Title
Continued Public Hearing - Appl. #PL2018-100 - Preliminary Development Plan - Reece Nichols, 222 SW Main St & 207 SW Market St; Engineering Solutions, LLC, applicant.
Body
Issue/Request:
The applicant proposes a two-story 10,700 square foot commercial building at 222 SW Main Street (Lot 2) and a surface parking lot on the abutting parcel at 207 SW Market Street (Lot 1). The proposed use on Lot 2 is a Reece Nichols real estate office. The new building is proposed on the former City Hall lot adjacent to the Historical Museum. The overall architectural design is consistent with the character and style of downtown. Proposed building materials include brick, glass and EIFS.
The applicant proposes to construct the building in a manner to facilitate the possible future development of a roof top event space and/or a roof top deck. The type of use and scope of work for any development of the roof area will determine the appropriate approval process for said improvements at that time.
The applicant proposes to construct 58 new parking spaces. The spaces consist of four standard and 2 accessible spaces on Lot 2 located at the rear of the proposed building; a 46-space surface parking lot located on Lot 1 along SW Market St; and six (6) on-street parallel spaces on SW Market St.
Staff does not support the proposed surface parking lot located on Lot 1 and recommends removal of this component from the preliminary development plan. From a land use and zoning perspective, a parking lot is an allowed use by right in the Central Business District (CBD). However, a surface parking lot is not the highest and best use of the property. The proposed parking lot is an underutilization of a commercially viable property in the CBD that could hinder the property’s long-term redevelopment. From a parking perspective, the City’s 2016 Downtown Parking Study indicates that there is sufficient existing public parking in the area to serve the proposed use’s parking demand, thereby making the surface parking lot unnecessary.
The applicant requests modifications to the maximum floor area ratio (FAR) and minimum landscaping requirements. Staff supports these requested modifications.
The applicant requests an additional modification to allow a reduced setback for the proposed surface parking lot on Lot 1. Staff recommends that the surface parking lot on Lot 1 be removed and not be approved as part of the preliminary development plan. Should the City Council choose to approve the parking lot on Lot 1, a parking lot setback modification will be required.
- 10,700 square foot building
- 1.12 proposed overall FAR (Lot 2) - 1.0 maximum allowed FAR
- 43 parking spaces required - 46 parking spaces provided on Lot 1
6 parking spaces provided on Lot 2
6 new on street parking spaces (SW Market St.)
58 total parking spaces proposed
Presenter
Joshua Johnson, AICP, Asstistant Director of Plan Services
Shannon McGuire, Staff Planner
Recommendation
Recommendation: Staff recommends APPROVAL of the preliminary development plan, subject to the following:
1. A modification shall be granted to the maximum allowable 1.0 FAR in the CBD, to allow 1.12 FAR on Lot 2.
2. A modification shall be granted to the landscaping requirements of Article 14, to allow no landscaping for the development.
3. Approval of the surface parking lot on Lot 1 shall be included as part of this preliminary development plan. Configuration of the parking lot shall be subject to final design and engineering.
4. Approval of the two-story building with a 2,625 sq. ft. footprint depicted on Lot 1 shall not be included as part of the subject application. Development of the building shall require approval a preliminary development plan under separate application.
5. Approval of the subject preliminary development plan shall include the reservation of the area depicting the two-story building on Lot 1 of the revised site plan dated September 14, 2018, for construction of a future building.
6. Islands shall be provided at the ends of the parking bays where they about the adjacent alley.
7. The east-west alley shall be designed to accommodate two-way traffic. The drive lanes of the divided portion of the alley shall be designed to be no greater than 14-feet wide. The undivided portion of the east-west alley shall be designed to be a minimum of 20-feet wide, but no greater than 24-feet wide.