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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2001-05-01 PLANNING AND ZONING MINUTES MAY 1, 2001 MINUTES The regular meeting of the Planning and Zoning Commission was called to order by Vice Chairman Richard McNeese at 6:30 p.m. for consideration of scheduled items in the Council Chambers in Building "B" of the Municipal Building. Vice Chairman McNeese stated there were five members of the Planning and Zoning Commission present. MEMBERS AND STAFF PRESENT: MEMBERS ABSENT Vice Chairman Richard McNeese Chairman Robert McMillon John Deithloff Gene Sloan Bill Tarin Ron Hughes Mike Grove Mike Collins, Director of Planning and Development Eric Wilhite, Planning and Development Manager Ron Young, Assistant Director of Public Works/ City Engineer Kurt Kasson, Building Official Mike Logan, Fire Marshall Bill Ridgway, Director of Economic Development Cristy Reynolds, Administrative Secretary VISITORS: Councilman, Glenn Porterfield Councilman, Charlie Miller Marc Tolson, Galier, Tolson, French Design Assoc., 4316 West Vickery Blvd, Fort Worth, Texas Craig Spalding, President, South Bay Partners, 5720 LBJ Freeway, Dallas, Texas Juan Vasquez, Bury& Partners, Civil Engineer Tony Sisk Larry Bradford Alicia Shaeffer THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE AND INVOCATION: The Pledge of Allegiance was given by Vice Chairman McNeese and Invocation was given by Commissioner Hughes. APPROVAL OF MINUTES Commissioner Deithloff made the motion to approve the minutes of April 17, 2001, as presented. Commissioner Tarin seconded the motion. The vote was as follows: Ayes: Vice Chairman McNeese, Commissioners Deithloff, Hughes and Tarin Nays: None Abstention: Commissioner Grove The motion carried. Planning and Zoning Commission Minutes Page 2 May 1, 2001 REGULAR AGENDA ITEM 1 CASE #01-03-SUP —PUBLIC HEARING REGARDING A SPECIFIC USE PERMIT AND CONSIDER A RECOMMENDATION FOR ORDINANCE NO. 1473 Receive public input regarding a request for a Specific Use Permit on A. Bradford Survey, Abstract No.152, Portion of Tract 1A3, for seniors apartments in CUD (Community Unit Development District) zoning, and consider a recommendation regarding Ordinance No. 1473. This property is located on Southwest corner of Harwood Road & Bear Creek Parkway. Mr. Mike Collins, Director of Planning and Development gave a brief overview of this Specific Use Permit request. Vice Chairman McNeese asked for an applicant or representative to come forward. Mr. Marc Tolson, Galier, Tolson, French Design Associates, 4316 West Vickery Boulevard, Fort Worth, Texas, stated his firm is the architect for South Bay Senior's Community at this location. He stated they are proposing a three story, 200 unit Senior's Retirement Apartment Complex at the intersection of Harwood and Bear Creek Parkway. He stated they will offer three apartment plans, carports, garages and approximately a 9,000 square foot community center. He stated the project is for seniors 62 years of age and older and offers a regular sized apartment at an apartment rate rent, which is significantly less than independent living centers, full service centers with meals or assisted living centers. He stated it is an exclusive senior's apartment community. He stated the community center has an activity room, a dining room where there are periodic optional catered lunch meals, optional home health, a fitness center, beauty shop, chapel area and library. He stated there is a courtyard in the center that has a swimming pool and activities around it. He stated his company has developed products similar to this for different clients all over Texas in San Marcos and other places. Mr. Craig Spalding, President, South Bay Partners, stated his company has been a senior housing development company for the last seven years. He stated they have done concrete freestanding assisted living Alzheimer's facilities throughout the seven state region. He stated they have an Alzheimer's special care center in Bedford. He stated as they have studied the senior's housing industry, there is a need that doesn't get served at the entry level for senior housing. He stated they have developed a product type with these senior apartment communities that are about a third larger than a congregate care unit and roughly half the monthly rent you would pay for congregate care monthly rental. He stated it is an apartment community with services that are offered in a community center, but you use the services as you need them. He stated it is a product type that a lot of the senior housing community developers feel like is the next product coming. He stated they are very comfortable with the need for this product Planning and Zoning Commission Minutes Page 3 May 1, 2001 type in the City of Euless and the need for people that want a retirement apartment, but don't want to pay for the services that the congregate senior community provide. Mr. MarcTolson stated they have chosen a very nostalgic, homelike feel of a special place of home that a senior would have visited as a younger person. He stated even though it is a congregate type facility and you are living around other people, you have a real homelike identity. He stated all units have doorbells, front doors and painted entries. He stated they have chosen a rich pallette of materials, including 50% masonry, 50% hardi-plank cement siding that gives the homelike feel a lot of buildings built in the first part of the century had. He stated it is very well received in other places and is South Bay's exclusive look. He stated they offer three apartment types that are specifically designed for seniors. He stated they have grab bars in the showers, curio doors throughout and walk-in closets. He stated they have tried to locate light switches within a reach range and they have a senior friendly environment. He stated they have five elevators that are open 24 hours a day. He stated 30%of the units are 640 square feet one bedroom units. He stated 80 units are 750 square feet models and 60 units are 1,025 square feet models. He stated we are asking for a few exceptions to the UDC. He stated one variance request is regarding the garages. He stated they are asking for 280 parking spaces and 25 garages that are detached. He stated that attached garages raise the price of the units significantly and tend to disorient seniors. He stated they have put them outside and a lot of the seniors use them for storage. He stated they have 100 covered parking spaces. He stated they have provided for handicapped parking on both of those. He stated they have 50 spaces outside the gate and 230 inside the gate and they have found that they need approximately 1.4 parking spaces per unit. He stated City of Euless ordinance requires 410 and they are requesting 280. He stated they have submitted documents showing studies done on low rise senior's apartment communities, one by the American Senior Housing Association shows that 1.4 is sufficient. He stated they have built several products like this and have found 1.4 parking spaces per unit to be sufficient. He stated the average age for residents is late seventies or early eighties. He stated they are also asking for a masonry exception. He stated City of Euless ordinance requires 90% masonry and they feel more comfortable with 50%, primarily to achieve the asthetic feel. He stated they feel that they have designed a very unique product, a product that will be very popular in Euless, a product that will be well received with the composition of materials as they are, using the variety and breaking it up. He stated an all brick project would frankly look very institutional and would confirm some of those fears of moving into a congregate facility, which you have anyway, leaving your home or a place you may have lived. He stated they have also talked about some of the problems with stucco, applcation problems and mixture problems and hardi-plank stucco is concrete and has a 50 year warranty. He stated they have used it in other places and have had very good luck with it. He stated they have run this by the architectural review committee of Bear Creek and presented a letter in the P&Z packets in support of all the areas. Vice Chairman McNeese opened the public hearing. Vice Chairman McNeese closed the public hearing due to no proponents/opponents present. Planning and Zoning Commission Minutes Page 4 May 1,2001 Commissioner Deithloff asked how they will guarantee residents are 62 years of age or older. Mr. Craig Spalding stated they could age restrict the plat if necessary, to ensure senior use. Commissioner Deithloff asked if they would have a problem making this project 90% masonry. Mr. Craig Spalding stated this is not a dollar value discussion, but an aesthetic discussion. He stated they believe they are creating a better product, which is more attractive to the age group they are trying to serve. He stated if you study the use of hardi-plank it is a material that goes well, when mixed with other materials. Commissioner Tarin stated he likes the concept and believes it will be in more demand as the baby-boomers grow older. He asked why they asked for so many variances, was it to save money. Mr. Marc Tolson stated they have been doing these projects for eight years now and seem to ask for several variances in every city they go to because seniors have different requirements than most apartments based on children. He stated these units are primarily one person living in a unit. He stated at their McKinney location, there are about 75% singles and the second bedroom functions as storage room, computer room or sewing room. He stated the parking is what we need, it leaves open space and greenery. Mr. Craig Spalding stated they have done 33 senior projects over the last seven years and without exception have ended up with parking variances, because there's not a demand for parking under normal multi-family type parking requirements. He stated this is a fairly common variance request for us. He stated regarding unit types, it's really a one bedroom study and a two bedroom study, 640 square foot one bedroom and 750 square foot one bedroom study and 1,025 square foot two bedroom study. Commissioner Tarin asked if they have rent prices in mind for one bedroom or two bedroom units. Mr. Tony Sisk stated the average rental rate $1.01/per square foot. Mr. Craig Spalding stated one of the things they are trying to achieve with this product type is that the unit sizes are about one third again larger than a typical congregate care facility. He stated it is more of a true multi-family feel. He stated they also have the 9,000 square foot community center with all the different services and opportunities that they might want to examine. He stated being able to offer that for those rent prices, considering the average rent is $800 to$825 per month. He stated they feel they have a product type which is very much in need. He stated there are not many comparables for this type product. He stated they have done a lot of development across the country and this is a product type that there is a demand for consistently across the country. He stated in the metroplex a congregate facility averages rent of $1,500 to $1,600 per month, which includes your meals and services. He stated assisted living averages $2,000 to$2,100 per month minimum. He stated there are a lot of people who don't need these services and cannot afford them. He stated they feel like their product type they have designed and the service package and the community center that we offer, we have come up with an answer to that problem. Planning and Zoning Commission Minutes Page 5 May 1, 2001 Commissioner Tarin asked what time frame these will be built once they are approved. Mr. Craig Spalding stated they hope to start around October or November and they take 12 to 18 months to build. Commissioner Grove stated this project has appealed to him, because he does believe there is a need for this product, but they are asking for a lot of variations. He stated he is not opposed to considering some variances, but cannot approve it as it is tonight. He stated he would like to see a beefed up landscaping plan and a few more parking spaces. He stated he understands that not that many spaces are required for seniors, but not quite sure that 1.4 (per unit) is the right number either. He asked why the age restriction was limited to 62 years of age as opposed to 55 years of age. Mr. Craig Spalding stated that retirement housing average age is 78. He stated in this product type he believes it will be more like 75. He stated they could lower age restriction to 55, but the majority of the people are(78%) single people or widows/widowers. He stated they have found on congregate care that the average age is 78, in assisted living age is 82 and in Alzheimer's age is 83. He stated even though the age is restricted to 62, they will see a large majority of people in their 70's and are going there for the social interaction piece. Commissioner Grove stated several people had just left his place of employment on an early retirement program at age 58. He stated they could be potentially limiting their market. Commissioner Grove stated there are a number of points in this plan that he does not agree with. He stated the concept is good, but would like to see a better mix of variances, a little less use of the hardi-plank and a little more use of the brick. He stated the other issues he has have been touched on. Commissioner Hughes commended them on bringing this type of product to the city, it will be well utilized and very much needed product. He stated regarding the use of masonry, elevations k and j where it goes real high on the hardi-plank on the backside. He stated he understands the logic, but thinks it overall degrades the product quality. He stated there is room for discussion on this topic. He stated he is sympathetic and understands the need for the visual break, versus the continuous brick side. He stated the rendering is very nice showing the attention point of the development being the clubhouse, but the one that would be more representative would be the one that people see at the comer of Harwood and Bear Creek. He asked if there is any way, thru CAD system, possibly show a perspective from that direction showing 1)current design and 2) design being all brick, proving the point that an exterior like that is unacceptable or unpleasing. He asked if they could show some various concepts showing what will be seen from that comer. He stated the city has put a lot of money into Harwood and Bear Creek and this part of the city should be well treated and well maintained as far as the product we put in there. He stated he would like to point out that one of the most dominating features of that complex is that 300 or 400 foot long eastern wall. He stated that is going to be a very dominant view for people to see, and this is what needs to be shown as one style of construction or another to convince us that you have a good mix or architecture. He stated that because this is such a continuous linear feature he would like to see more innovation and indulations in the landscaping, such as berms and varied elevations of dirt. He asked what type of transportation will be provided as Planning and Zoning Commission Minutes Page 6 May 1, 2001 far as shopping or transportation to the Trinity Railway Express. Mr. Tony Sesk stated they have three other projects in Tarrant County and are trying to link those to have scheduled transportation for this facility. Vice Chairman McNeese stated generally as far as the concept of a retirement center in the City of Euless in that area of town the commissioners are receptive to that. He stated the City has spent great time and effort in what we wanted to see and what we wanted the city to look like in coming up with the UDC. He stated from time to time we have to grant reasonable variances, but we have had other multi-family related type projects in that neighborhood that have met the 90% masonry requirements and I would concur with Commissioner Hughes that one wall along there is unpleasing. He stated you can use Hardi-Plank all you want, 10% of it, as long as you meet the (City of Euless) UDC requirements. He stated that would be aesthetically pleasing to the Commission. He stated you are asking for too much. He stated he would like for them to address some of these. He stated if they were to approve this, as presented he believes this would be unagreeable and unacceptable, not the quality and not the standards long term that the citizens of Euless are looking at us to have out there. Commissioner Tarin made the motion to table Case #01-03-SUP. Commissioner Deithloff seconded the motion. The vote was as follows: Ayes: Vice Chairman McNeese, Commissioners Deithloff, Hughes, Tarin and Grove Nays: None The motion carried. ITEM 2 CASE #01-01-PD —PUBLIC HEARING REGARDING A PLANNED DEVELOPMENT AND CONSIDER A RECOMMENDATION REGARDING ORDINANCE NO. 1474 Receive public input regarding a request for a Planned Development of A. Bradford Survey, Abstract No. 152, Portion of Tract 1A3 from CUD (Community Unit Development District) zoning to Planned Development based on R-5 (Multi-Family High Density Dwelling District) zoning for seniors apartments and consider a recommendation regarding Ordinance No. 1474. This property is located on Southwest corner of Harwood Road & Bear Creek Parkway. Vice Chairman McNeese opened the public hearing. Vice Chairman McNeese closed the public hearing due to no proponents/opponents present. There was general discussion amongst the Commissioners, Mr. Craig Spalding and Mr. Marc Tolson regarding bringing a plan back before the commission and what the commission specifically would like to see. Planning and Zoning Commission Minutes Page 7 May 1, 2001 Commissioner Hughes stated he would like to see a justification for the parking variance request and possibly a visual of the masonry variance request. Commissioner Grove stated he would like to see a larger one bedroom unit and a reasonable parking variance justification. Commissioner Deithloff asked about the use of the vacant land to the south and if this could be used for parking. He also stated he would like to see the guarantee of this being limited to seniors 62 years of age and older. Commissioner Deithloff motioned to table Case # 01-01-PD. Commissioner Hughes seconded the motion. The vote was as follows: Ayes: Vice Chairman McNeese, Commissioners Deithloff, Hughes, Grove and Tarin Nays: None The motion carried. ITEM 3 CASE #01-02-SP —CONSIDER A RECOMMENDATION FOR A SITE PLAN Consider a recommendation regarding a request for a Site Plan for seniors apartments proposed to be located at A. Bradford Survey, Abstract No. 152, Portion of Tract 1A3, on Southwest corner of Harwood Road & Bear Creek Parkway. Mr. Mike Collins, Director of Planning and Development gave a brief overview of this Site Plan request Commissioner Hughes motioned to table Case#01-02-SP. Commissioner Tarin seconded the motion. The vote was as follows: Ayes: Vice Chairman McNeese, Commissioners Deithloff, Grove, Hughes and Tarin Nays: None The motion carried. ITEM 4 CASE #01-03-SP —CONSIDER A RECOMMENDATION FOR A SITE PLAN Consider a recommendation regarding a request for a Site Plan for an Planning and Zoning Commission Minutes Page 8 May 1, 2001 Office Warehouse proposed to be located at Intemational/Regional Industrial Complex, Block B, Lot 3, Abstract 678, on 2136 S. Pipeline Road. Mr. Mike Collins, Director of Planning and Development gave a brief overview of this Site Plan request. He stated the location is east of Royal Parkway, west of the Texas Star Golf Course and the primary ingress/egress will be off of South Pipeline. He stated they are proposing a 6,000 square foot office warehouse on an approximate 3 acre tract. He stated the DRC has reviewed the project and staff recommends approval Vice Chairman McNeese asked for an applicant or representative to come forward. Mr. Larry Bradford, 1112 Meadowview Drive, Bedford, Texas stated this project is owned by himself and Alicia Shaeffer. He stated he would like to ask for a number of variances and discuss these variances. He stated he &Alicia purchased three tracts of land in 1993: 2136, 2168 and 2100 S. Pipeline Road. He stated in 1994, he came to City Hall to get a Certificate of Occupancy for his equipment yard and was told by the City of Euless it was not necessary to obtain a Certificate of Occupancy permit. He stated in 1996, after the City of Euless put in the golf course, he spoke to City officials about putting in a modular office building and was told that he would not be able to meet city code. He stated Alicia came up with the idea to provide fence, dirt, and other small business owners with parking facilities for equipment, trucks and tractors by developing these three acres and putting the office building in front, and possibly rent some of the inside office space. Mr. Larry Bradford stated he would like to request a variance on the all weather surface. He stated he would like to continue to use the crushed asphalt and combination of base and rock. He stated that on the plat they have stated that no parking or storage will take place, but he would like to request a special use permit to use this two acres for parking and storage for small contractors, without having to meet the paving codes. He stated the only reason he put this comment on the plat was to bypass the DRC staff and get to speak directly to the P&Z Commissioners. Mr. Larry Bradford stated he would like to request a lighting variance. He stated they have lights on the building that shine out on the front and back, and a streetlight and perimeter lights on the two acre parking. He stated they have residential houses beside his property. He stated operating hours will be from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 or 7:00 p.m. He stated the gates will be locked in the evenings. Mr. Larry Bradford stated he would also like to request a variance on the sidewalk requirements. He stated there are no other sidewalks in this area and his will be the only one. He stated he would like to request a variance on the ditchline and pole requests. He stated there are no other ditches in the area Planning and Zoning Commission Minutes Page 9 May 1,2001 He stated he would like to request a variance to use a galvanized culvert as opposed to a concrete culvert. He stated he would like to request a variance from the concrete requirements to use 6' concrete with rebar and expansion joints. He stated he would like to request a variance on the screening requirements. There was general discussion among Vice Chairman McNeese and Mr. Larry Bradford regarding options for approving site plan, as presented tonight versus tabling this site plan tonight and bringing it back at another date to review. Mr. Mike Collins discussed procedural issues and recommended tabling this site plan. Commissioner Grove motioned to table Case#01-02-SP. Commissioner Tarin seconded the motion. The vote was as follows: Ayes: Vice Chairman McNeese, Commissioners Deithioff, Grove, Hughes and Tarin Nays: None The motion carried. ITEM 5 REPORTS There were no reports. ITEM 6 DIRECTOR'S REPORT There were no reports. Adjournment There being no further business the meeting was adjourned at 7:55 p.m. V = C ai v = Richard eese Date