Town Center L1B2-CS 960418CITY OF COPPELL
PLANNING DEPARTMENT
STAFF REPORT
CASE:
TSWN CENTER SHSPPING CENTER,
PRELIMINARY PLAT
P & Z HEARING BATE:
C.C. HEARING BATE:
L$CATISN:
SIZE OF AREA:
CURRENT ZONING:
At the northeast comer of Denton Tap and Sandy Lake Roads
8.943.: acres
TC
REQUEST:
Approval of a Preliminary Plat to allow the development of a
shopping center
APPLICANT:
Owner:
Ewing Properties
16660 Dallas Pkwy g'2200
Dallas TX 75248
214-250-3236
Fax 214-248-6701
Representative:
Dowdey Anderson & Assoc.
16250 Dallas Pkwy #100
Dallas TX 75248
214-931-0694
Fax 214-931-9538
HISTORY:
The majority of the property has been within the Town Center
zoning district since its inception. A 1-acre tract, currently the
subject of rezoning, is under purchase contract with the intention
of incorporating it into the shopping center development. There
has been no recent platting history on the property itself, altttough
several adjoining sites have been subdivided from the original
property holding.
Item # 13
TRANSPORTATION:
Sandy Lake Road is a two-lane asphalt road within a variable-
width right-of-way (100' wide in front of the subject property),
shown on the thoroughfared plan as a C4D four-lane divided
collector street to be built within a 110'-wide right-of-way.
SURROUNDING LAND USE & ZONING:
North -
South -
East -
West -
Vacant, "TC" Town Center zoning
Town Oaks Centre shopping center, "C" Commercial zoning
Chaucer Estates residential subdivision, "PD-SF-7~ Planned
Development zoning
Vacant, "TC~ Town Center zoning
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN:
The 1987 Comprehensive Plan shows the property as part
of Town Center. The proposed 1996 Comprehensive Plan
shows the property as suitable for neighborhood retail uses.
DISCUSSION:
The majority of this property is subject to contractual agreements between
the City and the landowner made in connection with the purchase of City
lands. Those agreements protect the landowner from subsequent changes
in city requirements. Nevertheless, the applicant is in general compliance
with current subdivision regulation.
In noting the differences between prior zoning and current zoning, it is
important to realize that under the prior zoning to which the majority of
this property is subject, a grocery store would not require a special use
permit. The one acre involved in Zoning Case 590 is not subject to those
agreements, but the development proposed for that area is related to retail
uses other than the grocery.
Another point worth noting is that last year the landowner agreed to abide
by landscaping requirements in place at that time. In terms of parking lot
landscaping and peripheral buffering this is significant, but in terms of
tree preservation it is not. The landscaping requirements of the zoning
ordinance, then and now, permit the developer to apply for a building
permit and, upon issuance, to remove trees on the buildable area of the
property. The buildable area is defined as the area exclusive of the front,
rear and side yards required by the zoning district in which the property
is located. The Town Center District requires no front, rear orq side
yards. Therefore, upon issuance of a building permit, the developer of
Town Center District property may remove all the trees on the property.
Since a special use permit is not required for any of the uses thus far
proposed, the site plan submitted in conjunction with platting is the only
site plan you will see for the shopping center in its entirety. You will
note the effort to save 65 trees within the parking areas and over 50 trees
Item # 13
at the northeast comer of the site. In addition, up to 30 trees along the
east property line may be saved, depending on the degree to which a
proposed hike and bike trail can be aligned in such a way as to avoid the
tree root systems.
This tree preservation effort involves a reduction in parking below the
minimum zoning requirements, prior and present. It also involves
variation of the spacing of required parking islands. Board of Adjustment
approval of the variance of landscape requirements, based on the unique
features of this site, and a special exception to reduce the amount of
parking will be necessary prior to obtaining a building permit.
The proposed preliminary plat shows three lots, but the site plan submitted
in conjunction with the plat does not show landscape buffers on the
periphery of the vehicular use areas of each of the three proposed lots.
While the applicant might wish to seek a waiver of this requirement, the
Board of Adjustment has authority to grant a variance only when it can be
shown that circumstances unique to the property create a hardship. The
circumstances from which the applicant may desire relief are not inherent
in the land, but rather are created by the applicant's subdivision of the
land. Therefore, this is not a case for the Board of Adjustment.
The applicant has three choices: 1) plat the entirety of the property as a
single lot; 2) show 10'-wide landscaped buffers around the periphery of
vehicular use areas adjoining the interior property lines of each lot; or, 3)
request the landowner to renogi~te the Second Amendment to Contract of
Sale between The Parks of Coppell Trust and City of Coppell dated April
21, 1995.
RECOMMENDATION TO THE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION:
Staff recommends approval of the preliminary plat subject to:
1) engineering comments,
2)
3)
revision of the plat to show the property as a single platted lot, or
in lieu of that, revision of the site plan to show landscape buffers
between proposed interior lot lines and the periphery of vehicular
use areas, as agreed by the landowner,
City Council granting a waiver of driveway spacing requirements
to permit the service driveway entrance at the southeast comer of
the property and the next driveway entrance west of it to be closer
together that otherwise permitted,
4)
The Board of Adjustment granting a special exception to permit a
reduction of parking requirements, and
Item// 13
5)
The Board of Adjustment granting a variance of interior vehicular
use area landscaping requirements to permit a reduction in the
number of landscape islands within parking areas for the purpose
of enlarging the size of the islands provided and, thereby, saving
more existing trees than otherwise possible.
ALTERNATIVES:
1) Recommend approval of the Preliminary Plat
2) Recommend disapproval of the Preliminary Plat
3) Recommend modification of the Preliminary Plat
ATTACHMENTS:
1) Preliminary Plat
2) Site Plan
3) Landscape Plan
4) Informational letters of variance request
5) Departmental Comments
Item# 13
DRC DATE:
Town Center Shop_~___g Center. Preliminary_ Plat, Lot 1. Block 2. to
allow the development of a shopping center on &945 acres of property
located at the northeast comer of Denton Tap and Sandy Lake Roads,
at the request of Dowdey, Anderson & Associates, Inc.
March 28, 1996 and April 4, 1996
CONTACT: Mike Martin, E.I.T., Assistant City Engineer (304-3679)
COMMENT STATUS:
DDE'Y I]~IXTA D~
Preliminary Plat
1. Show visibility sight triangle easements at ail ingress/egress points.
2. Dedicate sidewalk and utility easements aiong Denton Tap Road.
3. Show metes and bounds description for deceleration lane at Wendy's on Denton Tap
Rd.
4. Impact fees required.
5. Need to provide 15' x 15' utility easements for all double check vaults and meters.
6. Provide additional right-of-way for deceleration lane for the middle driveway on
Sandy Lake Road.
7. Label the existing 10' water line easement with the volume and page number adjacent
to Denton Tap Road.
8. Provide drainage easement across Parcel 3 for the storm drain system.
Site Plan
1. Show brick pavers on ail approaches off of Sandy Lake Rd. and Denton Tap Rd.
2. Label 5' sidewalk aiong Denton Tap.
3. Close off the driveway opposite Wendy's near Denton Tap and relocate it eastward
to the end of Spine Road (Town Center Blvd.).
4. An easement is needed for the driveway radii off of Town Center Blvd. behind the
proposed retail building.
5. Show location of future deceleration lane for the middle driveway on Sandy Lake
Road.
Water & Sewer Plan and Storm Drainage ~
1. Provide a vault for the 8" water line at tapping location off of Sandy Lake and Town
Center Blvd. Must be located in an easement or right-of-way and outside of paving.
Landscape Plans
1. This plan should be revised taking into account the comments made on the site plan.
2. A 5' sidewalk is required aiong Denton Tap.
3. Provide irrigation plans.
Ewing_
Ewing Properties, Inc.
16660 Dallas Parkway
Suite 2200
Dallas, Texas 75248
(214) 250-3236
Fax: (214) 248o6701
April 8, 1996
Mr. Gary $ieb
Planning Department
CITY OF COPPELL
255 Parkway Boulevard
Coppell, Texas 75019
RE:
Northeast corner of Denton Tap and Sandy Lake
Proposed Town Center Shopping Center
Dear Mr. Sieb:
In response to DRC comment #2 Ewing Properties, Inc. as applicant for site plan approval
of the above referenced development, respectfully requests a variance to the City ordinance
requiring a planter island every 15 parking spaces. We are requesting this variance in
conjunction with our request for a variance to parking code due to our efforts to save as
many of the existing trees as possible.
By placing a planter island in the areas where the spaces exceed 1.5 we would "cut" further
into our parking.
We appreciate your consideration of our request.
Ke~v~in Caldwell
Vice President- Retail
KC/cs
Ewing_
Ewing Properties, Inc.
16660 Dallas Parkway
Suite 2200
Dallas, Texas 75248
(214) 250-3236
Fax: (214) 248-6701
April 8, 1996
Mr. Gary Sieb
Planning Department
CITY OF COPPELL
255 Parkway Boulevard
Coppell, Texas 75019
RE:
Northeast Corner of Denton Tap and Sandy Lake
Proposed Town Center Shopping Center
Dear Mr. Sieb:
As a result of a discussion with Pert Virtanen on Thursday afternoon, April 4th regarding the
City ordinance requiring a 10 foot landscape buffer between lot lines I am requesting a
variance to this requirement in conjunction with the proposed development at the above
referenced intersection.
This development will be composed of three lots with the Tom Thumb grocery store lot
located in the middle and in planning for a harmonius and efficient parking lot with a good
traffic flow we have designed the layout as it is submitted and respectfully request the
variance.
We appreciate your consideration of our request.
Sincerely,
Vice President- Retail
KC/cs
Ewing_
Ewing Properties, Inc.
16660 Dallas Parkway
Suite 2200
Dallas, Texas 75248
(214) 250-3236
Pax: (214) 248-6701
April 8, 1996
Mr. Gary Sieb
Planning Department
CITY OF COPPELL
255 Parkway Blvd.
Coppell, Texas 75019
Revised
RE:
Northeast Corner of Denton Tap and Sandy Lake
Proposed Town Center Shopping Center
Dear Mr. Sieb:
Ewing Properties, Inc. is the applicant for site plan approval of the above referenced
development. In laying out the site plan and in an effort to keep as many of the existing
trees as possible we have maintained islands in the parking lot with a cluster of existing
trees. By doing so we have sacrificed a number of parking spaces such that we do not meet
the parking code imposed by city ordinance.
There are 469 spaces shown on the plan and 508 spaces are required by code, therefore we
are 39 spaces short of meeting code. We respectfully request a variance to the parking
ordinance for this development for the reason stated above and for the number of parking
spaces previously stated.
We appreciate your consideration of our request.
Sincerely,
Vice President- Retail
KC/cs