Title
Public Hearing and Consideration of a Request for a Specific Use Permit for Multi-Family Dwelling Units on Approximately 13.0164 Acres out of the William Howard Survey, Abstract No. 690 and the Richard Bratton Survey, Abstract No. 114, Tarrant County, Texas, located on the West Side of SH 360, a Quarter-mile South of Conifer Street; John R. Allums of Capstar Real Estate Advisors, on behalf of Kyle Sweeney of C.D. Sweeney, et.al.(ZC#19-009)
Requested Action
To consider the subject specific use permit request.
Recommendation
The Planning and Zoning Commission held a public hearing on December 16, 2019, and voted 7-0 to recommend approval with the condition that shrubs be provided around the trash compactor, that the escrow funds for the row of trees closest to Cannon Drive South include the cost of irrigation and sidewalk installation, that the sidewalk along Cannon Drive South be shown on the plans, that the standard landscape maintenance note be provided, and that a note be added that the development must meet all requirements of Section 6 of The Reserve Business Campus Sub-District Design Standards.
Other than the applicant and property owners, there were three people who registered in support of the request. In addition, there were five people who registered opposition to the request, four of whom spoke. The people in opposition to the request were residents of the Rustic Meadow Addition who were concerned about the extension of Cannon Drive South, traffic, protecting the quiet nature of their neighborhood, overcrowding of the school district, and people looking into their yards from their windows. During the meeting, there was discussion about the phasing and construction schedule, the interior design of the buildings, the gated design, how trash service would be handled, the impact of high density on infrastructure, traffic, screening, drainage, lighting, parking, access points, requirements of The Reserve, and proximity to the gas well site.
The applicant has provided revised plans that address all of the recommended conditions. In addition, at staff’s recommendation, reflective barriers were added to both ends of the hammerhead at the end of Emily Lane and additional sidewalk connections have been made throughout the development.
Description/History
The subject property consists of 13.0164 acres of vacant land on the west side of SH 360, approximately a quarter-mile south of Conifer Street and a half-mile north of Heritage Parkway. The property is located in the Business Campus Sub-District of The Reserve, which is intended to provide for a superior business park environment, focusing on a strong presentation of office buildings within a natural campus environment, as well as a focus on landscaping and building prominence from the highway. The district also allows for multi-family uses (apartments, lofts, townhouses, and brownstones) as well as supporting service-related uses such as retail and hotels.
The applicant is requesting a Specific Use Permit for 355 apartment units. The Business Campus Sub-District allows a maximum of 612 residential dwelling units. If approved, this development will comprise the first dwelling units in this sub-district and 58% of the maximum allowable dwelling units in this sub-district.
Site Plan
The applicant plans to develop an urban-style multi-family residential development called The Sydney. A private access road to be called Emily Lane will run along the northern perimeter of the development and connect to SH 360. This road will separate this development from future development on the tract to the north, which the current property owner also owns. The applicant has indicated this northern tract could be developed for any variety of uses, including retail, restaurant, office, medical, hotel, or additional multi-family residential.
The Sydney will include five three-story multi-family buildings. In conformance with the intent of the Business Campus Sub-District, the largest and most prominent buildings will be located on the northern and eastern sides of the development, which are most visible to SH 360 and the Broad Street corridor further north. The development also includes prominent building frontage on all sides of the development, with the parking being mostly located on the interior of the development. Building 1 will be located in the northeastern corner of the development adjacent to SH 360 and Emily Lane and will include 128 apartments as well as the leasing office, mail center, indoor fitness/club space, and a private outdoor courtyard with pool. Building 2 will be located in the northwestern corner of the development adjacent to Emily Lane and Cannon Drive South and will include 105 apartments. Building 3 (in the center of the development) will include 49 apartments and adjacent outdoor amenities, including a dog park and patio. Buildings 4 and 5 are located in the southwestern portion of the development adjacent to the future extension of Cannon Drive South and include 35 and 38 units respectively. Combined, the buildings will include 355 apartments over 13.0164 acres for a density of 27.27 dwelling units per acre. Each building will be 45’-6” in height.
The floor area and footprint size for each building is:
Building 1 (128 units): 146,387 sq. ft. floor area; 50,339 sq. ft. footprint
Building 2 (105 units): 113,108 sq. ft. floor area; 41,375 sq. ft. footprint
Building 3 (49 units): 54,186 sq. ft. floor area; 18,971 sq. ft. footprint
Building 4 (35 units): 36,468 sq. ft. floor area; 14,283 sq. ft. footprint
Building 5 (38 units): 42,250 sq. ft. floor area; 16,225 sq. ft. footprint
The lot coverage is 25% (minus carports) and the floor area ratio is 0.70.
The applicant is proposing the following unit mix:
Efficiency (min. 690 sq. ft. floor area): 14 units (3.94%)
One-bedroom (min. 750 sq. ft. floor area): 193 units (54.37%)
Two-bedroom (min. 1,070 sq. ft. floor area): 137 units (38.59%)
Three-bedroom (min. 1,400 sq. ft. floor area): 11 units (3.10%)
The units are distributed fairly evenly amongst the buildings, with the exception that Buildings 4 and 5 will not include any three-bedroom units and Building 4 will also not include any efficiency units.
Access, Circulation, and Parking
Primary access into the development will be off of Emily Lane via an access driveway that will travel between Buildings 1 and 2. The development will be gated, aside from Emily Lane and an adjacent row of parallel parking spaces, as well as the main driveway into the development with a double row of parking before the gates. An additional access road into the development will be provided directly off SH 360; this access point will be for resident and emergency access only. A third emergency access point will be provided off Cannon Drive South; this access point can be opened up for resident use once the extension of Cannon Drive South is constructed. The development will also provide for right-of-way dedication for the future extension of Cannon Drive South. In addition, the existing gas well access road directly off SH 360 will be relocated to the south side of the pad; the applicant has provided documentation from the gas well operator agreeing to the proposed reconfiguration. The applicant has also provided documentation from TXDOT consenting to the access points on SH 360, with conditions of approval that do not allow Emily Lane to connect directly to Cannon Drive South since doing so would likely add additional traffic volumes to Emily Lane that could create safety issues on SH 360.
Parking for the development will include a mix of surface parking lot spaces, parallel parking adjacent to Emily Lane, carport spaces, and tuck-under garage spaces in the apartment buildings. The development will provide a total of 520 parking spaces for a ratio of 1.01 spaces per bedroom, which slightly exceeds the minimum requirement of 1 space per bedroom; 514 spaces are required. 341 spaces will be surface spaces, 100 will be carport spaces, and 79 will be tuck-under garage spaces located in the buildings. The tuck-under garages are all located on the interior of the development and do not directly face any public streets. Most of the carports are also located on the interior of the development, shielded by the buildings or the gas well site. 20 parallel parking spaces will be provided along Emily Lane.
To serve pedestrians, sidewalks will be provided along Cannon Drive South and Emily Lane, and a connection will also be made to the sidewalk along SH 360. Within the development, there will be sidewalks adjacent to Buildings 1 and 2, around Building 3, and at the entrances to the other buildings. Crosswalk connections will provide pedestrian access between buildings and sidewalk connections will also be made from the interior sidewalk system to the sidewalks along Emily Lane and Cannon Drive South.
Storage, Equipment/Service Area Screening, and Lighting
The applicant notes that there will be no outside storage or outside operations on the property, no parking of boats/trailers/recreational vehicles, all utilities with the exception of electric transmission lines will be placed underground, all service areas and mechanical equipment will be located and screened in accordance with the requirements of The Reserve, and that adequate lighting will be provided in accordance with the requirements of The Reserve. A trash compactor will be located at the southwestern corner of the development and will be screened by trees and dense evergreen shrubs.
Elevations and Perspectives
The applicant has provided elevations for all facades of each building, as well as details for the carports, and perspectives from Emily Lane, SH 360, and Cannon Drive South.
The building materials primarily include a mix of red and grey brick; white, grey, and brown stucco; white and grey cementitious siding; and black cementitious and metal paneling. The window framing, railings, garage doors, and canopies will also be black to match the metal paneling. The buildings are heavily articulated with wall plane and roof height recesses and projections, alternating building materials, and abundant windows and doors. The buildings will also include tower features at the building corners and a sloped roof design with grey composite shingles and a 4:12 roof pitch.
The overall building materials percentages are as follows:
Building 1: 32% brick; 23% stucco; 27% cementitious panel; 18% cementitious siding
Building 2: 26% brick; 29% stucco; 21% cementitious panel; 24% cementitious siding
Building 3: 22% brick; 33% stucco; 18% cementitious panel; 27% cementitious siding
Building 4: 25% brick; 44% stucco; 19% cementitious panel; 12% cementitious siding
Building 5: 23% brick; 40% stucco; 19% cementitious panel; 18% cementitious siding
The percentage of glass on each building ranges from 14-38%. The design of the site and the architecture of the buildings provides for prominent building frontages adjacent to SH 360, Cannon Drive South, and Emily Lane, consistent with the standards for the Business Campus Sub-District of The Reserve.
The carports will include red brick bases and black metal roofs with support columns to match the building. The roof design will be flat with a low tilt angle.
The perspectives of the development show Buildings 1 and 2 as seen from Emily Lane; Building 1 as seen from SH 360; and Buildings 2 and 4 as seen from Cannon Drive South. The perspectives also show how the development will be lighted.
Landscaping and Screening
The applicant has provided a Landscape Plan showing the overall landscaping to be provided throughout the site, as well as tables noting how they are meeting the requirements, as well as details for the fencing and gates. The site includes 20’ minimum landscape setbacks along the north, west, and east sides of the property adjacent to Emily Lane, Cannon Drive South, and SH 360. Adjacent to Cannon Drive South, the developer will provide a double row of canopy trees, consistent with the standards of The Reserve. The row of trees closest to Cannon Drive South will not be planted until after completion of the improvements to Cannon Drive South in order to prevent damage to the trees; funds will be escrowed by the developer for their future planting. Adjacent to Emily Lane and SH 360, the developer will provide a single row of canopy trees, with the trees planted in clusters along SH 360 and more evenly spaced along Emily Lane. Adjacent to the gas well pad to the south, the developer will provide a buffer yard ranging from 5’ to 15’ with a mixture of shrubs and trees. The parking lot islands will also include canopy trees. Ornamental trees and shrubs will also be planted around the buildings and around the outdoor amenities adjacent to Building 3. Heavy shrubs and trees will also screen the parking lot from SH 360. The development will also include a perimeter 6’ black decorative metal fence with masonry columns; the materials will match the buildings. The funds for the row of trees closest to Cannon Drive South (including irrigation) and the adjacent sidewalk will be escrowed and installed after the completion of improvements to Cannon Drive South.
Amenities
Resident amenity centers will be provided in and around Buildings 1 and 3. In addition to the leasing office and mail room, Building 1 will include an indoor fitness/club space as well as an outdoor courtyard with a pool. The indoor leasing/amenity space will be 5,298 sq. ft. in size. Located adjacent to Building 3 will be a 5,610 sq. ft. residents’ commons patio and a 4,480 sq. ft. dog park.
Signage
A signage plan has been provided showing limited signage consistent with the standards of The Reserve as well as the Main Street Lofts development. A wall sign will be located on the east side of Building 1 adjacent to SH 360. A blade sign will be located on the north side of Building 1 adjacent to Emily Lane.
Summary
The subject property is located in the Business Campus Sub-District of The Reserve. This sub-district is intended to accommodate business park uses, as well as supporting retail/service and multi-family residential uses. The sub-district also calls for a focus on strong building prominence from the highway and quality site landscaping that create a campus setting. This development will bring the initial multi-family units to this sub-district and will set the standard for the continued development of this area, with undeveloped tracts located both to the north of this development and to the south (on the other side of the gas well pad). The applicant has endeavored and worked cooperatively with staff to provide a quality multi-family development that largely meets or exceeds the standards of The Business Campus Sub-District of the Reserve, particularly as it relates to architecture, landscaping, screening, building placement and orientation, site design, parking, lighting, signage, amenities, and design of the surrounding driveways and street network. The building architecture is particularly exceptional and includes a variety of building materials, abundant articulation, and quality design that meets or exceeds the standards of The Reserve.
The apartments will also provide for convenient living options near the continued expansion of employment and commercial uses in this area, including the Broad Street and Heritage Parkway corridors and the City’s growing medical, educational, and recreational facilities. The development will complement the existing multi-family land uses on the other side of SH 360 and will help to support and attract additional employment-related uses in the future. The dense urban-style design in combination with the limits on the number of dwelling units established in The Reserve also allows for the continued careful stewardship of land resources in the City, including preservation of land for commercial and employment uses in the Business Campus Sub-District. While the conditions placed by TXDOT in granting access to SH 360 prevented the connection of Emily Lane to Cannon Drive South as desired by both staff and the applicant to provide for direct neighborhood connectivity, the proposed stubs on Emily Lane will allow for fire access and parking adjacent to the north side of Building 2, as well as future connection to the tract to the north, including possible future connection to Cannon Drive South at an alternate non-direct location.
Staff recommends that any action taken by Council include a condition that the right-of-way delineation for Cannon Drive South be corrected on the Landscape Plan.
Prepared By
Andrew Bogda
Planner
817-276-4287