Staff letter-existing util.pole/_~/----~ The City With A Beaut' ul Future
//__.../ P.O. BOX 478
COPPELL, TEXAS 75019
P,O. Box 478
CoppelI, Texas 75019
972-462-0022
October 8, 1998
Mr. Tim Brancheau
TU Electric
972-888-1304
Dear Tim:
re: Eason Petroleum Property
Please read Condition #5 on the following staff report and let me know if what I am suggesting is
out of the question. After the staff report you will find a rough drawing that shows the location
of the 5 poles mentioned in the report. What I would really like to see happen is for GTE to
remove its poles all along the south side of Vanbebber and put their cable underground. The City
cannot make that happen, but in my mind that would be the least expensive way to alleviate what
I consider to be an overabundance of overhead wires up and down Vanbebber.
What the City can require in this case is that the on-site service line to the building be
underground, but if it did, I do not know how you would then get service to the adjoining car
wash. Presently there is an electric service line that crosses Vanbebber overhead from your
facilities on the north side of the street to a GTE pole on the south side of the street. It continues
to a series of two on-site poles. At the second of these two poles, one wire crosses to the
building involved in this zoning request, and another wire crosses to the car wash building to the
east. I have no idea why it takes two poles to accomplish this. In addition to the electric service,
the two poles also carry a telephone wire. It originates fi.om an aerial splice in the GTE cable
east of the property, proceeds to the first of the two on-site poles, then to the second, and then to
the building. Sometime before next Thursday, I would appreciate it if you would drive by the
site, assess the situation and then give me some ideas as to how best we might improve on a
somewhat unsightly array of wiring.
Sincerely,
Pert Virtanen
Assistant Director of Planning and Community Services
CITY OF COPPELL
PLANNING DEPARTMENT
STAFF REPORT
CASE NO.: S-1152, EASON PETROLEUM,
GAS STATION AND CONVENIENCE ST ! RE
P & Z HEARING DATE:
C.C. HEARING DATE:
October 15, 1998
November 10, 1998
LOCATION:
Southeast corner of Vanbebber Drive and S. Denton Tap Road.
SIZE OF AREA:
.5 ofanacre
CURRENT ZONING:
REQUEST:
C (Commercial)
Zoning change to C-S.U.P. (Commercial, Special Use Permit).
APPLICANT:
Owner:
Eason Petroleum
1830 E Northgate
Irving TX 75062
972-554-0588
Fax 972-721-0423
Designer:
Michael A. Smith
984 N Cooper
Arlington TX 76011
817-261-2929
Fax 817-277-7566
HISTORY:
The property was zoned "C" Commercial in June, 1979. A plat of
the property was recorded in December, 1981.
TRANSPORTATION:
South Demon Tap Road is a P6D six-lane divided major
thoroughfare built to standard within a 100'-wide right-of-way.
Vanbebber Drive is a 37'-wide concrete local street with curb and
gutter within a 50'-wide right-of-way which narrows to 45' in
width immediately east of the property.
SURROUNDING LAND USE & ZONING:
North-
South -
East -
West -
Vacant; C
Vacant; C
Self-serve car wash; C
2 mobile homes on acreage; O
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN: The Comprehensive Plan shows the property as suitable for mixed
uses.
Item # 8
DISCUSSION:
The applicant is proposing to renovate an existing building and operate it
as a gas station and convenience store. A Stop-and-Go occupied the
property during the 1980's. While the building still stands, it has not been
in use for several years. The zoning ordinance has been amended in the
meantime, so by current standards the property cannot be developed in the
same manner as previously. Specifically, a building is no longer permitted
to be located in the C District with no side yard, and landscaping
regulations require that pavement be located no closer to a street right-of-
way line than 15' and no closer to an adjoining property than 10' and that
greater amounts of landscaped area be provided.
If the property had remained in continual use, the building would qualify
as a non-conforming structure. As such, it could be occupied by any
business permitted within the C District. However, since the property has
not been in use for over 6 months, the City can require that the existing
structure be removed prior to reuse of the land.
Requiring the demolition of a 20-year-old building, in the opinion of
planning staff, would be an extreme stance to take, might cause the
building to remain unoccupied for an even greater period, and would
likely result in more harm than good. Also, the land area is only half an
acre, making it difficult to develop even a new commercial structure by
current standards. On this account, the property should be a worthy
candidate for hardship consideration by the Board of Adjustment, whether
for renovation or for new construction.
Therefore, staff has worked with the applicant to devise a plan for use of
as much of the existing facilities as possible, compensating for lack of
landscaped area by planting the area that is available more densely. The
applicant also has cooperated to a considerable extent in enhancing the
exterior appearance of the building to bring it into conformance with
C.I.V.I.C. recommendations. Even so, the applicant will have to seek
variances from the Board of Adjustment for the unavoidable side yard and
landscape area and buffer reductions.
Bringing the plan, as proposed, into complete compliance with sign
regulations and C.I.V.I.C. recommendations requires removal of the
backlighting from the monument sign, removal of two star logos from the
roof, and use of channel letters for the Food Mart sign and logo on the
front facade. Also the building elevations do not call out a color for the
store front panels above door height on the front facade.
One £mal note concerns the number of utility poles on or immediately
adjoining the property. There are a total of 5. Three appear to be in
street right-of-way and 2 appear to be on the site. Staff is of the opinion
that TU Electric and GTE should be able to provide services with far
fewer poles.
Item # 8
RECOMMENDATION TO THE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION:
The planning staff recommends approval subject to the site plan, building
elevations and landscape plan, as submitted, except for the following
modifications:
1. Monument sign to be ground lit or unlighted.
Two star logos to be eliminated or relocated to the north and south
walls.
3. Use of channel letters for the Food Mart sign and logo.
o
Specification of a color that conforms to C.I.V.I.C.
recommendations for the store front panels above door height on
the front facade (a hue with a chroma of 2 or less and a value of 6
through 8, as defined by the Munsell* Color System).
and subject to the following additional conditions:
°
Removal of at least 2 utility poles (the 2 on the site or, preferably,
the 2 in the Vanbebber right-of-way and at least 1 on site, if
possible), undergrounding of any additional electric facilities, and
placement of mechanical equipment and utility meters in
inconspicuous locations or screened from view.
Restriction of merchandise, such as magazine and newspaper
racks, firewood, etc., and of advertising and promotional
materials, including drink machine advertising, to the interior of
the building, with window signs limited to 10% of the glass area.
°
Granting of variances to side yard and landscape requirements by
the Board of Adjustment.
ALTERNATIVE§:
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) Site Plan
2) Landscape Plan
3) Building Elevations
Item# 8
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