From
Monica Espinoza, Executive Assistant
Title
S200905 -Site Plan -DevTex Industrial (City Council District 1). Site plan request to authorize construction for (2) two office/warehouse distribution buildings on 11.0 acres. DevTex Business Park, Block 1, Lot 13A is situated in both cities of Grand Prairie (3.1 acres) zoned Light Industrial (LI) and Arlington (7.9 acres) zoned Industrial Manufacturing (IM), Tarrant County, Texas, generally located west of S. Great Southwest Parkway and approximately 1,160 feet north of W. Marshall Drive. The property is located in City Council District 1, represented by Mayor Pro Tem Jorja Clemson. (On September 28, 2020, the Planning and Zoning Commission recommended approval of this request by a vote of 7-0).
Presenter
Charles Lee, AICP, CBO, Senior Planner
Recommended Action
Approve
Analysis
SUMMARY:
S200905 -Site Plan -DevTex Industrial (City Council District 1). Site plan request to authorize construction for (2) two office/warehouse distribution buildings on 11.0 acres. DevTex Business Park, Block 1, Lot 13A is situated in both cities of Grand Prairie (3.1 acres) zoned Light Industrial (LI) and Arlington (7.9 acres) zoned Industrial Manufacturing (IM), Tarrant County, Texas, generally located west of S. Great Southwest Parkway and approximately 1,160 feet north of W. Marshall Drive. The property is located in City Council District 1, represented by Councilman Jorja Clemson.
PURPOSE OF REQUEST:
The applicant intends to establish two separate industrial lots to construct an office warehouse on each. Once replatted the developments will consist of two separate lots. The property lies in both the cities of Grand Prairie and City of Arlington. Both jurisdictions utilize and adopt an Interlocal Agreement in conjunction with site plan approval as required by both jurisdictions’ City Councils. Grand Prairie requires City Council for any project involving industrial uses with buildings exceeding 50,000 square feet.
In summation, the existing 11-acre industrial zoned tract is laid out as:
• Devtex Business Park, Block 1, Lot 13A1 (City of Grand Prairie) 3.11 Acre, Zoned LI proposed 55,450 SF office/warehouse facility.
• Devtex Business Park, Block 1, Lot 13A2 (City of Arlington) 7.89 acres, Zoned IM, proposed 47,488 SF office/warehouse facility.
The purpose of site plan approval is to ensure that development meets requirements in the Unified Development Code (UDC), provides adequate circulation, and uses quality site planning techniques. The UDC identifies criteria for evaluating proposed developments. Criteria include density and dimensional standards, landscaping and screening requirements, and architectural design for special districts.
UDC’s Appendix X, Industrial Development Standards addresses potential adverse environmental, visual, and truck traffic associated with large warehouses, outside storage, distribution-logistical related developments exceeding five acres in size.
ADJACENT LAND USES:
The following table summarizes the zoning designation and existing use for the surrounding properties.
|
Table 1: Adjacent Zoning and Land Uses |
|
Direction |
Zoning |
Existing Use |
|
North |
LI |
Private Gas Line Utility |
|
South |
LI |
Industrial |
|
West |
Industrial |
City of Arlington |
|
East |
LI |
Industrial Food Distribution |
PROPOSED USE CHARACTERISTICS AND FUNCTION:
The vacant industrial zoned property is generally flat terrain, gently sloping westward towards a City of Arlington existing drainage easement. Sparsely scattered cedar and elm trees exist on-site with no significant tree canopy present. As required, the applicant submitted a tree survey and protection plan indicating 57 trees to be removed with 11 preserved.
The Building A (located in Grand Prairie) primary elevation fronts S. Great Southwest Parkway and its dock and truck court are located to the rear (west). The dock and truck court will not be visible from the street. The Building B (primarily located in Arlington) is orientated in like fashion, with dock and truck courts located east and west of the building with the primary storefront elevation facing south. Both building’s exterior elevations are in conformance with Appendix X’s design standards for industrial developments.
The site will be accessible from a commercial drive off S. Great Southwest Parkway at the existing median. The commercial drive will serve both properties via fire lane/access easements looping around both sites. The fire lane and access drive shall serve 10 west (rear) orientated overhead dock doors for Building A and approximately 17 east-west orientated bay doors for Building B. No additional tractor-trailer storage is being proposed for the site.
ZONING REQUIREMENTS:
Density and Dimensional Requirements
|
|
Table 2: Site Data Summary |
|
Standard |
Required |
Lot 13A1 |
Lot 13A2 |
Meets |
|
Min. Lot Area (Sf) |
15,000 |
135,036 |
344,124 |
Yes |
|
Min. Lot Width (Ft.) |
100 |
410 |
410 |
Yes |
|
Min. Lot Depth (Ft.) |
150 |
450 |
840 |
Yes |
|
Front Setback (Ft.) |
25 |
100 |
103 |
Yes |
|
Side Setback (Ft.) |
30 |
30 |
34 |
Yes |
|
Max. Height (Ft.) |
50 |
36 |
33 |
Yes |
|
Max. Floor Area Rati |
1:1 |
0.41:1 |
0.14:1 |
Yes |
Development is subject to the LI and Appendix X Industrial Development Standards in the UDC. The table below evaluates the density and dimensional standards of the proposed development. The proposal meets the density and dimensional requirements.
Landscape and Screening
The property is subject to landscape and screening requirements in Article 8 and Appendix X of the UDC. The Zoning Analysis Tables summarizes the requirements. The site exceeds the minimum landscape area, number of shrubs and screening requirements with the exception of the tree requirement due to an existing 100’ overhead electrical distribution easement (along southern portion of property). Article 8, Section 8.9.2.3 of the UDC restricts tree planting within the easement.
Parking will be screened utilizing 36” height berm and living screen within a 30’ landscape buffer along the street frontage.
|
|
|
Table 3: Landscape & Screening Requirements |
|
Standard |
Required (GP) |
Lot 13A1 |
Req. (Arlington) |
Lot 13A2 |
Meets |
|
Area (Sq. Ft.) |
29,990 |
75,441 |
NA |
125,320 |
Yes |
|
Trees |
50 |
16 (No) |
21 |
21 |
Yes |
|
Street Trees |
8 |
8 |
NA |
NA |
Yes |
|
Shrubs |
500 |
500 |
|
NA |
Yes |
|
Foundation Plant |
Primary Facades |
Provided |
Provided Planting |
Yes |
|
|
Entrance Planting |
At Building Entrance |
Provided |
Provided Planting |
Yes |
|
|
Truck Screenig Lot Trees |
Wing Wall 4 |
Provided |
Yes |
|
|
Building Materials and Design
Industrial buildings greater than 50,000 sq. ft. are subject to the requirements in Appendix X of the UDC. Appendix X requires that primary facades include at least three design elements and secondary facades include at least two design elements. The tables below evaluate the design elements for each building. The proposed building elevations meet Appendix X requirements.
The building’s exterior construction consists of 100% exterior masonry construction utilizing textured concrete tilt-wall panels of varying finishes and colors in compliance with required architectural articulation requirements. The construction styles consist of two accent materials along the vertical surface. 18” Cornice projection shall extend along the entire length of the secondary facades. The design provides for a prefinished metal canopy element that will compliment aluminum and glass storefront on both buildings’ entryways.
The exterior building materials and design conform with Appendix X requirements with the exception on Building B’s northern elevation meeting 1 of 2 design element requirements as required for the secondary façade. Both building comply with all other design element requirements.
|
Table 4A: Building Design Elements for Building A |
|
Facade |
Type |
a. |
b. |
c. |
d. |
e. |
f. |
g. |
h. |
i. |
Total Elements |
Meets |
|
East |
Primary |
Y |
|
|
Y |
Y |
|
|
|
|
3 |
Yes |
|
North |
Secondary |
Y |
Y |
|
Y |
|
|
|
|
|
3 |
Yes |
|
South |
Secondary |
Y |
Y |
|
Y |
|
|
|
|
|
3 |
Yes |
|
West |
Secondary |
Y |
Y |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2 |
Yes |
|
|
|
Facade |
Type |
a. |
b. |
c. |
d. |
e. |
f. |
g. |
h. |
i. |
Total Elements |
Meets |
|
East |
Secondary |
Y |
Y |
|
Y |
|
|
|
|
|
3 |
Yes |
|
North |
Secondary |
|
|
|
Y |
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
No |
|
South |
Secondary |
Y |
Y |
|
Y |
|
|
|
|
|
2 |
Yes |
|
West |
Secondary |
Y |
Y |
|
Y |
|
|
|
|
|
2 |
Yes |
VARIANCES:
• Exception to reduce minimum tree requirement from 50 to 16 due to existing 100’ overhead electrical transmission on-site utility easement’s planting restrictions.
• Exception to exterior façade design elements for Building B’s northern elevation to allow only one design element rather than 2.
RECOMMENDATION:
The Development Review Committee (DRC) recommends approval subject to the Planning & Zoning Commission:
Planning & Zoning Commission recommended approval per staff's recommendation by vote 7-0.
• Accepting the requested exceptions/variances as requested.
• Subsequent platting as required to establish separate lots as presented.
• Acceptance of the Interlocal Agreement between both cities (Grand Prairie & Arlington).