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2018.04.20 Minor Site Plan Amendment Comment Response April 20, 2018 ATTN: Mary Paron-Boswell, AICP, Senior Planner City of Coppell Development Services 265 Parkway Blvd. Coppell, TX 75019 RE: Responses to Concerns Discussed in Minor Site Plan Amendment Review Meeting Black Walnut Café – North Gateway Plaza Addition, Lot 7R, Block A 775 N Denton Tap Road, Coppell, TX 75019 Dear Mary Parson-Boswell, A meeting was held, on Tuesday, April 3rd to discuss concerns towards the Minor Site Plan Amendment submittal for Black Walnut Café. Through informal discussions, between the City of Coppell Staff and BHB, we understand the following concerns and offer the following responses: MINOR SITE PLAN AMENDMENT 1. Pavement reconstruction limits are greater than anticipated. Consider different drainage solutions to reduce the pavement reconstruction and perhaps preserve the existing landscaping around the front and side of the building. BHB performed a new topographic survey of the trouble area around the front and north side of the building in March 2018. Please refer to the enclosed Existing Topography Exhibit for existing elevation and slope data near the building. The new data reveals pavement near the building is elevated higher than finish floor elevation (475.60); Pavement is sloped towards the building; And lastly, the elevation of the landscape areas adjacent to the building are near finish floor elevation. Ideally, it’s best for grades in landscape areas to be about 6-inches below finish floor to prevent water in piled-up mulch areas from migrating back into the building. Another site issue is expansive soils. BHB believes paving over the existing landscape areas, as stipulated in the Site Plan, will minimize underground soils from expanding and contracting. We’ve considered adding storm drain inlets to reduce the reconstruction area but do not believe this is a viable option. It’s possible for inlets to clog and therefore they’re not a reliable primary means of draining the trouble areas around the building. If the inlets ATTN: Mary Paron-Boswell, AICP, Senior Planner April 20, 2018 Page 2 of 3 clogged, water could possibly drain back into the building. BHB believes the only solution is to reconstructed pavement near the building to promote drainage away from the building. The enclosed Grading Plan is designed to tilt pavement away from the building while minimizing pavement reconstruction. LANDSCAPE PLAN 1. The planter pots included in the original submittal are not an equivalent replacement to the existing landscaping areas that are proposed to be paved over. Will a drain system be provided to capture water before it goes onto the pavement? Can more permanent plantings be provided so there is always some evergreen plants in addition to seasonal color. Larger planter pots compared to the original submittal have been selected. In addition, the number of planters has increased to 15 planters. Yes. A drain system will be connected to the bottom of each planter. The drain line will discharge water out of a pop-up drain in a nearby landscape area. For year-round aesthetics, permanent, evergreen landscape plants will be selected for the planter pots, along with annuals (to be changed out several times per year, including installing winter annuals such as pansies and ornamental kale). Final construction documents will include a detailed planting plan showing quantities, species, and sizes. The planter pots will be irrigated. A licensed irrigation contractor will be required to adapt the existing irrigation to provide automatic drip irrigation to the planters. 2. Confirm the landscape area percentages have been updated. The previously approved Concept Plan on May 29, 2013 and Landscape Plan on June 11, 2013 list the following landscape data: Required Interior Landscape Area: 4,585 SF Provided Interior Landscape Area: 4,605 SF As noted on the Minor Site Plan Amendment, 788 SF of interior landscape area is proposed to be paved over. The new planters add back in an additional 125 SF of space which numerically results in a deficiency of interior landscape area of 643 SF. However, we feel the aesthetics’ of the new raised planters are greater compared to the existing landscape ground openings. Thus, we feel the loss in interior landscape area is justified and allows us to address the serious problem of water intruding into the building.