AFrom
Chris Hartmann
Title
S160902 - Site Plan - Methodist Convenient Care Campus (City Council District 6). Approval of a Site Plan request authorizing the construction and operation of the Methodist Convenient Care Campus, a proposed 45,700 square foot, multi-story medical clinic. The 10.08-acre property, currently zoned Planned Development 49 (PD-49) District for medium to high density residential uses and set within the Lake Ridge Corridor Overlay District, is located at the northeast corner of Lake Ridge Parkway and Polo Road. The applicant is Dan Blizzard, Methodist Health System and the owner is W.D. Masterson, Kilgore Law Center, LLC. (On August 29, 2016, the Planning and Zoning Commission recommended approval of this request by a vote of 9-0).
Presenter
Chief City Planner Jim Hinderaker
Recommended Action
Approval
Analysis
SUMMARY:
Approval of a Site Plan request authorizing the construction and operation of the Methodist Convenient Care Campus, a proposed 45,700 square foot, multi-story medical clinic. The 10.08-acre property, currently zoned Planned Development 49 (PD-49) District for medium to high density residential uses and set within the Lake Ridge Corridor Overlay District, is located at the northeast corner of Lake Ridge Parkway and Polo Road.
ADJACENT LAND USES AND ACCESS:
North - Directly north of the subject property is Lake Ridge Parkway, a six-lane divided principal arterial (P6D) as classified in the City’s Master Transportation Plan. Northwest of Lake Ridge Parkway are several vacant tracts of land zoned PD-49 for medium/high density residential uses. These properties are located between Fish Creek and Lake Ridge Parkway.
South - Directly south of the subject property is Polo Road, a four-lane divided principal arterial (P4D) as classified in the City’s Master Transportation Plan. South of Polo Road is the High Hawk at Martin Meadow Phase 1 single family detached residential development split-zoned PD-49 and PD-51. Southeast of the subject property and Polo Road is the Trailwood Addition 4th Increment single family detached residential development zoned PD-81.
East - Directly east of the subject property, and specially east of the proposed new medical clinic, is the Trailwood Addition Increment 4A single family detached residential development zoned PD-81. East of the north end of the subject property is a vacant tract of land also zoned PD-8.
West - Directly west of the subject property is Lake Ridge Parkway, a six-lane divided principal arterial (P6D) as classified in the City’s Master Transportation Plan. Northwest of Lake Ridge Parkway are several vacant tracts of land zoned PD-49 for medium/high density residential uses. These properties are located between Fish Creek and Lake Ridge Parkway. As Lake Ridge Parkway runs in a northeast/southwest direction and Polo Road curves north as it connects to Lake Ridge Parkway, a portion of Polo Road is also located to the west of the subject property.
PURPOSE OF REQUEST:
The applicant, Methodist Health System, is requesting site plan approval allowing them to proceed with the final permitting, construction and operation of a 45,700 sq. ft., three-story, medical office facility named Methodist Convenient Care Campus. The medical clinic is proposed to be located at the northeast corner of Lake Ridge Parkway and Polo Road.
In accordance with Section 16.2.1 of the Article 16 of the Unified Development Code (UDC), site plan approval is required whenever a project is located within a Planned Development District. In addition, development located within a corridor overlay district requires site plan approval. The development must meet the minimum requirements prescribed in the UDC for the property’s underlying zoning district classification and adhere to the additional architectural standards specified in UDC, Appendix F “Corridor Overlay District Standards”, as applicable. This application was reviewed based on the revised standards as proposed and contained within this application’s companion zoning change application (Planning Case File No. Z1600902).
In addition to the site plan and zoning change request, the applicant has filed another companion case that is being reviewed concurrently with these applications. The Final Plat application creates one (1) non-residential lot on 10.08 acres being processed via Planning Case No. P160902.
PROPOSED USE CHARACTERISTICS AND FUNCTION:
Use:
The Methodist Convenient Care Campus is an outpatient medical clinic providing urgent care, diagnostic imaging and physical therapy services. In addition, the 3rd floor of the facility is being reserved as leasable office space for up to 8-10 specialist physicians that want to lease space within the facility. Of the 10.08-acre subject property, only 7.33-acres acres will be used for the siting of the clinic. The balance of the property is not a part of this site plan request. Any development of the remaining 2.75 acres will be subject to a separate review process.
Lot & Dimensional Standards:
The 10.08-acre (7.33-acres) subject property is a vacant tract of land where the existing grade slopes primarily from south to north. Subject to final City Council approval of the proposed zoning change being reviewed concurrently with this application, the base zoning designation to be applied to the property will be General Retail (GR) District. As part of the zoning change request, the applicant is seeking an increase in the maximum permissible height within the GR District from 25-ft. to 50.ft.
The following table provides detailed dimensional requirement information. As proposed, the development meets or exceeds all minimum lot & dimensional standards. Due to the “pie shaped” configuration of the lot that narrows from south to north, the lot dimensions and proposed building setbacks will be measured from the proposed medical office building and the nearest property line.
|
Ordinance Provision |
GR Zone District Standards |
Proposed Conditions |
Meets |
|
Min. Lot Size |
5,000 s.f. |
10.08 acres (7.33 acres) |
Yes |
|
Min. Lot Width |
50 ft. |
Variable, but more than 150 ft. |
Yes |
|
Min. Lot Depth |
150 ft. |
Variable, but more than 150 ft. |
Yes |
|
Front Yard Setback |
25 ft. |
250 ft. @ Polo Rd. 137 ft.@ Lake Ridge |
Yes |
|
Internal Side Yard |
20 ft. |
N/A - No side setback |
N/A |
|
Rear Yard Setback |
20 ft. (residential adjacency) |
220 ft. |
Yes |
|
Bldg. Separation |
|
N/A |
N/A |
|
Bldg. Height |
50 ft. |
50 ft. |
Yes |
|
F.A.R. |
.35:1 |
.104:1 |
Yes |
Access, Parking & Sidewalks:
Access to the subject property will be provided via a single driveway approach on Lake Ridge Parkway and another single driveway approach on W. Polo Road. The Lake Ridge Parkway access is limited to a right-in and right-out only turning movements due to the existing center median. A median opening is not proposed on Lake Ridge Parkway. The W. Polo Road access will be a three turning movement intersection with a right-in and right-out and a hooded left turn-in. A left-out turning movement is not proposed.
The applicant is proposing to pave the both access approaches, drive aisles/fire lanes and all parking areas with concrete per city standard. The UDC requires a minimum of one striped parking space per 200 square feet of medical office space. Per the below chart, the required minimum parking spaces are being provided and will be located on the north, west and south sides of the medical office building.
A 5-foot wide sidewalk is proposed to be installed adjacent to W. Polo Road. There is an existing sidewalk along the entire west property abutting Lake Ridge Parkway.
|
Proposed Use/Parking |
Parking Rate/s.f. |
Required |
Proposed |
Meets |
|
Medical Office (45,700 sq. ft.) |
1/200 |
228 (7 handicapped spaces required) |
228 (7 handicapped provided) |
Yes |
Building Elevations - Masonry and Articulation Standards:
The proposed building elevations herein reviewed are based on the requested revised standards as proposed and contained within this application’s companion zoning change application (Planning Case File No. Z1600902). The proposed standards are as follows:
1. Masonry Content - every exterior wall, excluding doors and windows/glazing, shall be 100% masonry construction.
a. Masonry is defined as hard fired (kiln fired) brick, face or building brick with a troweled mortar bond finish, stone, concrete, or terracotta panel system. Stone materials may consist of granite, sandstone, slate, limestone, marble or other hard and durable all weather stone. Ashlar, cut stone, and dimensional stone construction techniques are acceptable. Concrete may consist of concrete tilt-wall, cultured stone, concrete masonry units (sandblasted, textured, fluted or split-faced and integral colored).
b. Exterior walls adjacent to the public road system shall not contain concrete masonry units.
c. Exposed concrete tilt‐wall wall surfaces shall include reveals with a minimum two inch width, punch‐outs, or integrated form liner on at least fifteen percent (15%) of each exposed concrete finished wall surface.
d. Maximum panel size of 15-feet in any direction.
e. In lieu of above noted masonry standards, the applicable Appendix F: Corridor Overlay District Standards of the Unified Development Code may be applied. If one section of the Appendix F standards is utilized, than all sections of the applicable Appendix F standards shall be utilized to determine compliance.
2. Building Articulation
a. Vertical Articulation- No horizontal wall along a Primary building façade shall extend for a distance greater than 3.5 times the building height without extending above the height of the required parapet wall by a minimum of 10% of the wall’s height. This increased height change shall continue for a minimum distance equal to at least 10% of the maximum length of the adjacent plane. No other maximum dimension required.
b. Horizontal Articulation - No horizontal wall along a Primary building façade shall extend for a distance greater than 3.5 times the building height without having an off-set by a minimum of 10% of the wall’s height. This projecting off-set shall extend for a distance equal to at least 5% of the maximum length of the adjacent wall plane. No other maximum dimension required.
c. In lieu of above noted building articulation standards, the applicable section of Appendix F: Corridor Overlay District Standards of the Unified Development Code may be applied. If one section of the Appendix F standards is utilized, than all sections of the applicable Appendix F standards shall be utilized to determine compliance.
3. Front/Entrance Canopies/Coverings
a. The use of arcades, covered walkways, architectural awning, canopies, or porticos is required along twenty-five percent (25%) of the Primary façade, as defined in Appendix F: Corridor Overlay District Standards of the Unified Development Code.
b. No requirement for curvilinear, domed or arched formation at entrances.
4. Glazing - A minimum of 25% glazing is required for building larger than 10,000 sq. ft.
The proposed medical office is a three-story “modern” style building with clean lines, significant glazing and few embellishments. The building consists of two rectangle forms slightly off set from one another both vertically and horizontally. The exterior façade of the smaller rectangle form, less doors and windows/glazing, is clad in 100% thin-brick masonry. The exterior façade of the larger rectangle form is proposed to be clad in a terracotta panel system or possibly a metal panelized system. The building has a flat roof with parapets designed to screen all roof mounted equipment from view. The building is also designed so that the first floor of the rear portion of the building will be below grade, thus reducing the scale of the building nearest the existing residential development on the east side of the subject property. Provided that the zoning request is approved, the building elevations meet the minimum masonry, articulation, canopy, and glazing standards.
Note: Staff is not supportive of the use of a metal panelized system.
Landscape and Screening:
The landscape and screening requirements of the subject site are governed by Article 8 (General Retail District standards) of the UDC and Section 4 of Appendix F of the UDC as shown below. As stated above, only 7.33-acres of the 10.08-acre subject property is proposed to be developed with this project. Per the General Retail District standards, five (5) percent of the site must be developed as open space landscaping. The applicant is providing approximately fifty-seven (57) percent open space landscaping.
In accordance with Section 8.9.5 of Article 8 of the UDC, non-residential development, except for schools and day care centers, are required to erect a Type 1 (masonry) screening fence when located next to a residential zoning district. The subject property abuts, on its southernmost 740-ft. of its east property line, the Trailwood Addition Increment 4A single family detached residential development. This development is zoned PD-81 for single family residential uses and therefore the masonry screening fence is required. In addition to the masonry screening fence requirement, Section 4.C.3 of Appendix F: Corridor Overlay District Standards, stipulates that a 15-foot wide landscaped buffer located inside the required masonry screening wall must be provided. This section further stipulates that native trees, a minimum of 3-inch caliper, are required every 15-foot on center. Said trees must be capable of reaching a mature height of between 10 to 12 feet.
The applicant is seeking approval of an exception or appeal of the masonry screening fence requirement and proposes to establish a 30-ft. landscape buffer with a living 6-ft. tall (mature height) evergreen shrub row.
The applicant is also seeking approval of an exception or appeals to use an 4-ft. tall wire panel (2-inch x 2-inch galvanized steel tubes) with vegetative screening around the fence in lieu of the required 4-ft tall wrought iron fence required to be located around a detention pond if located closer than 120-ft. from a street right of way.
|
Ordinance Provision |
Standards |
Existing/Proposed Conditions |
Meets |
|
Landscape |
Minimum Landscape Area (5%) PLUS 30’ Landscape Buffer Along Street ROW |
57 % 30’ Landscape Buffer |
Yes Yes |
|
Parking Lot/Drive Aisle Buffer |
30’ Landscape Buffer |
30’ Landscape Buffer |
Yes |
|
Parking Lot Hedgerow |
36” Hedgerow, Berm, or wall |
36” Hedgerow |
Yes |
|
Required Number of Total Trees (1/500 sq.ft.) |
32 Tree |
64 Trees |
Yes |
|
Street Trees: |
1 tree/25 to 50 l.f. |
Lake Ridge 500l.f./10trees Polo 800l.f./16 trees |
Yes Yes |
|
Parking Lot Trees: |
1 tree/20 spaces spaces within 100ft. of a tree |
36 trees |
Yes Yes |
|
All trees are minimum 3 in. caliper |
|
|
Yes |
|
All parking lot islands minimum 5 ft. wide |
|
|
Yes |
|
Sidewalk Along Roads |
Required on Polo Existing on Lake Ridge |
5-ft. wide on Polo Existing on Lake Ridge |
Yes Yes |
|
Residential Screening |
Masonry Wall 15-ft buffer w/trees planted 15-ft on center |
Living Screening 30-ft buffer |
No Yes |
Dumpster Enclosure:
The applicant proposes to build a dumpster enclosure on the north side of the building and parking lot. The enclosure is a masonry structure with decorative metal gates that conforms to minimum city standards.
CONFORMANCE WITH COMPREHENSIVE PLAN:
The subject property is designated as appropriate for Open Space/Drainage on the Future Land Use Map (FLUM). The proposal is consistent with the FLUM. Annually the City amends the FLUM to resolve conflicts between zoning and FLUM designations.
REQUESTED APPEALS BY OWNER/APPLICANT:
1. Masonry Screening Fence - the applicant is seeking approval to install a living 6-ft tall evergreen screening along their eastern property line where they abut residential zoning.
2. Metal Panel System- the applicant may seek approval to utilize a metal panel system in lieu of the noted approved masonry product.
3. Wrought Iron Fence - the applicant is seeking approval to use an 4-ft. tall wire panel (2-inch x 2-inch galvanized steel tubes) with vegetative screening around the fence in lieu of the required 4-ft tall wrought iron fence required to be located around a detention pond if located closer than 120-ft. from a street right of way.
RECOMMENDATION:
The Development Review Committee recommends approval of the request w/ adherence to review comments, but staff is not supportive of the use of a metal panel system nor the elimination of the masonry screening wall.
UPDATED RECOMMENDATION(S):
On August 29, 2016, the Planning and Zoning Commission (9-0) recommended approval of this Site Plan request, as submitted, authorizing the applicant to proceed with the final permitting, construction and operation of the proposed 45,700 sq. ft., three-story medical clinic on 7.33 acres of a 10.079 acre property located at the northeast corner of Lake Ridge Parkway and S. Polo Road with the following exceptions and conditions:
1. The maximum height of the medical clinic building may exceed the permissible maximum height of the underlying zoning district, the General Retail (GR) District, by an additional 25 feet allowing for a structure with the maximum height of 50 feet.
2. The Lake Ridge Parkway Corridor Overlay District standards requiring minimum building articulation and other architectural and site enhancements (exclusive of masonry and landscape standards) are hereby waived.
3. The masonry standards of the Lake Ridge Parkway Corridor Overlay District and Article 6 of the Unified Development Code are hereby amended allowing for the use of either a terracotta panel system or a metal panel system on the portion building as detailed on the approved Site Plan building elevations.
4. Per Section 14.4.5 of Article 14 of the Unified Development Code, the requirement for a 4-foot tall wrought iron fence around the detention pond is hereby amended allowing for the use of 4-foot tall metal panel fence, with 2-inch x 2-inch galvanized steel tubes, that shall be screened from view with landscaping.
5. The request for an appeal or exception to Section 8.9.5.A of Article 8 of the Unified Development Code that requires all non-residential development to erect a Type 1 masonry fence on the property lines adjacent to any residential zoned property is hereby denied. The Site Plan shall be amended to include the required Type 1 masonry fence and buffer landscaping in accordance with 4.C.3.C.of the Appendix F: Corridor Overlay District Standards of the Unified Development Code.
Staff is supportive of the final recommendations of the Planning and Zoning Commission.