U.S. Restaurant-CS 990617 CITY OF COPPELL
PLANNING DEPARTMENT
STAFF REPORT
CASE NO.: S-1163, U.S. Restaurant Pro erties
Develol ment
P & Z HEARING DATE: June 17, 1999
C.C. HEARING DATE: July 13, 1999
LOCATION: Southeast comer of Denton Tap Road and State Highway 121
Bypass.
SIZE OF AREA: Approximately 66,986 sf of property;
3,533 sf building with a convenience store and drive-through
restaurant (1,027 sf restaurant and 2,507 sf convenience store)
1,050 sfcar wash
3,536 sfcanopy area
CURRENT ZONING: LI (Light Industrial)
REQUEST: LI-S.U.P. (Light Industrial, Special Use Permit)
APPLICANT: Developer: Engineer:
U.S. Restaurant Properties WI) Architects & Engineers
Development, L.P. 5310 Harvest Hill Rd., #270, LB 168
5310 Harvest Hill Dallas, TX 75230
Dallas, TX 75230 (972) 239-9496
(972) 387-1487 FAX: (972) 239-9491
FAX: (972) 702-8047
HISTORY: The City of Coppell annexed portions of the Vista Ridge Business
Park in 1986 and 1990, including the property currently requested for
rezoning. In connection with the annexation proceedings, the City
held public hearings to establish the zoning.
TRANSPORTATION: Denton Tap Road is currently under construction. The roadway is
proposed to be a P6D six-lane divided thoroughfare within a 120'-
wide right-of-way. The S.H. 121 Bypass will be built to freeway
standards and currently contains one-way access roads, each 33 feet
in width, within a 450 feet of right-of-way.
Item # 4
SURROUNDING LAND USE & ZONING:
North- vacant; "HC" Highway Commercial
South- vacant; "C" Commercial
East- Coppell Middle School North campus; "SF-7" Single
Family-7
West - vacant; "HC" Highway Commercial
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN: The Comprehensive Plan shows the property as suitable for
regional retail uses.
DISCUSSION: The applicant is proposing a gas station with a convenience store, drive-
through restaurant and car wash at the southeast comer of Denton Tap
Road and S.H. 121 Bypass. All three uses require a special use permit.
The applicant is proposing a main structure that will house the
convenience store and restaurant measuring 3,533 sf, the gas canopy is
3,536 sf (6 pumps-- capable of servicing 12 cars) and the car wash is
1,050 sf. The drawings identify food vendor signs as TCBY and/or Pizza
Inn. The notation is considered insufficient for a special use permit
review. Without concrete knowledge of the proposed businesses that will
occupy the facility and without detailed information on business colors
and signage, staff can not support this kind of an application.
Denton Tap Road is a primary image zone and the intersection of Denton
Tap and S.H. 121 Bypass is a major gateway into the city from the north.
The Comprehensive Plan supports regional retail uses on this property,
meaning larger-scale developments such as retail centers, service
commercial and restaurants. The plan did not contemplate a gas station
with a convenience store. This is the first use being proposed on the south
side of this major intersection and from staff perspective this use will
determine how the surrounding properties will develop. Staff is concerned
not only that the proposed uses do not meet the spirit of a "regional retail"
area but also must consider the impact this proposal will have on furore
development in the immediate area.
Nevertheless, a brief summary of a technical review of this proposal may
be warranted. The plans show the site to be 33% landscaped, however, it
is short 2,170 sf as required by code. The Comprehensive Plan suggests a
50' buffer be observed along the SH 121 Bypass. The applicant is not
showing a solid 50' buffer along SH 121, rather a tapering buffer ranging
in width between 50' to 5'. Three-foot high berms are shown in the
perimeter landscape buffers with plant materials planted on top of the
berms providing a thicker screen. Against the western elevation of the car
wash structure, the applicant has provided added plant material to soften
the brick facade visible from Spur 553. However, a couple of the
proposed plant material should be substituted with ones listed on the city's
approved plant palette.
Item#4
Site data shown on the site improvement plan must also be corrected. The
total of number of parking spaces shown is 33 (31 regular parking spaces
and two handicap spaces) and the total non-vehicular open space
calculations should use 66,986 sf for total lot area not 64,485 sf. Not
included in the building elevations of the convenience store/restaurant is
the canopy section above the drive through window indicated on the
landscape plan. Also, staff requests elevations of all 6 sides of the
building. Color of all exterior building materials also should be called out
on the documents. Color and elevations of ail proposed signs must be
shown. Proposed monument sign exceeds the maximum allowable height
of 4 feet. This is not a well conceived plan and there are just too many
staff concerns not properly addressed. We can not support this
application.
RECOMMENDATION TO THE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION:
Staff recommends denial of the special use permit for several reasons. The
first being, this proposal does not meet the spirit of a "regional retail" area
as suggested by the Comprehensive Plan. Second, without concrete
knowledge of the proposed businesses for this site and without detailed
information on business colors and signage the submittal is incomplete.
Third, there are a number of technical deficiencies associated with this
proposal. Namely it is short on required landscaping, it lacks the 50' wide
solid landscape buffer strip along S.H. 121 Bypass, there are a number of
unapproved plant materials shown, the monument sign does not meet city
specifications and there is insufficient information with regards to exterior
building materials and signs. Finally, this is a very important primary
image zone in Coppell, and the use which first occupies this intersection
sets the development tone for the remaining land area. This proposal is
not what was envisioned by the Comprehensive Master Plan.
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) Boundary
2) Site Improvement Plan
3) Site Landscape Plan
4) Site Irrigation Plan
5) Square Footage Exhibit
6) Exterior Elevations
7) Car Wash Exterior Elevations
8) Canopy Elevations
9) Departmental Comments
Item #4
1. Monument sign will need to be set back 15' from property line
2. Ne~ad--_~P. i,,fnrip4tir.,_te; r-O~l)~-.-~i~aE.~.,,,Atioq, ~t~Or'l)lsn~, ..
signage type incl. attached signs, colors, etc.
3. Nee~4;w informet!-~n-4~ be~le.to .comm. tnt4urther.