From
Chris Hartmann
Title
S141103 - Site Plan - Stripe-A-Zone (City Council District 1). Approval of a Site Plan for the expansion of an existing Contractor Shop with Heavy Equipment and Outside Storage on 7.1048 acres. The subject property, zoned Commercial Office (CO) District and within Central Business District No. 1, is generally located south of E. Abram Street and west of Cox Street. The agent is Walter Nelson and the owner is David Sargent, Strip-A-Zone. (On August 3, 2015, the Planning and Zoning Commission recommended approval of this request by a vote of 6-0.)
Presenter
Chief City Planner Jim Hinderaker
Recommended Action
Approve
Analysis
SUMMARY:
Consider a request for the approval of a Site Plan for the expansion of an existing Contractor Shop with Heavy Equipment and Outside Storage on 7.1048 acres. The subject property, zoned Commercial Office (CO) District and within Central Business District No. 1, is generally located south of E. Abram Street and west of Cox Street. The agent is Walter Nelson and the owner is David Sargent, Strip-A-Zone.
ADJACENT LAND USES AND ZONING:
|
Direction |
Zoning |
Existing Land Use |
|
North |
City of Arlington |
Industrial Uses |
|
East |
Commercial Office (CO) |
Undeveloped land |
|
West |
South Half - Commercial Office (CO) North Half - City of Arlington |
Residential Apartments |
|
South |
Hospital District |
Texas General Hospital, medical office and undeveloped land |
PURPOSE OF REQUEST:
Stripe-A-Zone, a long time Grand Prairie pavement striping business and one of the largest pavement striping companies in the United States, has outgrown its existing facility located at the northwest corner of Sherman Street and Cox Street. The owner/applicant is seeking Site Plan approval to expand the business to include the property directly abutting its existing facility to the north. As stipulated within Specific Use Permit (SUP) No. 927 as adopted on February 18, 2014 via Ordinance No. 9671-2014, Site Plan approval is required and must be shown to be in substantial conformance with the approved Concept Plan as contained within the above noted ordinance.
As detailed within the Site Plan, the proposed expansion will increase the existing size of the facility from approximately 2.37 acres to 7.1048 acres at full build out. The expansion includes an approximately 4.14 acre tract legally known as Lots 1-8, Block A of the L. Cox and C. Hines Re-subdivision and a 0.5914 acre portion of Hines Street Right-of-Way (ROW) that is currently scheduled to be considered for abandonment (*) by City Council on August 18, 2015, which is also the date that this Site Plan request will be heard by City Council.
As requested by the owner/applicant, the proposed expansion is scheduled to be completed in two Phases. Phase One includes all of the undeveloped area identified as Lot 1, Block A of the Sargent Addition, which is a replat currently under review and scheduled for final action by the Planning and Zoning Commission on August 3, 2015. Phase Two includes all of Lot 2, Block A of the Sargent Addition. This Site Plan review, and any subsequent approval of the same, applies only to Phase One. A separate Site Plan application submittal and review by Staff and P&Z/Council will be required For Phase Two.
* This Site Plan and the Sargent Addition replat are being reviewed within the assumption that the proposed ROW abandonment will be approved by action of the City Council on August 18, 2015. Staff is recommended approval of the abandonment and does not anticipate any opposition.
CHARACTERISTICS AND FUNCTION:
Proposed Use:
Stripe-A-Zone, Inc. currently sits on approximately 2.37 acres land located between Sherman Street and Hines Avenue and on the west side of Cox Street. The business, classified by the City as a Contractor Shop with Heavy Equipment and Outside Storage, consists of a sales office, production office, warehouse, a wheelstop manufacturing shed, fuel storage and dispensing station, employee parking, and a storage yard. This location is the base of operations for the business that includes administration of sales and production, storage of materials and equipment, maintenance and repair of vehicles and equipment, and wheel stop manufacturing. However, the main operations of the business (pavement striping) are conducted at different job site(s) around the Dallas/Fort Worth Metropolitan Area (metro-plex) and surrounding areas within the State.
The Phase One expansion is primarily intended to be used as a parking and storage area for vehicles and equipment. Prior to the issuance of the SUP No. 927, the subject property was considered a “legal non-conforming use” as open/outside storage was not permitted within the Central Business District No. 1. The approved SUP now grants the owner/applicant the authority to proceed with the proposed expansion and outside storage use provided the proposed Site Plan substantially complies with the SUP.
Employees & Hours of Operation:
The business operates a Day Shift Service Team (currently 44 employees) and a Night Shift Service Team (currently 8 employees) that work directly in the field to service customers. Approximately half of the Day Shift Service Team works out of town on a two (2) week cycle and only report to the main office on a bi-weekly basis. The balance of the Day Shift Serve Team reports to the existing facility each day before going to the various job sites around the metro-plex. The smaller Night Shift Service Team works between 3:00 PM and 6:00 AM to service customers that cannot close the businesses while the work is being done.
In addition to the sales/management staff and service teams, Stripe-A-Zone, Inc. has four (4) mechanics that staff their on-site maintenance shop Monday - Saturday, 5:00 AM to 9:00 PM to service the facility’s vehicles and equipment. Stripe-A-Zone, Inc. also employs four (4) individuals in their concrete wheel stop manufacturing process that operates twice weekly on the subject property. The manufacturing process begins at approximately 10:00 AM on Monday and Friday, weekly, and typically ends by 6:00 PM. The concrete is mixed off-site and delivered to the facility by various concrete vendors.
Access and Parking:
The owner/applicant is proposing to continue to gain access to Phase One of the property from the three existing access points located on Sherman Street and Cox Drive. The single Sherman Street access and the southerly most Cox Drive access are limited to passenger vehicles and are used to gain access to the existing employee parking located at the south end of the facility. The second existing access on Cox Drive is proposed to remain and will continue to be used as an access point for larger trucks and equipment. This access is gated at the property line. Finally, a third access point on Cox Drive is proposed at the intersection of Hines Street (to be abandoned) and Cox Drive. This access will also be gated. This gate will be set back from the flow line of Cox Drive approximately 74-feet to allow longer vehicles to fully pull off Cox Drive before stopping to open the gate. While both gates will have Knox-Locks, the City of Arlington emergency services will also have access to the access gate located at Hines and Cox Street, as a 50-foot emergency access easement will be retained (to be dedicated with the Sargent Addition replat) on the portion of Hines Street scheduled to be abandoned.
The Phase One parking plan, for the expansion area, includes: 58 new 18ft. x 9ft. parking stalls, 8 new 30ft. x 10ft. parking stalls, 21 new 40ft. x 10ft. parking stalls, and 4 new 70ft. x 12ft. parking stalls. The parking stalls and drive aisles will be paved with concrete to City standards prior to use of the property. The proposal also a new 12,000 sq. ft. “longliner” enclosed masonry parking structure with 10 parking bays. The Phase One proposal includes improvements to the existing gravel employee parking lot located at the south end of the facility. As part of the concrete pavement installation plan, to be completed within two-years from Site Plan approval, the existing employee parking lot will be paved with concrete, per City specifications, and striped to accommodate 61 passenger vehicles, including 3 handicapped spaces. The parking lot improvement plan includes the construction of landscape islands and curbing.
Building, Dumpster Enclosure & Fencing:
As stated above, the proposal includes a new 12,000 sq. ft. “longliner” enclosed masonry parking structure with 10 parking bays and garage doors. The building facade will be clad with brick veneer, CMU, and glass block windows. The roof will consist of a metal R-panel at a low 1:12 pitch. Phase One also includes the construction of a masonry dumpster enclosure, to City specifications, as well as an eight (8) foot tall masonry fence along E. Abram Street and an eight (8) foot tall wrought iron fence with mesh screening material along the east and west property lines of the Phase One expansion area.
Stormwater Detention & Paving:
The Phase One expansion includes the construction of two new detention ponds that will be located on the Phase One expansion area north of the existing Hines Avenue and one detention pond that will be located on the existing area located south of the existing Hines Avenue. As part of the Phase One expansion, the balance of the existing facility’s storage/operation yard and employee parking lot is proposed to be paved with concrete to City standards. In keeping with the proposed concrete phasing plan approved within the SUP, the applicant/owner proposes to complete the concrete pavement installation, south of the existing Hines Avenue, within 2-years of Site Plan approval.
Dimensional Requirements
The subject property is zoned Commercial Office (CO) District. As part of the approved SUP, the minimum front setback along Cox Drive was reduced from 25-feet to 12-feet. As proposed, the Phase One Site Plan conforms to the minimum dimensional requirements as outlined above.
Landscape and Screening
The landscape and screening requirements of the subject site are governed by the Article 8 of the UDC and the approved SUP. As proposed, the Phase One Site Plan conforms to the minimum landscape and screening standards as outlined above.
CONFORMANCE WITH COMPREHENSIVE PLAN:
The subject property is designated as appropriate for Mixed Use on the Future Land Use Map (FLUM). Mixed Use is defined as a mixture of retail, high density residential, personal service, and some limited office uses in a pedestrian oriented development. The proposal is inconsistent with the FLUM. Annually the City amends the FLUM to resolve conflicts between zoning and FLUM designations.
REQUESTED APPEALS BY OWNER/APPLICANT:
None.
RECOMMENDATION:
Development Review Committee recommends approval of the request.