TO: Chair and Planning Commissioners
FROM: Jeremy Knapp, Community Development Director
Paul Michaud, Senior Planner
George Burton, Planner
DATE: December 18, 2018
DEPARTMENT: Community Development
Staff Contact George Burton, 480-348-3525
End
AGENDA TITLE:
Title
Consideration of Intermediate Special Use Permit Amendment (SUP-18-10). 5410 N. Scottsdale Road - Paradise Valley Medical Plaza
Body
Town Value(s):
☒ Primarily one-acre, residential community
☐ Limited government
☐ Creating a sense of community
☐ Partnerships with existing schools and resorts to enhance recreational opportunities
☐ Improving aesthetics/creating a brand
☐ Preserving natural open space
The proposed improvements are consistent with Section 2.1.2 of the Town’s General Plan which encourages the continued revitalization and improvement of the Town’s Special Use Permit properties while protecting the adjacent residential neighborhoods.
RECOMMENDATION:
Recommendation
It is recommended that the Planning Commission forward to the Town Council approval of Ordinance #2019-01, approving the proposed Paradise Valley Medical Plaza Intermediate SUP Amendment request.
Request:
Paradise Valley Medical Plaza is requesting an amendment to their Special Use Permit (SUP) to allow for the addition of a new 10,000 square feet medical building, a new parking area, two new covered parking canopies, and new signage.
Background:
History and Conditions
The original Special Use Permit (SUP) was issued on June 14, 1979 and has been amended several times. The most recent amendment was approved in 2003, which added five new buildings, new parking, signage, landscaping, and lighting. The property is approximately 8.5 acres in size and is located at the southwest corner of Scottsdale Road and Jackrabbit Road.
Statement of Direction
Per the Town’s ordinance, the Town Council shall issue a Statement of Direction for Intermediate SUP Amendments. A Statement of Direction is intended to provide general guidelines or project parameters as the application progresses through the Planning Commission and Town Council review. A Statement of Direction is not a final decision and shall create no vested rights to the approval of a Special Use Permit. Nor shall the applicant rely on the matters addressed in the Statement of Direction as those that may become part of an approved Special Use Permit. The Town Council approved the Paradise Valley Medical Plaza’s Statement of Direction (SOD) on November 15, 2018. In summary, the SOD identifies the following:
1. Use. The SOD directs the Planning Commission to evaluate if additional changes or measures are needed to mitigate any adverse effects created by the patient drop-off area and/or increased intensity of use.
2. Traffic, Parking, and Circulation. Attention shall be given to parking lot location, number of parking spaces, and the dimension of the parking spaces. Since a new surgical facility will be added and the new building does not have a defined break-down of how much of the building will be used for medical office or surgery facility, the Planning Commission shall evaluate the parking analysis to determine if the total number of provided parking spaces will accommodate the improvements.
3. Signage. The Planning Commission shall evaluate any proposed signage associated with these improvements. New direction signage shall meet the SUP Guidelines standards and the building signage (such as office or suite numbers) must match the current signage on the campus (in terms of size, height, and design).
4. Impact to Adjacent Uses. The Planning Commission shall evaluate any neighborhood concerns regarding noise or lighting associated with these proposed improvements.
Planning Commission Discussion
The Planning Commission discussed this application at the December 4th work study session. During the review, the Commission requested the following:
1. Since the proposed monument sign exceeded the recommended size limits outlined in the SUP Guidelines, the Commission asked the applicant if the monument sign can be reduced in size. Also, the Commission recommended that the address be placed on the sign.
2. The Commission recommended that additional landscaping be placed near the west property line to help screen the new building.
3. The Commission requested that a screen wall be placed around the equipment area located near the existing surgery center.
The applicant updated the submittal to address these comments and recommendations.
Scope of Request:
New Medical Building (Building I)
The new medical building will be located at southwestern part of the campus. It is setback 321’ from the north property line, 69’ from the west property line, 233’ from the south property line, and 373’ from the east property line. The new building is 10,000 square feet in size, 20’1” tall, and is a single-story building. Also, an existing covered parking structure will be demolished in order to accommodate the new building and parking area.
The new building will be used for surgical facilities, traditional medical offices, or a combination of both uses (depending upon the tenant that occupies the building). Currently, there are two surgical facilities located in the existing/northern building. The medical center will be limited to a maximum of three surgical facilities, in which the new building may hold all three surgical facilities or the surgical facilities may be split between the new and existing buildings.
The new patient drop-off area will serve all surgical facilities. The patient drop-off area will have a covered roof that is attached to the new building and will be setback 69’ from the west property line (adjoining residential properties). An 8’ tall screen wall be also be placed at the west side of the drop-off area to help mitigate any noise from this area. The applicant provided a report from an acoustical consultant, identifying that the screen wall will reduce noise levels (e.g. car engine, door slams, etc.) by 6.1 decibels.
The new building will have a stucco finish and tile roof to match the architecture of the existing buildings on campus. Wall mounted sconces will be placed around the building and have an output of 0-foot candles measured at the property line. Also, the hours of operation of the new building will comply with the current SUP, which is limited to:
Hours of operation for the Medical Offices shall be Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and Saturday from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., with occasional use outside these hours limited to exigent patient treatment and as necessary by physicians and staff for work activities other than patient treatment; the surgical center shall be Monday through Friday 6:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and, the recovery center shall be Monday through Friday 24 hours, with no overnight stays on Saturday or Sunday. Emergency, 24-hour care shall not be a permitted use.
New Parking
Thirty-three new parking spaces will be added to accommodate the new building (which will increase the total parking count from 243 spaces to 276 spaces). Each parking space is180 square feet in size, which includes the overhang area between the wheel stop and curb.
The SUP Guidelines recommend 1 space for 200 square feet of medical office and 1 space for each 2 employees plus 1 space for each surgical room. However, the new building does not have a defined break-down of how much of the building will be used for medical office. As a result, the applicant provided a parking analysis which identifies that 276 total parking spaces are needed to accommodate the new building and associated uses. The SOD identifies the Planning Commission shall review and evaluate the parking analysis and that attention shall be given to parking lot location, number of parking spaces, and the dimension of the parking spaces.
Four pole lights will also be placed in the new parking area. The parking lot lights match the existing light poles on campus, are 8’ tall, and have an output of 0-foot candles measured at the property line. The hours of operation of the new parking lot lights will comply with the current SUP stipulation, which limits the operation of the lights from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Covered Parking Canopies
Two new covered parking canopies will be added to the existing parking lot. The canopies will be located at the eastern part of the campus, have a combined square footage of 1,157 square feet, and are setback 23’ from the south property line (adjoining the First Southern Baptist Church) and setback 216’ from the east property line (adjoining Scottsdale Road). The parking canopies are 11’ tall and are designed to match the existing covered parking structures. Three light fixtures will be placed under each parking canopy with a maximum output of 0.2-footcandles measured at the property line (the SUP Guidelines recommended a maximum output of 0.5-footcandles measured at the property line). The hours of operation of the covered parking canopy lights will comply with the current SUP stipulation, which limits the operation of the lights from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Landscaping
New landscaping will be placed around the new medical building, new parking area, and along the west property line (adjoining the residential properties). The plant palette consists of native plants such as palo verde trees, red yucca, desert spoon, and baja ruellia. No new landscaping lighting is associated with this project.
In response to the Commission’s recommendation during the work study session, the applicant added 9 more palo verde trees along the northwest property line (to help screen the new medical building from the western residential properties).
Signage
Four new types of signs will be added to the campus in order to accommodate the new medical building. A new monument sign will be placed next to Scottsdale Road, a new tenant/directional sign will be placed next to the new medical building, tenant identification signs will be placed on the new medical building located at each office/suite, and a building identification sign will be placed on the new medical building:
§ Monument Sign. The new monument sign will be placed next to Scottsdale Road, near Building C. It’s a double-faced sign that is 8’ tall and 8’4” wide (with an area of approximately 39.5 square feet per side). The sign will be painted and finished to match the buildings on campus, will not be illuminated, will identify the property address, and will identify the name of 5 tenants on each side (with a total of 10 tenants identified). Due to Commission’s concern about the size of the sign, the applicant reduced the size the sign from 82 square feet to 39 square feet.
The existing campus also has two wall mounted signs placed at each entrance (for a total of four existing signs that identify the name of the medical plaza). The existing signs are 3.8’ tall, approximately 12 square feet in size (2’ x 6’), and are externally illuminated. The combined area of the four existing identification signs is 42 square feet.
The SUP Guidelines recommend one ground sign that is no higher than 8’ and no larger than 40 square feet in area at each principal entrance to the property. The new monument sign meets the recommended size limit of 40 square feet (at 39 square feet) but does not meet the SUP Guidelines recommendation of being located at the property entrance. However, the sign should have limited impact to the adjoining residential properties since it is located next to Scottsdale Road, will not be illuminated, and will be screened from the western and northern residences by the existing buildings on campus.
§ Tenant/Direction Sign. A tenant/directional sign will be located between the new medical building and the new parking area. This sign will match the existing directional signage on campus. The sign is 5’ tall, 4’6” wide, 22.5 square feet in size, non-illuminated, and will identity the tenant name and associated office/suite number. The SUP Guidelines recommend that traffic and directional signs are limited to a maximum size of 12 square feet in area and a maximum height of 5’ tall. The sign meets the recommended height but exceeds the recommend size limit.
§ Tenant Identification Signs. Tenant identification signs will be placed next to each office or suite. The identification signs will match the existing signs on campus, are 1’ tall and 2’ wide (with an area of 2 square feet), and will identify the tenant name and associated suite number. The SUP Guidelines do not identify a recommended size or height for tenant identification signs.
§ Building Signage. The letter “I” will be placed on the east and west elevations of as a building identification sign. This sign will not be illuminated and will match the other building identifications signs on campus in terms of color and size. The SUP Guidelines do not identify a recommended size or height for building identification signs.
Screen Wall
A 5’ tall screen wall will be placed on the southern side of the existing surgery building to screen existing equipment. The wall will have a stucco and paint finish to match the buildings on campus.
Discussion:
Zoning Ordinance Compliance
The proposed improvements are consistent with the existing medical office use. The new medical building, covered parking canopies, signage, landscaping and screen wall will be designed in accordance with the existing architectural style of the SUP and meet the recommended setbacks, heights, and lot coverage standards.
Public Comment
In accordance with the Town Code, the applicant held a citizen review/neighborhood meeting on December 6th. A copy of the meeting minutes is enclosed for reference. The applicant also notified the neighboring properties of the December 18th public hearing in accordance with the public hearing process. Staff received comment from one of the neighbors regarding the proposed improvements. A copy of the email is enclosed.
Action:
During the public hearing, the Commission will either: 1) forward the application to the Town Council with a recommendation of approval (subject to stipulations), 2) forward the application to the Town Council with a recommendation of denial, or 3) continue the hearing for additional information and/or review. Per the SOD, the Planning Commission shall complete their review of this application no later than February 14, 2019.
Intermediate AMENDMENT CRITERIA:
An Intermediate Amendment to a Special Use Permit shall include any proposal which does not:
1. Change or add any uses; or
2. Increase the floor area of the project by more than 40% upon the existing or, if still under construction, approved floor area square footage of the affected SUP property, with any such increase to be measured cumulatively over a sixty-month period; or
3. 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 Intermediate SUP Amendment process applies to this project due to the amount of square footage that is being added. The new medical building is 10,000 square feet and the covered parking canopies have a combined area of 1,157 square feet. Since a Minor SUP Amendment limits the amount of additional square footage to a maximum of 5,000 square feet, this application must be processed as an Intermediate SUP Amendment.
ATTACHMENT(S):
1. Application
2. Vicinity Map & Aerial Photo
3. Project Narrative & Plans
4. Draft Ordinance 2019-01
5. ACS Acoustical Report
6. Parking Analysis
7. Statement of Direction (SOD)
8. Existing PV Medical Center SUP Stipulations
9. SUP Guidelines
10. SOD Consideration Points
11. Citizen Review/Neighborhood Meeting Notice & Meeting Minutes
12. Public Comment