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HomeMy WebLinkAboutStaff Report STAFF REPORT Project Manager: Crissy Hartl, Staff Planner Report Date: July 25, 2007 Email: chart)©cstx.gov Meeting Date: August 7, 2007 Project Number: 07-00500152 APPLICANT: Veronica Morgan, Mitchell and Morgan REQUEST: A variance to four required 18' x 20' landscaped interior islands for the Target parking lot, which is located within 15' of a public right-of-way. LOCATION: 2100 Texas Avenue South PURPOSE: To replace the maximum number of parking spaces as a result of the Texas Avenue widening project. GENERAL INFORMATION Status of Applicant: Agent for the Owner Property Owner: Target Corp. do Katie Rivard Applicable Ordinance Section: Section 7.2.C.7— Interior islands within 15' of a ROW PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS Zoning and Land Use • Subject Property: C-1 General Commercial developed as Target • North: C-1 General Commercial developed as Hastings center • West: R-6 Multi-Family High Density developed as the Enclave Apartments • East: R-1 Single Family Residential developed as the Richards Subdivision across Texas Avenue • South: C-1 General Commercial developed as Brazos Square shopping center and R-4 Multi-Family developed as the Redstone Apartments Frontage: The subject property has approximately 400' of frontage on Texas Avenue. Access: The property has access from a driveway off Texas Avenue, Manuel Drive and a cross access from Holleman Drive through the Hastings center. Topography &Vegetation: Relatively flat with some landscaping. Flood Plain: The subject property is not located within any floodplain. VARIANCE INFORMATION Background: As a part of the Texas Avenue widening project, TxDOT utilized right-of--way acquired from the subject property in order to add additional driving lanes and sidewalks. This left 40 parking spaces in the Target center along Texas Avenue substandard and unable to hold a standard vehicle. In an effort to bring the affected parking spaces up to current standards, the 9 applicant pursued a reconfiguration of the parking area by shifting end islands and the adjacent drive aisle, effectively lengthening the affected spaces. The parking reconfiguration must also include other standards required by the UDO, including double interior islands for parking located within 15' of a right-of-way. The applicant is proposing the parking lot to be located within the 6' of the right-of-way, the minimum allowed distance; therefore the above requirement applies. However, the applicant has concerns about the loss of parking spaces to meet that standard, especially during seasonal periods of high parking demand; therefore, the applicant is requesting a variance to four 18' x 20' or 1,440 square feet of landscaped interior islands. The site plan indicates that the site will be losing 16 spaces, but as proposed the Target and Hastings centers, which operate under a shared parking agreement, will still have approximately 70 spaces of excess parking. Providing the interior islands would reduce the number of available parking spaces to approximately 62 spaces above the minimum parking space requirement. ANALYSIS Special Conditions: The applicant states that because of the Texas Avenue widening project by TxDOT, parking spaces along Texas Avenue are now substandard. Additionally, in order to "recover those spaces and create dimensionally correct stalls, the drive aisle behind the stalls and the end islands on the perpendicular parking rows must be reconfigured." Hardships: The applicant states, "the hardship created with the taking of additional right-of-way by TxDOT is the reduction of area on the lot available for parking. Any additional ordinance requirement, which causes the loss of more parking, is extremely detrimental to the site." Alternatives: The applicant has identified the following alternative: "Add the double island and lose the additional parking spaces." The board may also grant a lesser variance. Recommendation: Staff recommends approval of the request. The right of way acquired by TxDOT placed a burden on the site that needed to be rectified. By providing the interior islands, the two centers will still have approximately 62 spaces above the minimum parking requirement. SPECIAL INFORMATION Ordinance Intent: In order to reduce the visual impact of parked cars along a right-of-way, an 18' x 20' landscaped island is required to separate every 7 contiguous parking spaces for all parking lots located within 15' of public right-of-way. Number of Property Owners Notified: 14 Responses Received: Staff has received 2 inquiry phone calls regarding the variance, as of the date of the staff report. ATTACHMENTS 1. Small Area Map and Aerial Map 2. Application 3. Site Plan (provided in packet) 10