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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgendaJanuary 14, 2010 Regular Agenda 1270 Harvey Mitchell Parkway South Rezoning To: Glenn Brown, City Manager From: Bob Cowell, AICP, Director of Planning & Development Services Agenda Caption: Public hearing, presentation, possible action, and discussion on an ordinance amending Chapter 12, "Unified Development Ordinance," Section 4.2, "Official Zoning Map" of the Code of Ordinances of the City of College Station, Texas by rezoning from R-1 Single Family Residential to R-4 Multi -Family and A-O Agricultural Open for 3.364 acres located at 1270 Harvey Mitchell Parkway South. Recommendation(s): The Planning & Zoning Commission considered this item at their regular meeting on December 3, 2009 and recommended approval on a 6-1 vote with the conditions presented by Staff. Staff recommended approval with the condition that the subject tract provides a shared driveway to Harvey Mitchell Parkway with the adjacent lift station and 6.2-acre tract. The driveway and access is to meet the requirements of TxDOT driveways, Unified Development Ordinance Section 7.3 Access Management and Circulation, and the City's fire lane standards. Summary: The Unified Development Ordinance provides the following review criteria for zoning map amendments: REVIEW CRITERIA 1. Consistency with the Comprehensive Plan: The subject tract is designated as Urban and Natural Areas - Reserved on the Comprehensive Plan Future Land Use and Character Map. It is also located within Growth Area VI which states that the "growth area should be used for intense land use activities including general commercial, office uses, townhomes, high -density apartments, and vertical mixed use. Single-family uses (excluding townhomes) should be prohibited from this area due to issues of incompatibility." While multi -family is one of the broad range of uses that can be contemplated for this tract, it is important to consider the implications of any particular one given the context of its relationship to the surrounding area and properties. These implications will be further discussed in the other Review Criteria items. The Comprehensive Plan states that Natural Areas - Reserved are "generally for areas that represent a constraint to development and that should be preserved for their natural function or open space qualities. These areas include floodplains and riparian buffers, as well as recreational facilities." A portion of the request lies within the floodplain and is being rezoned with this request to A-O Agricultural Open to be retained for its natural function. 2. Compatibility with the present zoning and conforming uses of nearby property and with the character of the neighborhood: The majority of the nearby properties are zoned and developed as multi -family uses. The 6.2-acre tract to the northwest is zoned R-1 Single -Family Residential but is vacant and utilized for minor agricultural uses and a City sanitary sewer lift station. To the south and west is a tract over 500 acres in size owned by Texas A&M University and zoned C-U College and University. Current facilities in the vicinity on the A&M tract include the Poultry Science Center and some A&M Sanitation facilities. The proposed request is not immediately adjacent to the A&M tract as a 0.765 remainder of the original tract will remain zoned R-1 Single -Family Residential and provide a buffer ranging from 85 to 115 feet in depth. This remainder portion is heavily encumbered by floodplain and easements. The closest portion of the proposed request is over 450 feet away from the existing A&M Sanitation facilities, about 1,000 feet away from the Poultry Science Center, and about a half mile from Disaster City training facilities (See Figure 1). These distances provide sufficient buffer between these industrial type uses and future multi -family uses on the subject tract. In May 2008, a Comprehensive Plan Amendment to Residential Attached (multi -family) for the adjacent 6.2 acre tract was recommended for denial by Staff and denied by Council. The denial was largely based on the incompatibility of any type of residential uses in immediate proximity to these facilities. This request, however, has a significant more amount of distance from these uses and would be compatible with other uses in the area. 3. Suitability of the property affected by the amendment for uses permitted by the district that would be made applicable by the proposed amendment: Like other multi -family uses in the area, the subject tract is located along Harvey Mitchell Parkway, a freeway on the Thoroughfare Plan. With the R-4 Multi -family district having a maximum density of 20 multi -family units per acre, up to 63 multi -family units could potentially be developed with this 3.178-acre request. As discussed later, the subject tract will have access to Harvey Mitchell Parkway at an unsignalized location and therefore traffic safety is a concern for this or any other potential use. The subject tract has approximately a five percent slope from Harvey Mitchell Parkway down to the back of the request. Typically residential buildings have more flexibility in their footprint and layout than non-residential uses and buildings and can better incorporate existing slopes and grades. Though 63 units would be possible, building layout, number of bedrooms per unit, parking, landscaping and other site requirements may constrain the total number units. The Comprehensive Plan designates Harvey Mitchell Parkway as Primary Image Corridor though no specific plans have been developed to address this designation. Streetscaping consisting of one canopy tree for every 25 feet of frontage will be required of any proposed use. 4. Suitability of the property affected by the amendment for uses permitted by the district applicable to the property at the time of the proposed amendment: Upon annexation into the City in 1970, the subject tract is zoned R-1 Single -Family Residential. As stated in the Urban land use designation description, single-family residential should be prohibited from the area due to issues of incompatibility. In addition, single family uses are not desirable on this tract as it is located along Harvey Mitchell Parkway, a freeway on the Thoroughfare Plan, and in close proximity to Easterwood Airport. 5. Marketability of the property affected by the amendment for uses permitted by the district applicable to the property at the time of the proposed amendment: The current owner purchased a portion of the subject tract in February of this year and has submitted this request to enhance the marketability of the property for multi -family uses. 6. Availability of water, wastewater, stormwater, and transportation facilities generally suitable and adequate for the proposed use: The subject tract will be served by the City of College Station for water, sanitary sewer and electric utilities. The tract is located adjacent to an 18-inch water main which runs along Harvey Mitchell Parkway and a 10-inch main which runs along the eastern property line. The subject tract is located adjacent to an 18-inch sanitary sewer main which runs across the rear portion of the property. The subject tract is located in the Whites Creek Drainage Basin and is encroached by a FEMA-regulated Special Flood Hazard area, Zone AE, with base flood elevations established, per FEMA FIRM Panel 182C. The subject tract will take access off Harvey Mitchell Parkway (FM 2818), a freeway on the Thoroughfare Plan, and require TxDOT approval. Based on the size of the rezoning, a traffic impact analysis (TIA) is not required with this request and not likely meet the threshold to be required at the time of site plan. A map of Existing Traffic Volumes in the Comprehensive Plan shows this roadway has over 40,000 trips per day, though Levels of Service A or B have been maintained as of 2007. In October 2007, the City installed traffic signals on Harvey Mitchell Parkway at Luther Street West and Holleman Drive to help address safety issues with vehicular turning movements at those intersections. When the previous request was denied by Council in September, concerns were expressed about the safety of turning movements in and out of the subject property. Staff obtained recent crash data for the area from the Police Department. From January 2007 through October 2009, between the two signalized intersections, there were 17 crash incidents reported with 4 classified as major accidents and 1 fatality accident. The fatality occurred in October 2007 when a vehicle on the shoulder with hazard lights on was struck from behind by a vehicle moving out of the travel lanes. Over this same period, 22 crash incidents occurred at the signalized intersections with 7 classified as major accidents. No pedestrian accidents have been reported at or between these signalized locations on Harvey Mitchell Parkway. TxDOT will be letting a safety project in 2011 that will be constructing a raised median on Harvey Mitchell Parkway but it will be installed from Texas Avenue to Wellborn Road. A median is not currently planned for this portion of Harvey Mitchell Parkway. Another concern related to bus service from Texas A&M University in this area of Harvey Mitchell Parkway. Staff has met with representatives of TxDOT and Texas A&M University regarding the concerns over bus stops in this area. The University will be removing the only bus stop located in the area in front of the Canyon Creek development. Service could be restored in the future if a frontage road were constructed. Discussions regarding these subjects are on -going and future meetings are anticipated. The subject tract and the adjacent 6.2-acre tract to the northwest do not have access to either of the signalized locations on Harvey Mitchell Parkway, though they will likely benefit from breaks in traffic resulting from those signals. A driveway to the City's sanitary sewer lift station is also located on the adjacent tract. The consolidation of driveways in this area of Harvey Mitchell Parkway may help to mitigate traffic safety issues by reducing the number of conflict points. Budget & Financial Summary: N/A Attachments: 1. Background Information 2. Aerial & Small Area Map (SAM) 3. Planning & Zoning Commission Minutes - December 3, 2009 4. Ordinance