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Artisan Landscape-CS 970619 CITY OF COPPELL PLANNING DEPARTMENT STAFF REPORT CASE NO.: S-1129R, ARTISAN LANDSCAPE, INC. P & Z HEARING DATE: June 19, 1997 C.C. HEARING DATE: July 8, 1997 LOCATION: 832 Howell Drive SIZE OF AREA: Approximately .2026 acres; residential structure is 1,519.89 square feet (including the garage) CURRENT ZONING: C (Commercial) REQUEST: C-S.U.P. (Commercial, Special Use Permi0 APPLICANT: Applicant: Brain Sandleback P.O. Box 693 Coppell, TX 75019 (972) 393-0965 HISTORY: A special use permit was granted for this property in December of 1987 to allow the operation of a construction office in a residential structure on commercial property. The special use permit expired when the construction company voluntarily vacated the property, even though the ownership of the property did not change. Alpine Fence Company, the last tenant of the building, was not issued a special use permit. At the April 17, 1997 Planning and Zoning Commission meeting, the Commission denied the applicant the request for a special use permit to operate a landscape business within a residential structure because the Site Plan did not comply with city standards (i.e. thickness of concrete, landscaping, and parking requirements). The intensity of the use was also of concern. TRANSPORTATION: Howell Drive is a two-lane black-top cul-de-sac serving the North Lake Estates subdivision. The right-of-way width is 50 feet. Item # 7 SURROUNDING LAND USE & ZONING: North - Tren Tech Company; "C-S.U.P." Commercial, Special Use Permit South- vacant; "C" Commercial East - Residential; "C" Commercial West - Reeves Electric Co.; "C" Commercial COMPREHENSIVE PLAN: The Comprehensive Plan shows the property suitable for mixed uses. DISCUSSION: Staff would like to commend the applicant for all his efforts in revising the Site Plan to conform to city standards. The latest revision is showing a 11 foot concrete drive correctly buffered with a 10 foot landscaped strip. However, the width of the driveway width does not meet the minimum specified in the subdivision ordinance. The minimum required driveway width for a residential property is 12 feet and for commercial property is 20 feet for a two-way drive and 15 feet for a one-way drive. The 8 foot high wooden fence that will screen the rear parking lot, dumpster, outside storage and the employee picnic area will have to receive a variance from City Council. Typically, a 6 foot high brick masonry wall is required. Note that the rear parking lot is exempt from landscaping requirements because the area is screened and has restricted access. Since the initial special use request by the applicant, staff has been wrestling with the question of the intensity of a landscape contractor business with outside storage area being appropriate for a site this size. From a planning perspective, the site is too small to accommodate an office, storage area and on-site parking on a 8,825 square foot site of which 1,500 s.f. is occupied by the building. Staff is of opinion that the applicant would need at least an acre site to accomplish what he is proposing. Equally troublesome is the type of traffic generated by this kind of business which entails heavy truck deliveries. Howell Drive is designed to be a residential cul-de-sac and cannot handle either the loads or the maneuvering of this kind of traffic. Even if applicant could offer some reassurances in terms of limiting the type of trucks used, as well as limit the time of deliveries, from a code enforcement perspective, it is difficult to ensure compliance. Also, it is difficult to ensure that all the landscaping planting material and equipment will be appropriately stored in the screened rear portion of the property and not elsewhere, in the alley or even on the vacant property to the south. Item # 7 RECOMMENDATION TO THE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION: In general staff does not feel comfortable recommending approval of the conversion of a residential structure for such an intense commercial use on such a small parcel of property. From staff perspective this is not a feasible use and it will negatively impact the surrounding residential and commercial properties in terms of street traffic and noise. The only request staff could readily support for this property would be a general office use. ALTERNATIVES: 1) Recommend approval of the request 2) Recommend disapproval of the request 3) Recommend modification of the request 4) Take under advisement for reconsideration at a later date. ATTACHMENTS: 1) Site/Landscape Plan 2) Proposed Signage Plan 3) Departmental Comments Item # 7 DEVELOPMENT R VIEW COMMI EE ENGINEERING COMMENTS ITEM: S-1129R. Artisan Landscape Inc. a zoning change from C (Commercial) to C-S.U.P. (Commercial, Special Use Permit), to allow the operation of a business within a residential structure on commercial property and for the associated open storage area located at 832 Howell Drive, at the request of Brian Sandleback. DRC DATE: May 29, 1997 and June 5, 1997 CONTACT: Mike Martin, P.E., Assistant City Engineer 004-3679) COMMENT STATUS: PRELIMINARY 1. Roadway impact fees could be applicable. 2. A drainage area map/plan will need to be submitted and approved when application for building permit is made.