Riverview Office-CS021121CITY OF COPPELL
PLANNING DEPARTMENT
STAFF REPORT
CASE• Riverview Office Development. Lot 1, Block A
Site Plan
P & Z HEARING DATE: November 21, 2002 (originally heard on October 17`~ and held
under advisement.)
C.C. HEARING DATE: December 10, 2002
STAFF REP.:
LOCATION:
SIZE OF AREA:
CURRENT ZONING:
REQUEST:
APPLICANT:
Marcie Diamond, Assistant Planning Director
SWC of Sandy Lake Road and Riverview Drive.
2.17 acres of property.
R (Retail).
Site Plan approval to allow the development of four office buildings
totaling 19,800-square feet.
Architect:
Stirling Wainscott
4815 Keller Springs
Addison, Texas 75001
(972) 931-0014
FAX: (931) 447-9110
Engineer:
Dowdey, Anderson & Assoc., Inc.
5225 Village Creek Drive, Suite 200
Plano, Texas 75093
(972) 931-0694
FAX: (972) 931-9538
HISTORY: In October 1991, the property abutting the subject tract to the south was
rezoned from R (Retail) to SF-9 (Single Family-9). The preliminary plat
for Riverview Estates was also approved with this rezoning. The Final
Plat was not approved until 1997. Given that the preliminary plat had
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expired (even with one extension being granted), City Council's approval
was subject to the granting of a waiver to the Subdivision Ordinance,
which requires approval of a preliminazy plat prior to fmal plat approval.
The fmal plat also provides for the HOA to maintain the median in
Riverview Drive at Sandy Lake Road. It also maintains the entry features,
which were established, by sepazate easement, in 1998.
TRANSPORTATION: Sandy Lake Road exists as atwo-lane asphalt road. In the fall of
this yeaz, improvement to a four-lane divided thoroughfare is
planned to commence; completion scheduled for spring of 2004.
Sufficient right-of--way exists adjacent to this property for this road
improvement.
SURROUNDING LAND USE & ZONING:
North -undeveloped; Retail and Office
South - Riverview Estates; Single Family-9
East -undeveloped; Retail
West -Eagle Point at Riverchase; Single Family-7
COMPREHENSNE PLAN: The Comprehensive Plan shows the property as suitable for
neighborhood retail.
DISCUSSION: The applicant is requesting site plan approval to allow for the
construction of four, one-story, 4,950 squaze-foot office buildings
on this 2.17 acre tract of property. The site plan indicates that
70 parking spaces will be provided, which exceeds, by four
parking spaces, the minimum requirement of one space per 300-
square feet of gross floor area. A six-foot high brick-screening
wall will sepazate this development from the existing single
family abutting to the south and west.
This property will be accessed via two driveways, one on Sandy
Lake Road and one on Riverview Drive. Once Sandy Lake Road
is improved to a standazd, four-lane divided thoroughfaze, the
driveway on Sandy Lake will not be served by a median opening.
There will be a median opening for Riverview Road to
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accommodate westbound traffic. The fue lane will extend from
Sandy Lake to Riverview Road and needs to be constructed prior
to any construction beyond the foundation.
There are minor revisions that need to be addressed on the site
plan. First, a vicinity map needs to be added (vicinity map
added on the revised plan). Second, all existing and proposed
easements need to be indicated. Third, the screening wall is
called out to be Boral-Old Boston, while all the buildings are
specified on the elevations and the color board to be Boral-Oxford
Red. (Oxford Red is indicated as the screening wall material)
It is recommended that the same brick be used on the building,
dumpster screening and the screening walls. Finally, the gates on
the dumpster screening wall aze called out as wood, which tend to
present long-term maintenance issues. It is preferable that. these
gates be metal, painted to match the color of the brick. (Gates
are shown as metal, painted to match the brick)
The Landscape Plan generally complies with the regulations of
the Zoning Ordinance. Almost 40~ of the site is devoted to
landscaping and 47 trees will be planted as part of this
development. The trees along Sandy Lake Road and adjacent to
the single family will be predominately Live Oak, with Chinese
Pistasce and Lacebazk Elms being used as accent, over-story
trees. Dwazf Burford Holly hedges will screen the parking areas;
however, an additional hedgerow is required in the pazking island
at the northern end of the row of parking east of the driveway
from Sandy Lake Road (11 dwarf Burford Holly shrubs have
been added to this parking island). Finally, the non-vehiculaz
landscaping exceeds the minimum by 5,716-squaze feet. Fifty
percent of non-vehiculaz landscaping should be located in the
front yazd. In this development, only 48 °lo is in the front yard, a
deficit of 245-square feet. However, given the overage of the
landscaping in other areas of the development, this trade-off
appears reasonable.
The elevations portray ared-brick building with a teal green,
standing seam metal roof. The roof, with four dormers, which
appear to be white aluminum, accounts for almost 50 ~ of the
elevation. There is a complete lack of azchitectural accents
normally included in the designs of the buildings in Coppell. It is
strongly recommended that accent material (up to 20% of the
exterior) such as cast stone, stone veneer and/or contrasting brick
color be added to embellish the windows and the entries into the
buildings.
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The applicant has made some minor revisions to the
elevations, but it still lacks the architectural quality envisioned
for this property which fronts on one of the City's Primary
Image Zones. Four buildings are proposed for this site, all
with exact elevations; therefore, the architectural quality of
these buildings will significantly impact the aesthetics of this
corridor.
Specifically, the north elevation of these four buildings, which
will directly face Sandy Lake Road, were previously relatively
blank walls with four windows. The redesigned north
elevation includes a door with green awning and the
continuation of the standing seam metal roof. The upper
window has been replaced with a dormer, which contains
metal-louvered vents. Cast stone headers have been added to
the windows. Staff and the subcommittee of the Planning
and Zoning Commission recommended that this entryway be
significantly enhanced given the visibility onto Sandy Lake
Road, including "popping out' of the front entryway and
enhancing it with stone and including a prominent roof and
green awning. It was recommended that the windows be
articulated with windowpanes. Also of concern on the north
fagades are the appearance of the sides of the standing-seam
metal roof that face the east and west. The current elevation
indicates that this area be white siding with wood trim. While
not in conflict with the masonry requirement, there are
concerns with aesthetics and long-term maintenance. The
south elevations are the same as the north, without a door,
and staff s comments on the window, dormer and roof are
reiterated for this fagade.
Similar concerns exist on the east and west elevations of all
four buildings, whereas the dormers contain vents, the
windows do not have either shutters or panes and the entry
doors are not enhanced beyond the inclusion of green canvas
awnings.
After the last meeting, staff anticipated that alterations would
be made these buildings. Commission members made a
considerable effort to give the applicant guidance regarding
the appearance of these structures, without being cost
prohibitive. For the most part this applicant has disregarded
those suggestions.
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RECOIvIMENDATION TO THE PLANNING AND ZONING COMiVIISSION:
Staff is recommending HOLDING THIS CASE UNDER
ADVISEMENT until such time that concerns with these buildings
have been resolved. If resolution can be accomplished prior to, or
at the Planning and Zoning Commission meeting, then staff can
recommend APPROVAL, of the Site Plan for Riverview Office
Development, subject to:
1) The entire fire lane needs to be constructed prior to any
construction beyond the foundation.
2) condition
met)
3) Indicate all existing and proposed easements on the Site Plan.
4) It~wise-tie-L~ielFE~a-El~sereei~~to '~~ Dc:c., ^~` =a
. (condition met)
5) ~bs~ttute~etal~a~e~-gainted te-~atel3 tl~e brief
dempsteF--(condition met)
6)
,~jaC.eat c0 •1.~. ..F ....•L;.. Z :~~ vF rl.e ,7:: ~ ~~.. ~~.W
......
Seade-Reed. (condition met)
7) Add accent materials (up to 20 % of the exterior) such as cast
stone, stone veneer and/or contrasting brick color to
embellish the windows and the entries into the buildings.,
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.
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ATTACHIvIENTS:
1) Site Plan
2) Landscape Plan
3) Elevations
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