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Staff Report CITY OF COPPELL PLANNING DEPARTMENT 5T AFF REPORT CASE NO.: S-l 033R2-SF-12. Manara Academy P&Z HEARING DATE: C.C. HEARING DATE: May 21,2009 (Tabled at the April 16, 2009 meeting) June 9, 2009 STAFF REP.: Marcie Diamond, Assistant Director of Planning LOCATION: 140 S. Heartz Road SIZE OF AREA: 4.58 acres of property CURRENT ZONING: S-l 033R-SF-12 (Special Use Permit-1 033 Revised-Single Family-12) REQUEST: Revised for May 21, 2009 meetlngV : A zoning change to S-1 033R2 SF-12 (Special Use Permit-1033 Revision 2-Single Family-12), to allow a Charter School for Grades K-5th, with a enrollment capacity of 326, to occupy the Christ Our Savior Lutheran Church building. The church shall also be permitted to remain as a secondary use. APPLICANT: Sadak Shaik 4070 N. Beltline Road, Suite 110-140 Irving, Texas 75038 214-868-6472 FAX: 214-260-4684 HISTORY: In 1988, the Final Plat for Christ Our Savior Lutheran Church was approved by Council. November 1989, SUP-1033 was established for a church, nursery and school. On July 9, 1998, the Board of Adjustment approved a temporary (for a period of 24 months) shade structure over the playground which had padded metal poles instead of the required brick cladding. The intent was to allow this shade structure to be relocated to an inner court area when v Revisions from the original staff report are noted in Bold and strike through as necessary. ITEM #4 Page 1 of 6 . the building was expanded. In January 1999, a revised site plan was approved to allow a building expansion for a sanctuary, fellowship hall and additional classrooms, essentially doubling the size of the structure. In September 1999, a Site Plan Amendment was approved allowing the retention of the shade structure in the location as initially approved, subject to the support poles being clad with brick. The poles have yet to comply with this condition. The property owner Is working toward complying with this condition. TRANSPORT AlION: HeartzRoad is a C2U - 2-lane undivided street within 50 ft of R.O.W. with 37 feet of paving. SURROUNDING LAND USE & ZONING: North - undeveloped; SF-12 South - Westbury Manor; PD-166-SF-7 East - Westbury Manor; PD-166-SF-7 West - Braewood West, 2nd Revision; SF-7 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN: The Comprehensive Plan indicates this area as appropriate for Public/Institutional uses. DISCUSSION: This request is to allow the second public charter school, authorized by the Texas State Board of Education, in the City of Coppell. Monaro Academy desires to occupy the Christ Our Savoir Lutheran Church building at 140 S. Heartz Road. During the next 12 months, the church and school will co-occupy this building. After that time, the school will purchase the building and the church will relocate to a new facility. Ultimately, Manara Academy's Charter awarded by the State Board of Education on November 20, 2009 permits classes from kindergarten through 8th grade with a maximum capacity of 500 students. The first year (current SUP request), only K-5th grades will be provided with up to 326 students. The Academy proposes to add a grade level each year over the next 3 years. By year four, there will be 500 students and 40 employees, including 24 teachers and 16 additional staff members. The hours of operation will be Monday-Thursday 8:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. On Friday, school will begin at 8:00 a.m. and dismiss at 1 :00 p.m. While this building has always been an institutional use providing worship and educational services for the community, given the ITEM #4 Page 2 of 6 . change in nature and the intensity of the use, a revision to the existing SUP is required. Initially, there will be no external physical changes to the existing structure, except for signage. A forty square foot attached sign with black individually mounted letters and color logo not exceeding 20% of the area of the sign will be over the front entrance facing Heartz Road. The face of the existing monument sign will be changed to Manara Academy with a green back ground, sunflower yellow letters and the multi- color logo. The site and landscape plans, as initially approved for the church, will essentially remain unchanged during the first year. There is sufficient parking to support this school. In the event Monaro Academy receives approval via a revised SUP, after the initial year of operation, at full capacity the number of students projected for Manara Academy is similar to the elementary schools in Coppell, which range in size from approximately 400 to 535 students. Per staff's request, the applicant has prepared a detailed Traffic Circulation Plan (original study). The primary goal is to assure that the traffic generated by this use does negatively impact the functionality of Heartz Road, and no queuing for this use to occur on-street. Currently, there is a prohibition of parking (which by ordinance includes stopping and standing) along the east side Heartz between Sandy Lake and Park Meadow Way. The applicant has provided new 24-hour traffic counts for northbound and southbound Heartz between Sandy Lake and Westbury Drive. The peak volume is southbound during the a.m. peak and northbound during the p.m. peak. There is sufficient capacity on Heartz to support this use with the maximum enrollment of 500 students. Included on the April 14th Council Agenda is the authorization of design studies for various street maintenance projects as funded by the 1/4 cent sales tax. The Heartz Road improvement is included in this project. The timing of this construction is not established at this time. Based on preliminary data from the 270 student applications received by Manara (which represents over 80% of the 1 st year enrollment cap) the following assumptions provide the base data for the original traffic circulation study: · average students per family is 1.5 ; · Approximately 75% of the vehicles will approach from the south; · 30% will ride the bus; and · Approx 20% of the students will utilize after school programs. ITEM #4 Page 3 of 6 . It is projected that during the 2009-2010 school year, 157 cars can be expected during the peak drop off time periods. As detailed in the original Traffic Circulation Plan, the on-site queuing has been designed to accommodate 40 to 50 cars between the driveway at Heartz to the drop-off under the porte-cochere. Assuming that the average drop-off rate 8 to 10 students per minute, 157 cars could be accommodated on site, with no spillover onto Heartz Road, The school has also scheduled the bus drop off to be complete prior to 7:40 a.m., therefore it will not to conflict with the car traffic. The dismissal plan includes parent parking and pick-up at designated dismissal points within the school building. Busses will depart at 3:50 which is after the peak parent pick-up times.. Finally, it must be noted that this analysis is based on year one enrollment capacity of 326 students. However, as previously stated over the next three years, the plan is to expand the school by one grade level per year, to a maximum of 500 students. The applicant has prepared understands that a condition of this SUP is :f:.AGt.-a full Traffic Impact Analysis (TIA) for full build-out. will bo required prior to the enrollmont exceeding 326 students. This TI/\ will have 1 st year operational data to be based on. Any physical improvements (additional parking/paving, etc.) that may be necessitated could be accommodated in year 2 after Manara Academ'/ purchases the building. RECOMMENDATION TO THE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION: Original recommendation: Staff is recommending APPROVAL of S-1033R2-SF-12, Manara Academy subject to: 1. A full Traffic Impact Analysis shall be required and necessary site improvements implemented as needed prior to the enrollment exceeding 326 students . 2. Drafting issues: a. Correctly indicate the location of the existing trees on the site plan. b. Correct title block on the Site Plan to indicate Manara Academy c. Update elevations to illustrate correct attached signage. REVISED RECOMMENDATION TO THE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION: Per Planning and Zoning Commission's recommendation on April 16, 2009, Manara Academy employed Klmely-Horn Associates, Inc. to conduct a Traffic Impact Analysis and a Traffic Management Plan to address both the on-site and off-site traffic issues. This study: · Analyzed 1St year operation at 350 (exceeds the charter mandated capacity of 326, however, provides a conservative analysis) as well as build out at 500; ITEM #4 Page 4 of 6 I · Studied the traffic generated by this use In relation to the existing capacity on the affected street system and Intersections; and · Provided a Traffic Management Plan to guide daily operations of the peak drop-off and pick up time periods. The results of this study indicated that there was sufficient capacity on the surrounding street system to support this use and the Level of Service would not be negatively affected. They did note however, that for the on-site system to work, the employees need to be well trained and parents need to be cooperative. Also in this packet is the review of the Klmely Horn TIA by Halff Associates on behalf of the City of Coppell. Halff confirmed that the traffic generated by this school will allow for the maintenance of the existing Level of Service on the surrounding street systems and intersections. One concern expressed in Halff's review is how labor intensive on-site traffic management will be for the employees of the school and how it requires full cooperation from the parents. These conditions may only be addressed during the daily operation of the school. The other traffic Issue is the need for the physical separation of the parent drop off loop from the bus loop. Halff has recommended the removal and reconstruction of the existing hammer-head turn around, located south of the building, Into a circular driveway to allow one way operation. The design of this new circular drive will need to be approved by the Fire and Engineering Departments. The drafting Issues have been corrected, therefore, Staff Is recommending APPROVAL of S-1033R2 SF-12 to allow a Charter School for Grades K-5th, with a enrollment capacity of 326, to occupy the Christ Our Savior Lutheran Church building. The church shall also be permitted to remain as a secondary use, subject to the following conditions: 1. Approval of the design of the bus loop by the Fire and Engineering Departments. 2. A revised SUP will be required in the event that the school remains after the 2009-2010 school year. 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 ATTACHMENTS: J. Review memo from Halff Associates, Inc. ITEM #4 Page 5 of 6 . 2. Traffic Impact Analysis and Traffic Management Plan, prepared by Kimeiy-Horn and Associates, Inc. 3. "Who is Monaro?" 4. Sign Plan 5. Revised Site Plan 6. Existing Landscape Plan 7. Revised Building Elevations ITEM #4 Page 6 of 6 .