Service Star-CS031218CITY OF COPPELL
PLANNING DEPARTMENT
STAFF REPORT
CASE NO.: S-1211, Service Star
P & Z HEARING DATE:
C.C. HEARING DATE:
December 18, 2003
January 13, 2004
STAFF REP.:
Marcie Diamond, Assistant Planning Director
LOCATION:
Southwest comer of S.H. 121 and MacArthur Boulevard.
SiZE OF AREA:
Approximately 2 acres of property.
CUP, RENT ZONING:
PD-199-HC(Planned Development- 199-IIighway Commercial)
REQUEST:
PD-199-HC-S-1211 (Planned Development-199-Highway
Commercial, Special Use Pennit-1211), to allow the development
of Auto Repair Garage, Car Wash, Convenience Store and
Gasoline Service Station on approximately 2 acres of property
located at the southwest corner of S.H. 121 and MacArthur Blvd.
APPLICANTS:
Demian Salmon
Jackson Shaw Company
4890 Alpha Road, Suite 100
Dallas, Texas 75244
972 628-7400
FAX: 972-628-7444
Jeff Libby
Standridge Companies
14860 Monfort Dr. # 241
Dallas, Texas 75254
214-363 1998
FAX: 214-363 1997
ItlSTORY:
Page 1 of 6
The subject property is part of Lot 3, Block G, a 49.20-acre lract
within the Vista Ridge Addition. The property lies within Denton
County and was originally part of the City of Lewisville when
recorded in September of 1986. Since that time, the City of
Item # 11
Coppell has annexed this and other portions of the Vista Ridge
Business Park.
In September 2001, City Council approved a Site Plan and Final
Plat to allow for the construction of a ()ne story, 71,000 square-foot
office building on seven acres of this of this 26 acre parcel of land.
The Site Plan would have expired on September 11, 2003;
however, on September 9, 2003, Council approved a six-month
extension. The approved Site Plan will now expire in March 2004.
In September 1999, a request fbr a PD for a gas station,
convenience store and car wash on 1.5 acres at this corner of S.H.
121 and MacArthur Boulevard was recommended for denial by
staff. Due to this recommendation, the applicant requested a
postponement until December of that year to allow for a redesign
of the site plan and elevations to address staff design concerns, but
staff still strongly opposed the use at this location. On December
16, 1999, the Planning and Zoning Conunission recormnended
denial of this request, and it was not appealed to City Council.
TRANSPORTATION:
S.H. 121 is under construction to freeway standards with access
roads, within 450 feet of right-of-way.
SURROUNDING LAND USE & ZONING:
North - S.H. 121, City of Lewisville
South - PD-132-SF-9, The Peninsulas of Coppell, and PD-149-SF-
7, Vistas of Coppell
East -vacant; HC-(Highway Cormnercial) and office park; LI
(Light Industrial), City of Lewisville
West - Vistas of Coppell, PD149 -SF-7 (Single-Family)
DISCUSSION:
Page 2 of 6
This request is for a Shell gas station, convenience store, car wash and a
Great American auto repair facility, including lube and tire sales. A
request for a service station (gas pmnps, car wash and convenience store)
on this tract of property was recently denied, based on the
inappropriateness of the use at this important gateway into the City, and its
potential impact on the development of the abutting properties to the south
and west. As discussed in more detail in PD-199-HC, which incorporates
this tract, the stated purpose of the HC District zoning, in part is:
The "HC" highway commercial district is intended pritnarily as a
high intensity area permitting a mixed-use for office, commercial-
retail, and highway oriented uses, such as hotels, restaurants,
Item ,,7 11
Page 3 of 6
and low and mid-rise office.., create an attractive appearance
from... S.H. 121, and an impressive gateway into the
community .... It is the intention of the "highway commercial"
zoning district to create an attractive and unique entrance into the
city".
To ensure that this goal is achieved Sec. 12-22-2. Non-permitted
uses, in the HC district specifically states:
"For clarity, the following uses, though not limited to the
following, are specifically not permitted uses within the
"HC" district even with a special use permit.
7. Used automobile sales or display, repair ~ara~es,
tire attd seat cover shops, or auto laundries unless
incidental to a service station ',
Therefore, the HC zoning does not permit automobile repair garage
and tire shop, even with a Special Use Permit. In the event that
PD-199-HC (which includes the entire property) requests a
variance to the HC regulations to allow this use, then the following
technical issues will apply.
Great American is an auto repair facility and proposes to have
two bay doors facing west and seven bay doors facing east, all
visible from S.H. 121 and MacArthur Blvd, a Primary Image
Zone in Coppell. The north elevation of this facility, directly
facing onto S.H. 121, is proposed to have a door and four signs.
These signs are in conflict with the City's Sign Ordinance and the
sign criteria for this PD, in terms of color (color logos not
exceeding 20% of the area of the sign) and size. Section 12-29-
4.(B) of the Zoning Ordinance regulates the size of attached sign
based of the linear footage of the frontage of the building. This
building has 42.5 feet of frontage on S.H. 121; therefore, a total
of 42.5-square footage of attached signage will be permitted for
this entire building. However, the color and sizes were not
specified on the elevation sheet and, therefore, specific
compliance cannot be determined. The signage on the proposed
gray metal canopy or sign band may also not be permitted. The
building is setback 10 feet from the southern property line. HC
zoning requires a 20-foot rear-yard setback, yet another conflict
with the regulations of the Zoning Ordinance.
Staff is also concerned about the proposed outside storage of used
tires and potentially other automobile parts along the southern
Item # 11
Page 4 of 6
property line of this tract. Information was also required
concerning site and security lighting, and hours of operation, but
has yet to be provided.
The building materials are essentially the same as proposed for
the office/assembly/warehouse buildings, except that there is
more masonry, limited stone, stucco and metal being used as
accent materials. These materials need to be specified on the
elevation sheets and not just referred to on the color board,
especially for those materials that are not on the color board, such
as the aluminum composite metal material and the stucco.
The development proposed for the corner is a Shell gas station.
Specifically, this is proposed to include a 2,107 square-/hot
convenience store and 1,075 square-foot car wash, behind a
3,120 square-foot canopy with five pump islands, which is large
enough to acconunodate 20 cars at one time. Again, this use is in
conflict with the stated general purpose and description of the HC
District, although not expressly prohibited as are the car repair
and tire sale uses.
The aesthetics of this use will largely depend on the gas pumps
and their canopy in that they will be the most visible features of
this land use. The standing seam metal roof and the masonry
veneer will be the same as used on the other buildings of this
development; however, the two-foot canopy fascia is proposed to
be yellow with a red stripe. The fuel dispensers will also be very
visible from S.H. 121, and the color has not been indicated on the
plans. Lighting under the canopy will also have a major impact
on the aesthetics of this project, as well as its impact on
surrounding land uses.
The building materials for the convenience store and car wash
are, again, essentially the same as proposed for the
office/assembly/warehouse buildings, except that there is more
masonry, and limited stone is being used as an accent material.
Metal canopies are included on the front and rear elevations of
the building. Per Section 12-22-5.5 of the Zoning Ordinance,
awnings (canopies) on buildings are required to be "non-metal
material that closely rese~nbles canvass". Therefore the metal
canopies are another variance to the HC District regulations.
The materials need to be specified on the elevation sheets, and
not just referred to on the color board, especially for those
materials that are not on the color board and for materials not
proposed for this particular building.
Item # l 1
Two 60 square-foot monument signs are proposed on this one lot.
Per Sec. 12-29-4. Provisions for business zoning districts, only
one sign is permitted. This section of the Zoning Ordinance
further states that "Can signs made of plastic or similar materials
are not permitted as detached (monument) signs". The color and
materials proposed for these signs are not stated on the plans, but
they appear to be full color, can (plastic) signs. It also appears
that under Great American's logo, there is a reader board, with
interchangeable letters, This, also, is prohibited by the
provisions of Sec. 12-29-4.
Access to this property is proposed via mutual-access easements,
with direct access points on S.H. 121 and MacArthur Blvd.
Driveway spacing and locations along the S.H. 121 frontage road
must be approved and permitted by TxDOT. Based on the
proposed uses of this tract, a deceleration/right-turn lane is
required on MacArthur Blvd. It appears that there is adequate
space to allow for approximately 100' of transition and 75' of
vehicle storage. This may require the dedication of additional
right-of-way, the removal of some trees, and the reconstruction of
a storm sewer inlet.
The fire lane configurations are inadequate. The applicant is
proposing several 100-foot long stubbed-out fire lanes. As
currently designed, fire trucks cannot fully circulate around the
buildings or gas pumps and will be required to back out of the
proposed stub-outs. Finally, hours of operation, which is a
requirement of a SUP submittal, were not provided.
To summarize, the current request is to expand the previously
denied auto related uses beyond gas pumps/car wash and c-store
to include auto repair and tire sales (which are not allowable
uses), none of which were envisioned as an "attractive and
unique entrance into the city" nor are supported or permitted by
the existing HC zoning. It appears that the purpose of the
underlying PD was not to enhance, but request variances to the
HC regulations in terms of building materials, signage, setback as
well as uses.
RECOMMENDATION TO THE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION:
Staff is recommending DENIAL of SUP-1211 for Auto Repair
Garage, Car Wash, Convenience Store and Gasoline Service
Station, based on:
Page 5 of 6
Item # 11
The inappropriateness of these uses at this important gateway into
the City;
Auto repair and tire sales are specifically prohibited uses in the HC
District;
Technical issues, including, but not limited to: conflicts with the
Sign Ordinance; inadequate fire lanes, need to provide for
deceleration lanes, the inclusion of outside storage, metal awnings,
insufficient rear-yard setbacks, lack of details on site and canopy
lighting, hours of operation, and building materials.
ALTERNATIVES
1)
2)
3)
4)
Recommend approval of the request
Recommend disapproval of the request
Recommend modification of the request
Take under advisement for reconsideration at a later date.
ATTACItMENTS:
l) Site Plan
2) Landscape Plan
3) Elevations of Great American
4) Elevations of the Convenience Store
5) Elevations of thc Car Wash
6) Elevations of the gas pumps and canopy
7) Monument signs
8) Floor Plan for Convenience Store
9) Floor Plan for Gmat American
Page 6 of 6
Item # 11