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Slider And Blues-CS 950216CITY OF COPPELL PLANNING DEPARTMENT P & Z HEARING DATE: February 16, 1995 C. C. HEARING DATE: March 14, 1995 LOCATION: At the southeast corner of Sandy Lake and Denton Tap Roads SIZE OF AREA: 0.55 acres CURRENT C (Commercial) ZONING: REQUEST: C- S.U.P. (Commercial, Special Use Permit) APPLICANT: The Peter Buell Company, Inc. Peter Buell, President 104 S. Denton Tap Road Coppell, TX 75019 393 -9040 HISTORY: The site is Lot 1, Block A, of Townoaks Centre Subdivision, approved for recording in 1984. The site was reclassified from C to C.SUP in 1992 to accommodate construction of the existing restaurant. A consideration in the granting of the original special use permit was the effort put forth by the applicant to preserve the post oaks and other trees on the site. TRANSPORTATION: Denton Tap Road is an existing 6-lane divided major arterial (P6D) in a 120' -wide right -of -way. Sandy Lake Road is an existing 4 -lane divided major arterial located in a 110' -wide right - of -way capable of accommodating a 6 -lane divided thorough1kre. Item 7 SURROUNDING LAND USE & ZONING: North - Undeveloped commercial property; TC South - Retail center; C East - Retail center; C West - Automobile service and food service uses; R (SUP on service station site) COMPREHENSIVE PLAN: The Comprehensive Plan shows the property as suitable for commercial uses. ANALYSIS: The applicant proposes to enclose an area currently used as an outdoor dining patio, enlarging the total building area 25 % (from approximately 3,200 square feet to approximately 4,000 square feet). The existing parking provides 35 spaces on site and, through agreement with the adjoining property owner, 14 spaces off site. The resulting 49 parking spaces are more than adequate to satisfy the zoning requirement of 1 space per 100 square feet of restaurant building area. The Inspections Department has reviewed with the applicant the proposed signage and the method of calculating the area to be devoted to signs. The amount of signage, as proposed, will meet the requirements of the sign ordinance. In evaluating the proposal, one way to view it is as if the property were still vacant. If it were, then, would the proposal to build a 4,000 square -foot restaurant on the site in this configuration receive favorable consideration? If the answer is no, because it would take down 2 large trees unnecessarily, then there is scant justification to decide differently just because the applicant has approached the ultimate objective in two steps. If the answer is yes, because the property could be developed with over 50 other commercial uses without concern for any of the trees, other than to replace them caliper inch for caliper inch, then there is considerable justification. The current use has proven to be economically viable, suitably located and compatible with the adjoining retail facilities. Restaurant usage has not impacted unduly on public accommodations, and design -wise this facility is far superior to the typical franchise restaurants we now are encountering more frequently. Increasing the size of interior space will create little additional impact, because the space to be enclosed already provides table service when weather permits. r ) I The review then focuses on the tree issue. The applicant has stated that the two affected 24'- caliper post oaks are slowly dying, and reference has been made that "tree people" have verified the applicant's statement. With tangible evidence that the trees are dying (in the form of a written statement), approval of the S.U.P could be made subject to the applicant's landscape plan specifying locations of replacement trees of adequate size and number to compensate for the 48 caliper- inches of lost trees, as required by the tree preservation requirements of the zoning ordinance. Therefore, staff recommends approval of the S.U.P., provided that no attempt is made to avoid the required replacement of the trees to be removed, caliper inch for caliper inch, with new trees. ALTERNATIVES: 1) Approve the S.U.P. 2) Deny the S. U. P. 3) Modify the S.U.P. ATTACHMENTS: 1) Floor Plan of Existing Structure 2) Summary of Signs (4 pages) 3) Proposed Floor Plan and Site Plan (2 sheets)