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Home My WebLink About2000-12-07 NAC Planning Report - Pony Express Auto WashBACKGROUND Attached for Reference: ANALYSIS Exhibit A: Exhibit B: Exhibit C: Exhibit D: Exhibit E: NORTHWEST ASSOCIATED COEN UL'ANTS, INC. 5 775 Wayzata Boulevard, Suite 555, St. Louis Park, MN 55416 Telephone: 952595 9636 Facsimile: 9525959837 nac@vvinternet.com PLANNING REPORT TO: Tom Melena FROM: Jason Lindahl 1 Scott Richards DATE: December 7, 2000 RE: Oak Park Heights -- Pony Express Auto Wash FILE: 798.02 - 00.19 The applicant, Mr. Costa, is requesting site plan approval and a conditional use permit to allow the construction of a 10,186 square foot drive through car wash. The subject property is zoned B -2, General Business District. A conditional use permit is necessary, in this case, because drive through car washes are conditionally permitted uses in the B -2 District under Section 401.30.E.2. Site Plan Dated 11 -30 -2000 Landscape and Sign Plan Dated 11 -30 -2000 Lighting Plan Dated 11 -30 -2000 Grading and Drainage Plan Dated 11 -30 -2000 Exterior Elevations and Floor Plan Dated 11 -30 -2000 Comprehensive Plan and Zoning. The subject property's guided land use designation and zoning are consistent for a commercial drive through car wash development. The City's Comprehensive Plan guides this property for Commercial use. In addition, the site is surrounded by compatible land uses including: commercial uses to the north, south, and east and Highway 5 and the Kern Center business and warehouse use to the west. Finally, the subject property is zoned B -2, General Business District. Drive through car washes are a conditionally permitted use with the B -2 District. Lot and Building Performance Standards. The current property owner is requesting preliminary and final plat approval of this site as part of another application. This plat would create Lots 1 and 2 Jacob 2 Addition. Should the City Council approve this p lat, the car wash will be built on Lot 2. As proposed, Lot 2 meets the minimum lot performance standard for properties in the B-2 District. The Ordinance standards and proposed lot standards are illustrated in the chart below. Lot Area Regulations for Properties in the B -2 District Category Lot Area ■ Lot Width Standard 15,000 Sq. Ft. 100 Feet Lot 2 174,793 Sq. Ft. (4.01 Acres) 100 Feet Status Compliant Compliant As proposed, the subject building meets the minimum building area, height, and setback standards for buildings in the B -2 District. This information is detailed in the chart below. Building Performance Standards for Properties in the B -2 District Category Front Yard Side Yard (North) Side Yard (South) Rear Yard Building Height Parking Standard 40 ft. 20 ft. 10 ft. 20 ft. 35 ft. Proposed 300 ft. 20 ft. 12.5 ft. 20 ft. 16.25 ft. 10 ft. 10 ft. Status Compliant Compliant Compliant Compliant Compliant Compliant Parking 1 Loading. According to Section 401.15.F.9.i, drive through car washes are required to provide a minimum of ten (10) spaces or one (1) space for each employee on the maximum shift, whichever is greater. The applicant has indicated that the car wash will have 20 employees on its maximum shift. Therefore, the site will be required to provide 20 off - street parking stalls. The existing site plan shows 10 off - street parking stalls. The applicant should revise the site plan to show the required number of off - street parking stalls. The applicant appears to have sufficient area for the loading and unloading of supplies. However, the site plan does not have a designated loading area. The applicant should revise the site plan to show a designated loading area. Access. Access to the subject property is in conformance with the minimum standards outlined in the City Code. According to Section 401.15.F.h.8, no curb cut shall exceed 24 feet in length. The applicant's site plan indicates that the subject property will have a 24 -foot curb cut for access along Neal Avenue North. The access is proposed across the street from the access to the Oak Park Ponds shopping center. These accesses should be aligned as closely as possible. Final location of the access is subject to the review of the City Engineer. 2 Exterior Wall Materials Type of Material Grade Square Footage Percent of Facade Stucco "Dyvit" 1 1,700 sq. ft. 20% Glass 1 670 sq. ft. 8% Copper Kolor Klad 1 1,750 sq. ft. 21% Dec. Con. Masonry 11 4,130 sq. ft. 50% Landscaping. The applicant submitted a preliminary landscape plan. This plan should be revised in accordance to the standards outlined in the Zoning Ordinance. First, the landscape plan must show the location, number and species of all plantings. Second, any plantings placed within a utility easement shall not exceed twenty (20) feet in height. All planting within a utility easement are subject to removal by the City or utility company and shall be maintained and 1 or replaced by the owner. Third, the applicant shall add plantings in groupings with more diverse types of evergreen and deciduous trees. The final landscape plan is subject to the review of the City Arborist. Lighting. The applicant's lighting plan appears to meet performance standards outlined in Section 401.15.B7. According to the plan, all outdoor lighting will be incorporated into the building's facade. Each light must be hooded at no greater than a 90-degree angle to direct light toward the ground and away from adjacent rights -of -way. Trash Enclosure. According to the applicant's site plan, all trash receptacles will be stored inside the principal building. This is in conformance with the standards for screening trash receptacles as outlined in the Zoning Ordinance. Design Guidelines. Office and commercial buildings must use at least three Grade materials and must be composed of at least sixty -five (65) percent Grade 1 or Grade 11 materials. Glass must make up thirty (30) percent of this sixty -five (65) percent, (twenty (20) percent of building facade must be glass). Not more than thirty -five (35) percent of the building shall be Grade 11 or Grade 111 materials and not more than (10) percent of the building shall be Grade IV. The building's exterior materials do not meet the strict interpretation of the Design Guidelines. These guidelines do not address commercial structures that are service retail and not strictly retail or office uses. To bring the building's appearance closer to the intent of the Design Guidelines, the applicant has agreed to staff's recommendation to add decorative vertical column elements to all corners of the building and to the north elevation. The columns should be spaced approximately every 30 feet along the north elevation. These vertical elements will help to breakup the building's long horizontal appearance and bring it closer to the intent of the Design Guidelines. The applicant shall provide revised elevations to shown that the building's exterior appearance will meet the intent of the Design Guidelines. 3 Signage. According to Section 401.15.G.8.d, properties in the B -2 District are allowed both freestanding and wall signs. The site is allowed one freestanding sign with a maximum size of 150 square feet or 15 percent of the front facade of the building, whichever is less. In addition, since this property is on a corner, the site is allowed up to two wall signs. The total square footage of both wall signs may not exceed 150 square feet or 15 percent of the front facade of the building, whichever is less. Staff recommends that the applicant revise their sign plan to meet the standards outlined above. The applicant is proposing three wall signs on three of the building's elevations. Staff recommends the applicant divide their signage into two allowable wall signs between the exterior walls facing Highway 5 and Highway 36. I n addition, the applicant should change their proposed pylon sign along Highway 36 to a monument sign along Neal Avenue North. This new monument sign would then replace the need for any additional directional signs as proposed. Grading and Drainage. The City Engineer has requested that the applicant submit revised grading and drainage plans. These plans must show curb and cutter around all driveways and parking areas. These plans will be subject to the review and approval of the City Engineer. Conditional Use Permit. Section 401.30.E.2 indicates that drive through car wash facilities are a conditional use within the B -2 District. As such, the site must comply with the standards outlined below. 1. The architectural appearance and functional plan of the building and the site shall not be dissimilar to the existing buildings or area as to cause a impairment in property values or constitutes a blighting influence within a reasonable distance of the lot. Finding: The architectural appearance and functional plan of the building and the site are similar to the surrounding buildings. While the exterior materials of the proposed building do not meet the strict interpretation of the design guidelines, the applicant has agreed to add vertical elements to the building to insure it will meet the intent of the design guidelines. 2. Magazining or stacking space is constructed to accommodate that number of vehicles which can be washed during a maximum thirty (30) minute period and shall be subject to the approval of the City Engineer. Finding: According to the applicant, the car wash can accommodate 8 cars in a 30-minute period. The site plan shows enough room to allow 10 cars in front of the wash 1 prep area and an additional 8 cars in the driveway area. 3. At the boundaries of a residential district, a strip of not less than five (5) feet shall be landscaped and screened in compliance with Section 40 1.15.E of this Ordinance. 4 Finding: This site does not adjoin on a residential zoning district and meets the minimum setback standards for properties in the B -2 District. 4. Parking or car magazining storage space shall be screened from view of abutting residential districts in compliance with Section 401.15.E of this Ordinance. Finding: The subject property does not adjoin on a residential district and its landscape plan will be revised to meet the minimum requirements outlined in Section 401.15.E of this Ordinance, subject to the review and approval of the City Arborist. 5. The entire area other than occupied by the building or plantings shall be surfaced with material which will control dust and drainage which is subject to the approval of the City Engineer. Finding: All areas of the site, except those occupied by the building or plantings, are to be paved. All grading and drainage plans are subject to the review and approval of the City Engineer. 0. The entire area shall have a drainage system which is subject to the approval of the City Engineer. Finding: The City Engineer has requested that the applicant submit revised grading and drainage plans that demonstrate that all driveways and parking areas will have curb and cutter. These revised plans grading and drainage plans are subject to the review and approval of the City Engineer. 7. Alt lighting shall be hooded and so directed that the light source is not visible from the public right -of -way or from an abutting residence and shall be in compliance with Section 401.15.B.7 of this Ordinance. Finding: The applicant's lighting plan appears to meet performance standards outlined in Section 401.15.87. 8. Vehicle access points shall be limited, shall create a minimum of conflict with through traffic movement and shall be subject to the approval of the City Engineer. Finding: The subject property will have one access point along Neal Avenue North. This access meets the standards outlined in Section 401.15.F. However, the applicant should adjust the location of the access to insure that it aligns with the northern access to the Oak Park Ponds shopping center. 9. Alt signing and informational or visual communication devices shall be in compliance with Section 401.15.G of this Ordinance. 5 Finding: The applicant will be required to revise their existing sign plan to conform with the standards for properties in the B -2 District as outlined in Section 401.15.G of the Zoning Ordinance. 10. Provisions of Section 401.03.A.8 of this Ordinance are considered and satisfactorily met. Finding: The provisions of Section 401.03.A.8 of this Ordinance have been considered and met. RECOMMENDATION Staff recommends approval of the site plan, Design Guideline review, and conditional use permit to allow the construction of a 10,186 square foot drive through car wash. This recommendation is based on the finding contained in this report and subject to the conditions listed below. 1. The City Council approves the preliminary and final plat for Lots 1 and 2, Block 1, Jacob 2 Addition. 2. The applicant must revise the site plan to show twenty (20) off - street parking stalls. 3. The applicant shall submit a revised site plan to shows a designated loading area. 4. The access to the subject property shall be aligned to the extent possible with the northern access to the Oak Park Ponds shopping center subject to approval of the City Engineer. 5. The applicant shall submit a revised landscape plan with the following changes. a. The plan shall show the location, number and species of all plantings. b. Any plantings placed within a utility easement shall not exceed twenty (20) feet in height. All planting within a utility easement are subject to removal by the City or utility company and shall be maintained and 1 or replaced by the owner. c. The applicant shall add plantings in groupings with a diversity of evergreen and deciduous varieties. d. The final landscape plan is subject to review and approval by the City Arborist. 6 6 All exterior lighting shall be hooded to direct light toward the ground and away from adjacent rights-of-way at no great than a 90- degree angle. 7. The applicant shall revise the building's exterior by adding decorative vertical column elements to all corner of the building and to the north elevation. The columns shall be spaced approximately every 30 feet along the north elevation. The applicant shall provide revised elevations to show that the building's exterior appearance will meet the intent of the Design Guidelines. 8. The applicant shall submit a revised sign plan which complies with the standards outlined in Section 401.15.G. 9. The applicant shall submit revised grading and drainage plans that demonstrate the all driveways and parking areas will have curb and cutter. 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