Title
Ordinance - Public Hearing Continuation and Second and Final Reading on an Ordinance Approving a Change of Zoning from SF-12/22 Single-Family Residential District, MH Manufactured Housing District, and C-2 Community Business District to PD, Planned Development District for Detached and Attached Single-Family Residential Uses on Approximately 24.841 Acres on Property Located at 1503 N Main Street. Jacob Sumpter, MMA Inc., Applicant (ZC#23-009)
Requested Action
To consider the subject zoning change request.
Recommendation
The Planning and Zoning Commission met on October 2, 2023, and voted 6 to 0 to recommend approval with a request that the developer work with staff on refining elevations to further bring the development in-line design expectations of rowhouse developments. The developers’ newest elevations provide improvements to previously presented elevations.
Vote:
Ayes: 6 - Mainer, Axen, Bennett, Goodwin, Moses, and Shaw
Nays: 0
Absent: 1 - Thompson
The Department of Planning and Development Services recommends approval.
First Reading
The City Council met on October 23, 2023, and voted 7 to 0 to approve the zoning change at First Reading.
Description/History
Existing Use: Majority Vacant, two homes currently on property
Existing Zoning: SF-12/22, Single-Family Residential District, MH, Manufactured Housing District, and C-2, Community Business District
Land Use Plan: Sub-Area 1
Surrounding Land Use & Zoning:
North - Developed, MH, Manufactured Housing District
South - Developed, MH, Manufactured Housing District; SF-12/22, Single-Family Residential District (Single Lot)
East - Right-of-Way North Main Street
West - Right-of-Way Cardinal Road
Thoroughfare Plan Specification:
North Main Street (United States Highway Business 287) - Major Collector (4-lanes undivided), currently 2-lanes
Synopsis
The applicant has initiated a zoning change on a 24.841-acre property requesting to rezone it from SF-12/22, Single-Family Residential District, MH, Manufactured Housing District, and C-2, Community Business District to PD, Planned Development District for attached and detached single-family. As proposed, the development consists of 169 total units (161 townhomes [i.e., rowhouses] and 8 detached single-family homes) with 8.9 acres of open space divided over 13 lots throughout the development. In conformance with the 2012 Land Use Plan for Sub-Area 1, the project establishes development to rehabilitate and revitalize North Main Street as a primary entrance into the City. The project’s proposed commercial overlay also allows for limited range of neighborhood oriented retail and service uses to be introduced as market conditions allow.
Staff Analysis
The current zoning is predominately SF-12/22, Single-Family Residential District. There are relatively small portions of the zoned MH, Manufactured Housing and C-2, Community Business Districts closer to North Main Street. The site is currently surrounded by existing manufactured housing uses both to the north and the south of the property.
The proposed PD, Planned Development District seeks to build housing on 169 single-family lots. A total of 161 of those lots will be attached single-family, townhomes. The site has a gross density of 6.8 units per acre. All rowhouse units are accessed via alleys or drives that lead to the garages. This allows the rowhomes to front on green spaces or rights-of-way. The project also has 8 detached single-family lots at its western entrance. These homes allow for the development to transition better as the development gets closer to existing single-family.
In order to promote and allow for flexibility in the future, the proposed rezoning has created a commercial overlay that will allow for home occupation or neighborhood serving commercial to exist in homes along the Main Street entrance and centrally located civic space. The commercial overlay provides a limited number of uses that are compatible with neighborhood development and can provide for appropriate commercial opportunities as the area further develops.
The Development Site Plan shows multiple larger common areas as well as front yard mews and green corridors. Site design standards are provided for civic spaces that are designed and amenitized in a way to provide natural feeling open spaces that are useable and functional.
The site itself is bifurcated by a gas pipeline easement and a drainage area. Although there are some restrictions as to what can occur in these areas, the development has provided other adjacent common areas to make these areas points of interest and usable amenity spaces for the community. Where the drainage channel comes through the property the developers have provided a smaller enclave of row homes that front along Cardinal Road. The development team has provided a community space with landscaping and picnic tables. Across the channel is a retention pond that will provide amenities inspired by, and similar to those found within Diagram 5 of the PD, Planned Development District Standards (Exhibit E). Along the gas pipeline easement, multiple community spaces are adjacent to the area, with the community’s largest space being just to the east of the easement.
Building scale and orientation is controlled by the PD, Planned Development District Standards. All principal buildings will be a maximum three (3) stories when built as a row house, otherwise all other principal buildings are to be a maximum of two (2) stories.
Building frontages are provided on all units. There are four (4) permitted building frontages:
1. Porch and fence;
2. Dooryard;
3. Stoop; and
4. Shopfront.
Although there are opportunities to elevate and refine the aesthetic and architectural character of the homes, several homes have been identified on the Development Site Plan to provide wrap-around frontage elements when the principal building fronts along a street or a large common area. This is intended to invoke a visual aesthetic that is inspired by the same in other communities, including Norton Commons in Prospect, Kentucky.
Parking access for all residential lots less than 60 feet required parking to be accessed from the rear via an alley. The detached single-family lots, though, are allowed to be accessed from a driveway. In these cases, the garage doors are not allowed to face streets or civic spaces. This is intended to create a streetscape experience that is not dominated by garage doors.
Summary
The proposed PD, Planned Development District provides the City with residential development options along the North Main Street Corridor. The development standards provide a predictable development pattern with appropriately spaced green spaces throughout the development. Finally, the commercial overlay allows the development to respond to future demands for neighborhood serving commercial as development reaches this area.
Prepared By
Arty Wheaton-Rodriguez
Assistant Director - Planning
817-276-4245