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MacPlaza 4-CS 970821 CITY OF COPPELL PLANNING DEPARTMENT STAFF REPORT CASE NO.: PD-152R, UPPER IMAGE CAR WASIt P & Z HEARING DATE: August 21, 1997 C.C. HEARING DATE: September 9, 1997 LOCATION: West side of MacArthur Boulevard, approximately 1,014 feet north of Beltline Road. SIZE OF AREA: 29,089 square feet; proposed 3,498 s.f. building and 1,680 s.f. shed CURRENT ZONING: PD-C (Planned Development, Commercial) REQUEST: Amend the Planned Development to permit a 3,498 square foot self-service car wash building and a 1,680 square foot drying shed. APPLICANT: Onwer: Architect: Oppel Family Partnership Ken Lambert 1721 W. Plano Pkwy., #131 Tatchio & Associates Architect Plano, TX 75075 P.O. Box 2062 (972) 422-7006 Sherman, TX (903) 786-90992 HISTORY: In 1994 the ~ity reclassified the zoning of this property from Multi-Family-2 to Office. A lawsuit resulted. The zoning was changed to Commercial in late 1995. On May 14, 1996 the Coppell City Council approved a commercial planned development for this property which was intended for the development of a minor automotive service facility (Spee Dee Oil Change). The original planned development did not comply with the landscape provision of the zoning ordinance. To compensate for the shortfall, the developer provided Lot 2 as a common landscape area to be used by this lot and adjacent lots to the north and south (PD-152, 153 and 153). Spee Dee's pro rata share of the cost and maintenance of this landscape area was 33 %. Item # 6 TRANSPORTATION: MacArthur Boulevard is a 4-1ane divided thoroughfare built in a 110'-wide right-of-way shown on the thoroughfare plan as a P6D, 6-lane divided thoroughfare. SURROUNDING LAND USE & ZONING: North - City Garage; "PD-C" Planned Development Commercial South - Sonic; "PD-C" Planned Development Commercial East - Jefferson at Riverchase Apartments; "MF-2" Multi-Family West - Sunbelt Self-Storage; "PD-Mini-warehouse" Planned Development, Mini-Warehouse COMPREHENSIVE PLAN: The Comprehensive Plan shows the property suitable for regional retail uses. DISCUSSION: The approved planned development showed a minor automotive service facility for this property. At the time when the site plan was initially reviewed, staff had reservations recommending an automobile-related use within a high-profile area because of the intensity of the use and the aesthetics of the facility. After extensive discussions with the developer, staff agreed it would be possible to establish auto related uses on MacArthur Boulevard without negatively impacting surrounding properties. The key elements agreed upon would be unified building materials, coordination and restraint on signage, and extensive landscaping so that the result would be similar in appearance to neighboring commercial projects. The newly submitted site plan and elevations for a self-service car wash and drying shed comply with three key elements mentioned above. The proposed building materials match the neighboring commercial developments, the elevations show only 1 attached sign facing MacArthur Boulevard and it is much smaller than what is allowed by ordinance. However, the proposed channel lettering is in conflict with the recommendations of the C.I.V.I.C. report which suggested attached signs be limited to white, black or neutral colors. A neutral color was defined to be a shade of gray or brown. Lastly, the applicant is proposing to increase the quantity of planting material in the landscaped perimeter areas, as well as dramatically enhancing the common open space lot located at the northern limits of the planned development. Only the portion of the structure fronting MacArthur Boulevard will be two-story and it will consist of an office and storage area measuring approximately 300 square feet. To soften the taller brick masonry facade the applicant is showing 30" high holly shrubs. Despite the landscaping efforts offered by the applicant, over 77 % of this site will be paved. The Item # 6 amount of paving and the use is somewhat troublesome to staff, especially that it is 300 square feet more than the previously approved Spee Dee Oil Change site plan. Staff is of the opinion that the applicant could easily add 300 square feet of landscaping by making minor modifications to its site plan. It would require increasing the width of the 10 foot landscape strip adjacent to the northern property line by 3 feet. This modification would not impact the six parallel parking spaces. Another outstanding issue relates to the use at this particular location. A full service car wash and detailing facility was approved by Council earlier this year to the south and east of this site, specifically at the northeast corner of MacArthur Boulevard and Riverchase Drive. In addition, there are two self-service car wash facilities in Coppell, both along Denton Tap Road. Also pending is application for another self- service south of this property. We seriously doubt there exists sufficient demand for yet another car wash. The elevations of this facility will have to be reviewed and approved by the Planning and Zoning Commission, City Council and the Riverchase Architectural Review Board. The recent C.I.V.I.C. report cites that the retail portions of Coppell should reflect a traditional architectural style, be of human scale, contain a variety of building elements and interesting detail. Compared against the recommendations of the report, the proposed facility is in a traditional architectural style, the east-west orientation of the facility minimizes the visual impact of the facility from MacArthur Boulevard, as well as the open car wash bays permit the view of activities within the building and beyond from nearby streets. The pitched gable roof and the decorative dormers enhance the architectural features of the facility. Certainly from an aesthetic standpoint, this proposed self-service car-wash facility is far superior in quality than the two existing self- service car-wash facilities along Denton Tap Road, as well as it adds less bulk than a free-standing box structure would on a high-profile area. RECOMMENDATION TO THE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION: This is a difficult case to analyze. On the one hand staff could recommend approval of an amendment to the planned development subject to certain conditions: 1. Submittal of an irrigation plan. 2. Approval of the building elevations by the Riverchase Architectural Review Board. 3. Increase the width of the 10 foot landscape stripe adjacent to the northern property line by 3 feet. Item # 6 4. Revise color of attached sign to reflect the C.I.V.I.C. recommendation of white, black or neutral colors for backlit plastic attached signs. 5. Substitute Andora, Blue Rug, and Wiltoni Juniper with a Juniperus Horizontalis or Procumbens, as well as replace the Bradford Pear with the Aristocrat Pear. 6. Compliance with Engineering comments. On the other hand, we question the viability of this request vis-a-vis a known demand for such use, the proximity of an under construction car wash across the street, two other existing facilities nearby, a pending application for another one just south of this property. In sum, then, looking at this request from a comprehensive perspective, staff can not justify this as the highest and best use for the property, and must, therefore, recommend denial of the application. 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 Plan 2) Building Elevations 3) Attached Sign Elevation 4) Landscape Plan 5) Departmental Comments Item # 6 DEVELOPMENT REVIEW COMMI EE ENGINEERING COMMENTS ITEM: PD-152R. Upper Image Car Wash. zoning change from property zoned PI~C (Planned Development, Commercial) by amending the planned development to permit a 3,498 square foot self-service car wash building and a 1,680 square foot drying shed on property located on the west side of MacArtlmr Blvd., approximately 1,014 feet north of Belt line Road, at the request of Coppell Family Partnership. DRC DATE: July 31, 1997 and August 7, 1997 CONTACT: Mike Martin, P.E., Assistant City Engineer (304-3679) PRELIMINARY RE VISED AFTEP. P&Z Site Plan 1. Provide a letter from owner of Sonic agreeing to the closure of access point located at the southeast corner of this development. 2. Provide utility and drainage plans. 3. Roadway Impact fees are required.