From
Chris Hartmann
Title
S180103 - Site Plan - Church on Rush Creek (City Council District 6). Site Plan for the expansion of an existing church campus on one lot on 14.212 acres. Lot 1, Block 1, CRC Mira Lagos Addition, City of Grand Prairie, Tarrant County, Texas, zoned Planned Development 318B (PD-318B) in the Lake Ridge Corridor Overlay District. The church campus is generally located at the southeast corner of E. Seeton Road and Day Miar Road, more specifically at 1355 E. Seeton Road. The applicant is Matt Moore, Claymoore Engineering Inc. and the owner is Jeff Kirkpatrick, The Church on Rush Creek. (On February 5, 2018, the Planning and Zoning Commission recommended approval of this request by a vote of 6-0).
Presenter
David P. Jones, Chief City Planner
Recommended Action
Approve
Analysis
SUMMARY:
S180103 - Site Plan - Church on Rush Creek (City Council District 6). Consider a request for revised site plan approval to accommodate the proposed church expansion. The property is zoned Planned Development 318B (PD-318B) District. The church campus is generally located at the southeast corner of E. Seeton Road and Day Miar Road, more specifically at 1355 E. Seeton Road. The property is located in the S.C. Neill Survey, Abstract No. 1159. The property is located in City Council District 6, represented by Councilman Jeff Woolridge.
ADJACENT LAND USES AND ACCESS:
North - Zoned Agricultural (A) District; undeveloped.
South - Joe Pool Lake.
West - Mansfield City Limit. Lake Ridge High School is directly across E. Seeton Road from the property.
East - Single-family residential zoned Planned Development (PD-318A) District.
PURPOSE OF REQUEST:
The Church on Rush Creek requests City Council approval of a Site Plan to construct an addition to the existing church campus.
Construction for the Church on Rush Creek began in Spring 2011, and Certificate of Occupancy was issued in October 2012. In November 2013, City Council amended the property’s zoning (PD-318-A) to allow for the placement and use of modular buildings on the church’s campus. The authorization to use the modular buildings was to expire after 5 years. The proposed addition consists of a new sanctuary, classrooms and associated fellowship facilities to accommodate children’s ministries as well as auxiliary church functions.
CHARACTERISTICS AND FUNCTION:
Use:
The proposal includes the initial construction of a 28,140 sq. ft., 800 seat sanctuary and meeting space, new entryway to link the existing sanctuary with the addition, a 187 space parking addition, and additional landscaping. An approximately 10,000 square foot second building phase is also proposed to accommodate weekly worship services as well as children ministries and auxiliary functions, and construct outdoor recreation space such as a playground and trails.
The site is approximately 14 acres. The proposed improvements are planned primarily to the southwest of the church’s existing facilities, which are located in the center of the property approximately 200’ from E. Seeton Road and 200’ west of the existing overhead electric power distribution easement.
The subject property is zoned Planned Development 318B and is within the Lakeridge Corridor Overlay District, making the addition subject to architectural standards specified in Appendix F: Corridor Overlay District Standards of the UDC.
Access and Parking:
Access to the subject property is provided by two existing driveways from E. Seeton Road. A proposed third drive approach is shown to the south of the two existing drives to provide access to the proposed 187 space parking addition located on the southern portion of the property. A fire lane and turn-around drive is shown connecting to the proposed drive and will provide fire protection access to the western half of the proposed building additions. Access to the eastern portion of the proposed addition will be provided by a proposed concrete drive and turnaround. The parking addition will increase the parking from the current 203 spaces to 400 spaces, which exceeds the minimum requirement of 267 spaces.
Building Elevations - Articulation and Masonry Standards:
Buildings in the overlay are required to be clad in 100% masonry materials with a 25% stone accent. The applicant proposes using fiber cement cladding for the majority of the addition including the sanctuary. The shorter connecting structure between the proposed sanctuary and the existing building is shown with a combination of stone, brick veneer and fiber cement plaster. While the exterior elevations provide 100% masonry, the east and north facades do not meet the 25% stone requirement.
West [Seeton Rd]
Metal panel.. 12%
HM Doors......... 0%
Plaster............. 19%
Glazing ........... 30%
Fiber Cement 19%
Stone Accent... 20%
TOTAL PERCENTAGE MASONRY - 58%
Plaster............. 33% of total masonry
Fiber Cement... 32% of total masonry
Stone Accent... 35% of total masonry
North
Metal panel.... 8%
HM Doors......... 2%
Plaster............. 62%
Glazing ............. 8%
Fiber Cement 11%
Stone Accent..... 9%
TOTAL PERCENTAGE MASONRY - 82%
Plaster............. 75% of total masonry
Fiber Cement... 14% of total masonry
Stone Accent... 11% of total masonry
East
Metal panel.... 4%
HM Doors......... 1%
Plaster............. 56%
Glazing ........... 12%
Fiber Cement 19%
Stone Accent..... 8%
TOTAL PERCENTAGE MASONRY - 83%
Plaster............. 68% of total masonry
Fiber Cement... 23% of total masonry
Stone Accent..... 9% of total masonry
Building Height
The proposed height of the sanctuary is (36’6”) thirty-six feet, six inches, which exceeds the maximum height of the underlying residential zoning (30 feet).
Landscape and Screening:
The proposed site exceeds the minimum landscaping (10%) requirements for Institutional Uses. Including the existing landscaping installed on the first phase, the development will provide approximately 24% after development of the second phase. A total of 176,161 sq. ft. of irrigated landscaping will be provided with the addition of 89 trees, 700 shrubs, and 21 street trees to the existing landscaping.
Dumpster Enclosure:
An existing 12’ X 12’ (inside dimension) masonry dumpster enclosure will be relocated and will be clad in the same masonry materials as the building. The proposed enclosure conforms to city standards.
REQUESTED EXCEPTIONS:
1. Exception to the minimum 25% stone requirement to exterior masonry material building element on primary facades.
2. Exception to the cornice projection requirement on auxiliary buildings.
3. Exception to the maximum 30’ building height requirement to allow a maximum height of 36’6” on the sanctuary.
Analysis:
The requested variances each relate to the building design. The Lake Ridge Corridor Overlay requires that all primary facades include 25% stone, and that cornices project a minimum of 18". The proposed sanctuary provides for masonry exterior, but the design does not meet the stone elements requirement other than on the west elevation nor does it provide for projecting cornices on the shorter auxilary buildings. The sanctuary fulfills the cornice requirement by showing a pitched roof with projecting eaves.
Staff does not object to the requests for exceptions since 35% stone is provided on the elevation facing Seeton, and the campus displays a cohesive design that is in keeping with the intention of the Overlay standards. Also, three sides of the proposed expansion are set back significantly from neighboring properties, or faces the lake, and is not located on a road frontage.
The underlying residential zoning has a maximum (30’) thirty foot building height, which the proposed sanctuary exceeds at 36’6”. The campus will be separated from the existing single-family residential to the west by a 100 foot overhead easement and a by a proposed 24 foot access drive. Lake Ridge High School is to the west and utilizes multiple buildings of similar height to the proposed sanctuary building.
Due to the location of the proposed buildings in the center of the site, the surrounding uses, and the nature and function of the proposed sanctuary, staff does not object to the height exception for the sanctuary.
RECOMMENDATION:
At its February 5, 2018 meeting, the Planning & Zoning Commission recemmended approval as requested by vote of 6-0.
The Development Review Committee recommends approval as requested.