Eason Petroleum-CS001221CASE NO.:
CITY OF COPPELL
PLANNING DEPARTMENT
STAFF REPORT
S-1184, Eason Petroleum Gas Station
And Convenience Store
Please note: The information listed below is identical to that for Case No. S-1152, Eason Petroleum,
Gas Station and Convenience Store, which was approved by Council in 1998. The submitted site,
landscaping, and building plans are also identical to those previously submitted and approved.
Additional wording and/or changes are noted in bom and italics.
P & Z HEARING DATE:
C.C. HEARING DATE:
December 21, 2000
January 9, 2001
LOCATION:
SIZE OF AREA:
CURRENT ZONING:
REQUEST:
APPLICANT:
Southeast comer of Vanbebber Drive and Denton Tap Road.
Approximately one-half acre of property.
C (Commercial)
C-S.U.P. (Commercial, Special Use Permit) to allow for the
renovation and occupancy of a gas station and convenience store.
Owner:
Eason Petroleum, Inc.
1830 E. Northgate
Irving, TX 75062
(972) 554-0588
(972) 438-2299
HISTORY:
The property was zoned "C" Commercial in June 1979. A plat of the
property was recorded in December 1981. On November 10, 1998,
City Council approved a zoning change on the subject property
from "C' Commercial to "C-SUP" Commercial Special Use Permit
for the renovation and occupancy of the gas station and
convenience store ($.1152). However, due to no on-site activity
since the approval, the original Special Use Permit has expirexl. The
applicant wishes to again obtain Special Use Permit approval for
the same intended usa
Item# 8
TRANSPORTATION:
South Denton Tap Road is a P6D six-lane divided major thoroughfare
built to standard within a 100'-wide fight-of-way. Vanbebber Drive
is a 37'-wide concrete local street with curb and gutter within a 50'
right-of-way, which narrows to 45' in width immediately east of the
property.
SURROUNDING LAND USE & ZONING:
North-
South -
East-
West -
Vacant; "C" Commercial
Vacant; "C" Commercial
Self-serve car wash; "C" Commercial
Residences; "O" Office
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN:
The Comprehensive Plan shows the property as suitable for
mixed uses.
DISCUSSION:
As mentioned in the above property history, the subject application was
previously approved by City Council on November 11, 1998. The zoning
ordinance requires that a building permit be issued or an extension granted
witMn six months of the approval date in order to sustat% the validity of the
special use permi~ Because no permits were issued and no extension
granted, the special use permit (S-1152) expired on April 11, 1999. The
current request is to "reactivate" the prior special use permit, allowing the
renovation of the gas station and convenience store to be operated by
Eason Petroleum as a Texaco Gas Station and Food Mart. No changes
have been made to the plan since it's original approval in 1998, with the
exception of signage changes in order to comply with several prior special
use permit conditions, which have now been eliminated
A Stop-and Go occupied the property during the 1980's. While the building
still stands, it has not been in use for several years. The zoning ordinance has
been amended in the meantime, so by current standards the property can not
be developed in the same manner as previously. Specifically, a building is no
longer permitted to be located in the "C" Commercial District with no side
yard, and landscaping regulations require that pavement be located no closer
to a street right-of-way line than 15' and no closer to an adjoining property
than 10' and that greater amounts of landscaping area be provided.
If the property had remained in continual use, the building would qualify as a
non-conforming structure. As such, it could be occupied by any business
permitted within the "C" Commercial District. However, since the property
has not been in use for over 6 months, the City can require that the existing
structure be removed prior to reuse of the land.
Item # 8
Requiring a demolition of a 20-year old building in the opinion of Planning
staff, would be an extreme stance to take, might cause the building to remain
unoccupied for an even greater period, and would likely result in more harm
than good. Also, the land area is only half an acre, making it difficult to
develop even a new commercial structure by current standards. On this
account, the property should be a worthy candidate for hardship consideration
by the Board of Adjustment, whether for renovation or for new construction.
This statement remains true, in that the applicant has not yet sought Board
of Adjustment approval and must do so as a condition of the special use
permit approval
Therefore, staff has worked with the applicant to devise a plan for use of as
much of the existing facilities as possible, compensating for lack of
landscaped area by planting the area that is available more densely. The
applicant also has cooperated to a considerable extent in enhancing the
exterior appearance of the building to bring it into conformance with
C.I.V.I.C recommendations. Even so, the applicant will have to seek
variances from the Board of Adjustment for the unavoidable side yard and
landscape area and buffer reductions.
Previously, the plan was approved with several modifications noted as
conditions to be addressed Since that time, the applicant has revised the
plans to comply with the sign regulations and C.I. EI.C recommendation&
The applicant has noted that the monument will be ground lit, two star
logos have been removed from the roof, and channel letters of a neutral
color will be used for the Food Mart sign and logo on the front faqad~
Additionally, the applicant has noted the desire to modify the proposed
color of the metal trim surrounding the building and canopy from a bold
green to a softer sage green (Deluxe ICI Chemayo Sage). Staff has no
objection to the change and believes the substitution will compliment the
building.
One final note concerns the number of utility poles on or immediately
adjoining the property. There are a total of 5. Three utility poles appear to be
in street fight-of-way and 2 appear to be on the site. Staff is of the opinion
that TXU Electric and Verizon/GTE should be able to provide services with
fewer poles. This condition still exists on the subject property and staff
recommends that the prior special use permit condition remain to address
this issue~
Item # 8
RECOMMENDATION TO THE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION:
Staff recommends APPROVAL of the special use permit, subject to the site plan, building
elevations, and landscape plan, as submitted, and subject to the following conditions:
Removal of at least 2 utility poles (the 2 on the site or, preferably, the 2 in the Vanbebber
right-of-way and at least 1 on site, if possible), undergrounding of any additional electric
facilities, and placement of mechanical equipment and utility meters in inconspicuous
location or screened from view.
Restriction of merchandise, such as magazine and newspaper racks, firewood, etc. and of
advertising and promotional materials, including drink machine advertising, to the interior of
the building, with window signs limited to 10% of the glass area.
Granting of variances to side yard and landscape requirements by the Board of Adjustment.
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)
2)
3)
Site Plan
Landscape Plan
Building Elevations
Item# 8