Amberpoint BP-CS030116CITY OF COPPELL
PLANNING DEPARTMENT
STAFF REPORT
CASE NO.: PD-19482, AmberPoint Business Park
P & Z HEARING DATE: January 16, 2003
C.C. HEARING DATE: February 11, 2003
STAFF REP.: Andrea Roy, Economic Development Coordinator
LOCATION: East & west of Northpoint Drive, south of Sandy Lake Road.
SIZE OF AREA: 113.96 acres.
CURRENT ZONIN G: PD-194 (Planned Development-194)
REQUEST: PD-19482 to increase acreage from 104 acres to 113.96 acres and
modify the park entry sign design and location.
APPLICANT: Applicant: Architect:
AmberPoint @ Coppell, LLC O'Brien & Associates
c/o AmberJack, Ltd. 5310 Harvest Hill Rd., Suite 136
Transwestem Commercial Services Dallas, TX 75230
5001 Spring Valley Rd., Suite 604W Phone: (972) 788-1010
Dallas, TX 75244 Fax: (972) 788-4828
Phone: (972) 774-2544
Fax: (972)991-4247
HISTORY: In November 2001 City Council approved PD-194 to allow for the
development of six buildings, totaling approximately 1,775,600-
square feet, on 110 acres of property, which would be served by an
8.6-acre detention pond in the southeast corner of the site (adjacent
to Wagon Wheel Park and State Road). The following variations to
the Zoning Ordinance were approved as part of the Planned
Development: Multiple monument signs, including business park
signs at Royal Lane and Sandy Lake Road, variances to the Tree
Mitigation requirements, variances to the Perimeter Landscape
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Requirements and the provision of a living screen in lieu of a wall.
A detail site plan and final plat for 308,000-squaze feet of
speculative office/wazehouse on the subject site were also
approved at that time. The building has since been constructed and
will soon be occupied by Somera Communications.
In October 2002, City Council approved PD-194R, to allow a detail
site plan and replat for the Staples 228,250sq.-ft. office/warehouse
facility with future expansion of 161,750-sq. ft.
TRANSPORTATION: Royal Lane is a C4D/6 four-lane divided thoroughfare in a right-of-
way containing 110' of dedication (adequate for asix-lane divided
thoroughfare) until approx. 600' north of the Northpoint Drive
intersection, where the road narrows to a two-lane undivided
roadway. Sandy Lake is an existing two-lane roadway. The
Thoroughfare Plan shows Sandy Lake as a C4D/6 four-lane divided
thoroughfare in aright-of--way containing 110 feet of dedication
(adequate for asix-lane divided thoroughfare). State Road is an
existing two-lane roadway. The Thoroughfaze Plan shows State
Road within the alignment for the connection of Freeport Parkway
from its recently constructed terminus at Ruby Road to its nev.~est
segment northwest of State Highway 121, at the entrance to DFW
Trade Center. The standards for this future Freeport Parkway
connection area 120'-wide right-of--way containing a C4D/6 four-
lane divided collector street capable of expansion to six lanes.
SURROUNDING LAND USE & ZONING:
North -vacant, LI (Light Industrial)
South -Wagon Wheel Park, LI (Light Industrial)
East -under construction (Coppell Fellowship Bible Church), R (Retail),
PD-109-SF9 (Single Family-Oak Bend Addition), and LI (Light
Industrial)
West -vacant, existing office/warehouse facilities, LI (Light Industrial)
COMPREHENSNE PLAN: The Comprehensive Plan shows the property as suitable for
light industriaUshowroom uses.
DISCUSSION: The applicant is requesting an amendment to the existing Planned
Development-194 AmberPoint Business Park for the following reasons:
^ Incorporation of an additional 9.10 acres of property into the
Planned Development,
^ Relocation of one proposed business park identification sign,
• Allowance of additional business pazk identification sign area;
and
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^ Allowance of increased maximum height of the business pazk
identification signs.
Since the original Planned Development approval in late 2001, the
applicant has purchased two additional properties totaling 9.10 acres
immediately adjacent to the west boundary of the Planned Development.
While no specific development project is proposed at this time, the
applicant wishes to prepaze these additional tracts of land for future
development.
In conjunction with the incorporation of the additional land at the corner of
Royal Lane and Northpoint Drive, the applicant is requesting to relocate
one proposed business park identification sign from the existing western
boundary of the Planned Development to recently acquired land at the
northeast corner of Northpoint Drive & Royal Lane for greater visibility.
The second proposed business park identification sign will remain in its
initially proposed location at the southeast comer of Northpoint Drive &
Sandy Lake Road.
The original Planned Development allowed variations to the signage
requirements, including multiple monument signs and business pazk
identification signs. Specifically, two 60 square-foot business park
identification signs and seven 60 square-foot individual monument signs
were permitted with the Planned Development. Since the original
approval, revisions have been made to the Sign Ordinance, which now
allows business park identification signs and, according to the size of the
parcel and number of buildings, multiple monument signs. Based on these
revisions, the proposed seven 60 square-foot monument signs are now in
compliance with the Zoning Ordinance. No modifications will be made to
the monument signs at this time; however, notable alterations to the
business park identification signs are proposed.
The current request is for two 149.5 squaze-foot business park
identification signs. The approved business pazk identification signs were
to measure 10' in height and 6' in width, for a total of 60-square feet.
Although the height exceeded the 6' maximum, the number and overall
size is now in compliance with the recently revised Sign Ordinance, The
subject request would revise the design of the business park identification
signs, actually lowering the height to 6.5', but increasing the width to 23',
for a total of 149.5 square feet. While size of the signs may appear
excessive, consideration should be given to the curvilineaz design of the
sign, the decreased height, and the size and location of this property. This
size of sign would cleazly appear out of scale among smaller retail uses,
yet it is in scale with the building and lot sizes within the light industrial
district. Additionally, the request is similar to sign plans of other area
master planned business parks in Coppell. Staff has no objection to the
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increased area for the above mentioned reasons and feels .the revised
design provides more continuity between the identification signs and
individual building monument signs within the Business Park.
Buildin Si s Permitted Si s Re uested
1 One 60-s .-ft. Buildin si s One 60-s .-ft. Buildin si
2 Two 60-s .-ft. Buildin si Two 60-s .-ft. Buildin si s
3, 4, 5, 6,
Conce tual Five 60-sq.-ft. building signs Four 60-sq.-ft. building signs
Park I.D. Si s Two 60-s .-ft. ent si s Two 150-s .-ft. en si s
Totals Eight 60-sq.-ft. building signs
Two 60-sq. ft. entry signs Seven 60-sq.-ft. building signs
Two 150-sq: ft. entry signs
600-s ft. of si ns 720-s . ft. of si s
Staffs only concern relates to the specific placement of the proposed
identification signs at both the northeast corner of Royal and Northpoint
and southeast comer of Sandy Lake and Northpoint. As required by the
Zoning Ordinance, business park identification signs must be set back a
minimum of 15' from the property line and outside the intersection's
visibility triangle. While the signs appear to meet these minimum
requirements, the increased size warrants increased setbacks, so not to
appear so close to right-of--way traffic. To remedy this, staff would
recommend that both signs be placed a minimum of 25' from the property
lines.
RECOMMENDATION TO THE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION:
Staff is recommending APPROVAL of the Planned Development amendment
request, subject to the following conditions:
1) The proposed business park identification signs shall be set back a
minimum of 2Y from the property lines (and outside the visibility triangle)
at both the northeast corner of Royal and Northpoint and the southeast
corner of Sandy Lake Rd. and Northpoint.
2) Revise Monument Sign Table to eliminate reference to three 60 square-foot
monument signs in addition to the four signs proposed to serve building 3,
4, 5, & 6. Also revise calculation of requested sign area to read 420 SF
instead of 560 SF.
ALTERNATNES:
I } 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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ATTACHMENTS:
I) Planned Development & Sign Plan
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