TO: Chair and Planning Commission
FROM: Dawn-Marie Buckland, Deputy Town Manager
Jeremy Knapp, Community Development Director
Paul Michaud, Senior Planner
DATE: March 19, 2019
CONTACT:
Staff Contact
Paul Michaud, Senior Planner, 480-348-3574
End
AGENDA TITLE:
Title
Consideration of a Minor Special Use Permit Amendment (SUP-18-16) 6947 E McDonald Drive - Valley Presbyterian Church Public Hearing
Recommendation
RECOMMENDATION A
Deem the requested amendment at the Valley United Presbyterian Church as a minor amendment to the Special Use Permit zoning per the criteria listed in Section 1102.7.B of the Zoning Ordinance.
RECOMMENDATION B
Approve the Minor Special Use Permit Amendment at the Valley United Presbyterian Church located at 6947 E McDonald Drive to make renovations to four buildings and site improvements, subject to the stipulations in Attachment J.
Request
REQUEST
Neal Jones, with Jones Studio, on behalf of Valley United Presbyterian Church located at 6947 E McDonald Drive (Assessor Parcels 173-07-002, 173-07-003 and 173-07-004B) is requesting a Minor Special Use Permit amendment for minor renovations of four of the eight existing church buildings located on the subject 8.7-acre property. These renovations consist of improvements to Building A (Sanctuary) for interior remodel, with a 197 square foot expansion and replacing an approximate 500 square foot trellis with a 1,000 square-foot trellis; Building B (South Classroom) interior remodel to add 7 classrooms from existing office/storage space and remodel 2 classrooms, resulting in an overall reduction of 450 square feet; Building C (Administrative Offices) to remodel interior spaces and additional window shade structures; Building D (Facilities) to remodel interior spaces; and the removal of the 1999 approvals for a larger sanctuary expansion and new classroom building. Site improvements include the renovation of the central plaza to provide new hardscaping and landscaping, rework of pedestrian and vehicular access to the plaza, relocation of accessible (ADA) parking spaces in the main parking lot closer to the buildings, new landscaping/irrigation surrounding these buildings, and modification to the onsite parking spaces from the phased 1999 Special Use Permit approval.
Background
BACKGROUND
Update:
The Planning Commission discussed this application request at its February 19th work session. Items discussed were the following:
• Remove the drop-off area in the Quail Run Road right-of-way and add another curb cut at the north parking lot. This has been done and reflected on updated plan sheets.
• Add a modified hammerhead turnaround in the area on the east side of the sanctuary south of the new bollards that restrict access to the driveway underneath the porte-cochere. This has been done and reflected on updated plan sheets.
• Use pavers instead of stabilized decomposed granite for the driveway area underneath the porte-cochere. The applicant is in process of reviewing this suggestion. For now, the plan remains as concrete under the porte-cochere and stabilized decomposed granite to the parking area and to Quail Run Road.
• Per the Commission, there is no additional requirement to modify the submitted parking/traffic study. However, the applicant must provide documentation on the staggered day school drop off schedule. This is in Attachment H.
• The Commission was agreeable to remove the two interior chains in the south parking lot, but left removal of the gates at the two driveways on Quail Run Road to decide the evening of the hearing. As noted under comments of this report, a nearby resident mentioned some possible concern in removing these gates. Also, another resident supports the removal with the consideration of speed hump/bump at the driveways on the church property.
• There are six draft stipulations. Stipulation 2 includes five edits to the existing 1999 stipulations. Stipulation 2.a has two options depending upon whether the Commission supports the removal of the two driveway gates along Quail Run Road. Stipulation 2.b has two options depending upon whether the Commission finds the church site meets all its required parking on site. Refer to Attachment J for more information.
For clarification, the request includes replacing an approximate 500 square foot trellis with a 1,000 square-foot trellis on the sanctuary northeast of the 197 square-foot choir addition. Refer to Sheets A2.0.0 and A2.1.0. Lot coverage and setbacks are well within Special Use Permit Guidelines.
Other background information on existing zoning, 1999 phasing and related matters is available under Attachment E.
Body
DISCUSSION/FACTS
Compliance with Special Use Permit (SUP), SUP Guidelines and Other Standards
Compliance to guidelines was reviewed at the February 19th work session. This information is available under Attachment F.
Minor Amendment Criteria Conformance
Planning Commission will need to take two actions related to this application request at a future meeting. First, the application request must be deemed a minor amendment pursuant to the four criteria in Section 1102.7.B of the Town Zoning Ordinance. Second, the Planning Commission must take action on the application with any relevant stipulations. This request meets the four minor amendment criteria as follows:
1. Change or add any uses.
There is no change in allowable use or addition of a new use. The renovations relate to existing church/school uses.
2. Increase the floor area of the project by more than 5000 square feet or constitute an increase of more than 15% upon the existing or, if still under construction, approved floor area square footage of the affected SUP property, whichever is less, with any such increase to be measured cumulatively over a sixty-month period.
The increase in floor area is under the allowable criteria. The total proposed new square footage is approximately 197 square feet and approximately 250 square feet for the additional trellis area. The total approved square footage is being reduced as the request eliminates approximately 9,465 square feet of new classrooms and 1,900 square feet to the sanctuary.
3. Have any material effect on the adjoining property owners that is visible, audible, or otherwise perceptible from adjacent properties that cannot be sufficiently mitigated.
Many of the described improvements will not be visible from neighboring properties or minorly modify existing building elevations. The perimeter landscaping remains intact. Areas that have more visibility include the proposed driveway curb cut at the north parking lot along Quail Run Road and prohibiting on-street parking along Quail Run Road adjoining the church. Also, the site improvements at the main plaza extend closer to Quail Run Road and will likely be used more than in the past. Additional landscaping and walls around the main plaza are proposed to mitigate potential nuisances. Stipulations such as, and not limited to, day and time of use can be added or modified.
4. Change the architectural style.
The proposed addition, renovations and site improvements will be in the architectural style of the existing structures and plant palette on the church property.
Public Comment & Noticing
Mailing notification was done in advance of the scheduled hearing date of March 19, 2019 to all property owners within a radius of 1,500’, along with a newspaper advertisement and property posting.
Four persons contacted staff since the February 19th work session. A resident who resides south of the church wanted more information on the request. She also had some concerns regarding removal of the driveway gates along Quail Run Road since the gates and times the gates are to be open were meant to limit access to the parking lot to reduce unwarranted parking from persons not attending functions at the church or school. Another nearby resident who resides west of Kiva Elementary called to get more information on the request. A third person called to inquire about timing and processing of the application. A fourth person provided an e-mail in support of the project and removal of the two gates along Quail Run Road with consideration to add a speed hump inside the church parking lot at the driveway entry points. The Town Engineer would not recommend speed humps on the inside of the driveways as they may cause “stacking” issues for vehicles entering the site and vehicles traveling the first drive isle would not be perpendicular when they turn to go over them.
ATTACHMENTS
A. Vicinity Map/Aerial/General Plan/Zoning
B. Application/Narrative
C. SUP History
D. Parking Analysis
E. Background
F. Compliance to Guidelines
G. Noticing
H. School Schedule
I. Plans
J. Stipulations
K. Comments
C: - Applicant
- Case File