south of the subject site was zoned R-4, One Family Residential and had |
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homes. The land to the west was zoned B-1 and to the north, there was a |
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retail and office complex zoned B-2. He noted the setback table and said |
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that the east and rear yard setbacks were existing, and those sides of the |
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building were not changing. The rear yard setback was 52 feet. The |
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building was located far back on the site, with a large front yard. That was |
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driving some of the site plan proposals. Regarding site plan review |
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considerations, the Engineering Department had reviewed the proposal, |
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as the applicant was were reducing a significant amount of impervious |
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space. There was currently a playground on the west side of the building. |
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Engineering was recommending approval, subject to a few detail items |
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that could be addressed at construction plan review. There was a double |
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loaded bay of parking in front of the site that would be converted to a |
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bio-swale detention pond, so the stormwater would run into that area, |
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which currently sheet-drained out to Auburn Rd., which would be an |
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improvement. The biggest issue from a site design perspective was the |
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fact that there was an overhead loading door on the front of the building of |
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the addition. It was being driven by the location of the existing building at |
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the rear yard setback line. The Zoning Ordinance required all loading |
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areas to be located in the side or rear yard, but Section 138-11.304 (e) |
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gave the Planning Commission the ability to modify loading area design. |
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Given some of the limitations on the site, as well as the fact that there was |
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existing residential to the east and south, locating the loading door on the |
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front of the building would help mitigate the impact of loading to a |
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residential neighborhood. The building design also helped mitigate part |
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of the loading bay, because the addition was designed to be consistent |
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with the existing building. He offered that the applicant could explain |
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more about the loading operations, scheduling and what type of trucks |
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would be coming in and out. He did not believe there would be an |
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intensive delivery operation. There were a few comments regarding |
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landscaping and tree removal. The applicant was proposing two hybrid |
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elm trees along the site’s frontage, on the east and west corners of the |
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site. It was quite narrow there, and the trees could survive there, but he |
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recommended in the Staff Report that they be moved to the middle of the |
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site. However, the applicant was concerned about site visibility, so Mr. |
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Breuckman would like to ask the City’s Forestry Department about the |
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survivability of the trees and the proposed locations at the corners of the |
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site. Staff was also recommending that the applicant plant three |
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additional trees in the grass area at the rear of the site to meet the Type B |
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buffer requirement between a B and an R district. The site had chain link |
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fencing with slats inserted for screening. That was not a standard the City |
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typically approved, but it was existing. The applicant was proposing some |
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new fencing, and Staff recommended that any new fencing be opaque, |
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preferably a vinyl fence. The building design was sympathetic with the |
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