HomeMy WebLinkAboutStaff Report STAFF REPORT
Project Manager: Jennifer Reeves Report Date: August 25, 2006
Email: jreeves@cstx.gov Meeting Date: September 5, 2006
Project Number: 06-00500168
APPLICANT: Veronica Morgan, Agent for Property Owner
PROPERTY OWNER: Mark Dennard
REQUEST: Variance to the Unified Development Ordinance Section 7.2 Minimum Off-
Street Parking Standards
LOCATION: 1511 University Dr E, Wings 'n More Restaurant
PURPOSE: To expand the outdoor patio by 650 square feet for additional seating area
and to add an outdoor bar.
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS
Zoning and Land Use
• Subject Property: Is currently zoned C-1 General Commercial located in the
Overlay District. Home Depot and the recently developed Linens-N-Things along
with PetSmart is located just to the north. To the west is the Gateway Retail
Center with Talbot's, Starbucks, etc. To the east is The Texas Road House
restaurant and to the south is University Drive.
Frontage: The subject property has approximately 245 feet of frontage along University
Drive.
Access: The subject property has several access points via shared access easements
throughout the developed restaurant row along University Drive and along the Highway
6 frontage road.
Topography & Vegetation: The subject property currently has required landscape and
streetscape throughout the site, mainly between the restaurant and University Drive.
Flood Plain: None located on this property
VARIANCE INFORMATION
Background: The Wings 'n More restaurant was originally site planned and approved in
August of 2002. In order for the site plan to be approved, the property owner had to get a
joint parking and access agreement for 28 parking spaces from the adjacent property
owner where Gateway Phase Two is developed (Linen-N-Things and PetSmart).
Currently, there are 28 off-site parking spaces permanently dedicated to Wings 'n More.
The applicant's proposed expansion will require 10 additional parking spaces by the City
of College Station's Unified Development Ordinance.
ANALYSIS
Special Conditions: No special condition has been stated.
Hardships: No hardship has been stated; however, a letter has been submitted with
supporting information as to why the applicant feels the variance is warranted.
Alternatives: The applicant has listed four options as follows (see page 2 of the letter
from applicant):
Option 1 - Provide the 10 parking spaces on site.
Option 2 - Justify for large-scale development why fewer parking spaces are required
based upon a parking study prepared by a professional engineer or
transportation planner.
Option 3 - Provide an alternative parking plan for shared parking. This requires that the
shared parking be provided off-site but within 250 feet of the subject property
under a shared parking agreement. This may be accomplished for multiple
use developments where the parking of the multiple uses is located near one
another and they have different peak parking demands or different operating
hours. This shared parking must be enforced with a recorded agreement.
Option 4 - Provide an alternative parking plan for off-site exclusive parking where
additional or"extra" parking is provided on an adjacent lot (not more than 250
feet away) and these spaces cannot be counted toward meeting the parking
space requirements of more than one user. Again this alternative parking must
be enforced with a recorded agreement.
The applicant states that all of these options have been explored. Option 1 will not work
because there is no space available on site. The other three options will not work
because they require cooperation of the adjacent property owner of the shopping center.
The adjacent property is not willing to enter into a signed agreement for the shared
parking. The adjacent property owner is not opposed to overflow parking into his
shopping center.
Recommendation: Staffs recommendation is for denial. All of the restaurants along
University Drive came in one at a time and were required to meet their own parking
requirements. Wings 'n More already has 28 off-site parking spaces. The applicant
states in the letter that if the parking was calculated like a shopping center, the parking
ratio would be 1/250 as opposed to 1/65 for restaurants without a drive through. If this
were the case, Wings 'n More would not need a parking variance because according to
the shopping center ratio, the entire development would have over 200 extra parking
spaces. Staff's view on this is that if this entire development had came in all at once then
we could have reviewed a master plan and would have taken a comprehensive look at
how this center should operate circulation, access and parking wise.
Because of the way this development currently functions and the spillover parking
concerns that have been expressed, staff is recommending denial of the parking
variance.
SPECIAL INFORMATION
Ordinance Intent: The purpose of off-street parking standards is to establish the
guidelines for off-street parking areas consistent with the proposed land use. This is
done to eliminate the occurrence of non-resident on-street parking in adjoining
neighborhoods; avoid the traffic congestion and public safety hazards caused by a
failure to provide such parking areas; and expedite the movement of traffic on public
thoroughfares in a safe manner, thus increasing the carrying capacity of the streets and
reducing the amount of land required for streets, thereby lowering the cost to both the
property owner and the City.
Number of Property Owners Notified: 10
Responses Received: As of the time of the report, there has been one phone call from
the adjacent Gateway Retail Center. The business owner stated strong opposition to the
variance request because of a large parking problem with spillover parking into the
Center. It was stated that Wings 'n More patrons park in the adjacent building's parking
lot all the time.
ATTACHMENTS
1. Small Area Map
2. Application
3. Site Plan (provided in packet)
4. Letter w/variance information