD for this proposed gate appears to be moving ahead of the other applications, this application will not be approved until the Town Council takes action on the related applications such as the rezoning and Conditional Use Permit for the private roadway. It was also suggested that the rezoning case include a reversion clause back to R-43 zoning.
The draft SOD reviewed by the Town Council included three draft motions. The general consensus was to take action on the SOD at the June 8, 2017 meeting that private roadway gates could be supported provided the necessary safety and design review is done.
Request:
Doug Jorden, P.C., on behalf of Town Triangle, L.L.C., has filed a Special Use Permit (SUP) for private roadway gates on an approximate 4.4-acre property located at the northwest corner of the Northern Avenue alignment and Scottsdale Road (Parcel No. 174-36-002X). This is the undeveloped triangular property adjoining the Camelback Golf Club, Indian Bend Wash, and Scottsdale Road.
New Special Use Permit applications require the Town Council provide a Statement of Direction (SOD) prior to Planning Commission discussion. This SOD only applies to the private roadway gate application. This application is one of several applications that were filed in 2016 to develop the subject property for eight single-family residential lots, ranging in lot sizes between 12,000 net square feet to 35,000 net square feet. Based on input in 2016, the applicant has withdrawn their application request for an amendment to the General Plan and is in process to purchase approximately five additional acres of adjoining property. All these applications will go through the applicable Planning Commission/Town Council process with public input. Tentative action is expected in the fall/winter 2017.
Application Timing:
The application timing is no longer considered applicable. At the request of the applicant, this SUP roadway gate application along with the other related applications to develop the subject site was put on hold.
EXISTING CONDITIONS
For information on the existing site characteristics, General Plan designation, and Zoning District on the subject site and vicinity refer to the attachment to this report.
ROADWAY GATE
Section 1102.2.F of the Zoning Ordinance requires that private access control gates on private roads be approved via the Special Use Permit process that starts with obtaining a SOD from Town Council. The Town has no regulations for such gates. Instead, there are SUP Guidelines to allow for evaluation of each request in a case-by-case basis. These SUP Guidelines for private roadway gates are the same regardless of the zoning district, lot size, and number of lots served by the proposed private access gate.
The SUP Guidelines recommend access control gates be limited to a maximum height of 8 feet, a minimum setback of 150 feet from centerline of the nearest intersecting street, and a turnaround that meets the Town’s cul-du-sac standards of a 45-foot radius. The SUP Guidelines also provide for lighting and signage. Lighting guidelines include hooding and shielding of light fixtures, allowance for up lighting and pole lights, and maximum light levels of 5.0 foot-candles for entrance roadways and 0.5 foot-candles at the property line. Signage guidelines include one wall sign not to exceed 6 feet in height or 6 square feet in area, with ground signs not to exceed 4 feet in height or 2 square feet in area.
The Planning Commission and Town Council will have opportunity to review the specific details of this private roadway gate application in future study session(s) and public meeting(s). The information attached to this SOD report is what has been submitted with the application. Generally, the proposed characteristics of the private roadway gate area include the following:
• A private roadway cul-de-sac off Scottsdale Road, with two access gates adjoining this entry cul-de-sac. This cul-de-sac will serve as the turn-around in front of the gates. It has a right-of-way radius of 45 feet and a pavement radius of 40 feet in accordance with Town standards.
• Stacking from the gates to the centerline of Scottsdale Road complies with the Town SUP gate guidelines. The stacking shown is 179 feet and 223 feet from the gate to the centerline of Scottsdale Road. The Town SUP guideline recommends there be at least 150 feet from the centerline of the intersecting roadway to the gate. In addition, the applicant has complied with the City of Scottsdale stacking standard of 75 feet from the call box to the back of curb along Scottsdale Road. The safe stacking of vehicles is a primary concern, as Scottsdale Road is a heavily traveled roadway and Town guidelines may not adequately address the specific conditions along this roadway. The applicant has included a traffic statement as part of their application submittal. This statement from a registered engineer provides that the provided queuing of vehicles on site is sufficient for typical ingress operation.
• The entry cul-de-sac includes two entry rolling gates at approximately 6 feet 6 inches in height, with entry gate columns at 7 feet in height. These are in compliance with the SUP Guidelines. One gate will provide access to six lots and the other gate will provide access to two lots.
• For secondary access, the applicant proposes a 20-foot wide emergency vehicle gate onto Scottsdale Road. Additional detail on the design of this access gate, requirement that the access gate swing into the subject property as to not impede pedestrian/vehicular travel along Scottsdale Road, and impact on sight distance and corner clearance should be reviewed.
• The gate illustration with the application shows landscaping, walls and/or fencing, water features, and project signage in the area of the entry gates.
o This includes 6-foot high walls connecting to the proposed gates around the entry cul-de-sac. These proposed walls do not comply with the typical standards in Article XXIV, Walls and Fences, of the Zoning Ordinance. In certain instances, walls or fences have been approved in a private roadway tract or on an individual lot to connect to a private roadway gate.
o Perimeter and common area landscaping, along with the perimeter walls and/or fencing, is typically approved as part of the final plat process on a subdivision with private road(s). Section 2408 of the Town Zoning Ordinance, allows for the review of the location, height, setback, and design of such perimeter subdivision walls and/or fences. The Town has approved conceptual perimeter walls, fencing, and/or landscaping with the preliminary plat in some prior plat applications. Alternatively, walls and/or fencing, associated landscaping, lighting, and signage adjacent to the gate area may be also considered with the private roadway gate SUP.
ATTACHMENTS
1. Draft SOD
2. Existing Conditions (Vicinity, Aerial, Zoning, General Plan)
3. SUP Application
4. Traffic Study
5. Preliminary Plat
6. General Plan Withdrawal Letter
7. Presentation
C: - Applicant/ Case File