MacPlaza1 City/FP-CS 960418CITY OF COPPELL
PLANNING DEPARTMENT
STAFF REPORT
CASE NO: S-1105, CITY GARAGE ADDITION
P & Z HEARING DATE: April 18, 1996
C.C. HEARING DATE: May 14, 1996
LOCATION:
West side of MacArthur Boulevard; approximately 1,140' north of
Belt Line Road
SIZE OF AREA:
.68 acres
CURRENT ZONING:
C (Commercial)
REQUEST:
C-S.U.P. (Commercial, Special Use Permit)
APPLICANT:
Owner:
Zell Three Inc.
1190 Explorer Street
Duncanville, TX 75137
(214) 572-2897
Engineer:
Spiars & DeOtte, Inc.
4230 LBJ Freeway, Ste. 215
Dallas, TX 75244
(214) 699-7477
HISTORY:
In 1994 the City reclassified the zoning of this property from MF-2,
Multi-Family Residential to O, Office. A laWsuit resulted. In connection
with a settlement agreement not yet approved by the court, the City
changed the zoning to C, Commercial in late 1995. Agents for the owner
are in the process of preparing a preliminary plat of the property between
MacArthur Boulevard and the electric transmission line, north of
Riverchase Drive. On February 15, 1996, at the request of the
applicant, the Planning and Zoning Commission postponed the public
hearing of this case for the purpose of receiving coordinated submissions
on all four sites within the proposed MacArthur Plaza subdivision. On
March 21,1996 the Commission recommended that the public hearing be
held open for another month so that this request could be processed as
a planned development.
Item # 6
TRANSPORTATION:
MacArthur Boulevard is a 4 lane divided thoroughfare built in a
110'-wide right-of-way shown on the thoroughfare plan as a P6D,
6-lane divided thoroughfare.
SURROUNDING LAND USE & ZONING:
North -
South -
East
West
vacant; "C" Commercial
vacant; "C" Commercial
Jefferson at Riverchase Apartments; "MF-2" Multi-Family
vacant; "C" Commercial
TP&L transmission line r.o.w.; "A" Agriculture
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN:
The 1987 Comprehensive Plan shows Office. The
proposed 1996 Comprehensive Plan shows the area as
suitable for regional retail use.
DISCUSSION:
As noted in the comments regarding the SpeeDee Oil Change case (and
for the benefit of this applicant, who will not receive those comments),
many communities are very reluctant to permit automobile service
facilities within high-profile areas because of a history of unsightliness
which hurts surrounding property values. For example, within an
unincorporated community in Fairfax County, Virginia, with a population
twice that of Coppell, automobile service for the past 30 years has been
effectively limited to a handful of service station facilities affiliated with
major oil companies. The Coppell Zoning Ordinance does not go that far,
but recognizes the potential for adverse impacts by requiring a special use
permit for most auto related uses.
As early as November of 1995, staff met with the real estate broker and
the various prospective purchasers of sites within MacArthur Plaza. Staff
stressed repeatedly its opinion that, while not easily accomplished, it
would be possible to establish auto related uses on MacArthur Boulevard
without damage to the surroundings. The key elements would be unified
building materials, coordination and restraint on signage, and extensive
landscaping so that the result would be similar in appearance to
neighboring commercial projects.
The site plan submitted, however, does not comply with an important
provision of the zoning ordinance. It does not provide 15% of the site
(less building) with non-vehicular landscaping. To compensate for the
shortfall, the developer of MacArthur Plaza is providing Lot 2 as a
common landscape area. Staff is agreeable to the concept, but would
prefer dealing with the departure from requirements through use of a
planned development district in place of special use permits. Also, due
Item # 6
to the lack of property depth, the landscape plan shows no plantings at the
base of the building.
While staff understands the site's limitations, we believe it is possible to
provide relief to the amount of pavement against the building through
minor relocation of a proposed grease trap, making the eastside driveway
run parallel to MacArthur Boulevard southward from the midpoint of the
property's frontage, and installing foundation plantings from the air
conditioner's screen wall around the southeast comer of the building to the
midpoint of its east face. This would leave pavement adjoining the
remainder of the building front to provide the access needed for the
service window at that location.
Furthermore, the landscape plan fails to note the type of tree shown just
south of the proposed monument sign, or to account for it in the plant list
quantities. The symbol used to illustrate the tree on the landscape plan is
the same symbol used to illustrate the 3 live oak trees shown along the
rear property line and listed in the table.
Finally, the 5'-wide monument sign shown on the site plan is inconsistent
with the Chandler Sign Company drawings submitted for DRC review.
We have reproduced these drawings for distribution, because they show
the building elevations. The applicant is likely to bring revised monument
sign drawings to the Planning and Zoning Commission meeting.
RECOMMENDATION TO THE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION:
Staff recommends approval of the property as a "PD-C" Planned
Development District, permitting this use and ail uses allowed in the "C"
Commercial District, and subject to construction and operation in
accordance with engineering comments, with the irrigation plans and
building elevations submitted, with an amended site plan and landscape
plan, and with the following conditions:
Plans shall be approved by the Riverchase Architectural Review
Committee.
All automobile service shall take place inside the building.
All roof-top mechanical equipment and antennae shall be screened.
Signs inside the building shall be no larger than 3 square feet in
area, and none shall face an open bay doorway or bay door glass.
Exterior signs shall be limited to those as shown on the site plan
and elevation drawings.
Sign colors shall be limited to Plexiglas 2050 Blue, Gemini 7138
Item # 6
White, 3M 7725-31 Grey (or a color to match Historic Tan paint
color), 3M 830-43 Red, and Black.
Monument sign shall include the designation "at Riverchase" to
denote that the development is part of the overall Riverchase
Planned Community's architectural concept.
Building materials shall be limited to:
Predominant brick - U.S. Brick Patriot Executive (Mineral
Wells Piano
Accent brick - U.S. Brick Hillstone (Ogden Plan0
Bay door, facia and trim paint - Glidden Master Palette
Historic Tan 30YY 50/176
Awning - Color to match Historic Tan paint color.
Staff further recommends that the site plan and landscape plan be amended
to show a minor relocation of the grease trap, to show relocation of the
eastside driveway making it parallel to MacArthur Boulevard from the
midpoint of the property frontage southward, to show the driveway as a
two-way drive on both plans, and to provide a plant bed with foundation
plantings at least 30" high from the air conditioner screen wall around the
southeast comer of the building to the midpoint of its east face. Also, we
recommend that the large tree shown just south of the proposed monument
sign be labeled to indicate that it will be a live oak tree and that 4 live oak
trees be shown in the plant list.
ALTERNATIVES:
1) Recommend approval of a planned development
2) Recommend disapproval of a planned development
3) Recommend modification of a planned development
4) Recommend reclassification to a more appropriate zoning district
ATI~ACHMENTS:
1) Site Plan
2) Landscape Plan
3) Irrigation Plan
4) Elevations and Sign Drawings
Item # 6