From
Chris Hartmann
Title
S200301 - Site Plan - Warehouses at I-30, Gifford, & Bagdad (City Council District 5). Site Plan for a (5) five office/warehouse buildings totaling 738,080 sf. on (5) five lots, totaling 16.944 acres. Building 1 -143,617 sf on 3.297 acres, Building 2 -71,090 sf on 1.632 acres, Building 3 -178,944 sf on 4.108 acres, Building 4 -81,631 sf on 1.874 acres, Building 5 -262,797 sf -6.033 acres. 16.944 acres out of the Joseph Graham Survey, Abstract 506, City of Grand Prairie, Dallas County, Texas, zoned Planned Development-41 (PD-41) District, within the IH-30 Corridor Overlay District, generally located southwest of IH 30 Service Road and Macarthur Boulevard, and north of Gifford Road extending west beyond Bagdad Road. The applicant is Michael Peinado, Lincoln Property Company, the consultant is Cody Hodge, Halff Associates, and the owner is Debbie Hobbs, I 30 Meyers JV II. On April 13, 2020, the Planning and Zoning Commission recommended approval of this request by a vote of 9-0.
Presenter
Savannah Ware, AICP, Chief City Planner
Recommended Action
Approve
Analysis
SUMMARY:
Site Plan for five office/warehouse buildings totaling 738,080 sq. ft. on 16.94 acres out of the Joseph Graham Survey, Abstract No. 506, City of Grand Prairie, Dallas County, Texas, zoned Planned Development-41 (PD-41) District, within the IH-30 Corridor Overlay District, generally located southwest of IH 30 Service Road and Macarthur Boulevard, and north of Gifford Road extending west beyond Bagdad Road.
PURPOSE OF REQUEST:
The applicant intends to construct five office/warehouse buildings on 16.94 acres. Site Plan approval by City Council is required for any project involving industrial use, within a Planned Development District, or within a Corridor Overlay District. Development at this location requires City Council approval of a Site Plan because the property is intended for industrial use, is zoned PD-41, and within the IH-30 Corridor Overlay District.
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.
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 |
Undeveloped |
|
South |
SF-4 |
Single Family Residential |
|
|
PD-41 |
Commercial, Industrial |
|
West |
SF-4 |
Single Family Residential |
|
East |
C |
Undeveloped |
PROPOSED USE CHARACTERISTICS AND FUNCTION:
The proposal includes five office/warehouse-buildings along the IH-30 Corridor. The buildings are speculative and will be developed without specific tenants.
• Building 1 is 36,750 sq. ft. The site will be accessible from Gifford St and Garden Way and includes a west-facing truck dock with ten overhead doors.
• Building 2 is 16,595 sq. ft. The site will be accessible from Gifford St and Burbank Way and includes an east-facing truck dock with six overhead doors.
• Building 3 is 53,800 sq. ft. The site will be accessible from two different points on Gifford St. The western drive will also provide access to Building 4. Building 3 will have loading docks on the east and west sides.
• Building 4 is 16,800 sq. ft. The site will be accessible from Gifford St and Bagdad Rd. The loading dock faces east and has six overhead doors.
• Building 5 is 83,200 sq. ft. and will be accessible from Bagdad Rd. The site includes two truck loading/unloading areas north of the building. The truck docks include 24 overhead doors that face IH-30.
ZONING REQUIREMENTS:
Density and Dimensional Requirements
Development is subject to the LI standards in the UDC. Page one of Exhibit i - Zoning Analysis Tables 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. Page two of Exhibit i - Zoning Analysis Tables summarizes the requirements for each lot. In most instances, the landscape area, number of trees, and number of shrubs exceeds what is required. However, the proposal does not meet all of the landscape and screening requirements.
Building Materials and Design
Industrial buildings greater than 50,000 sq. ft. are subject to the requirements in Appendix X of the UDC. If industrial buildings are less than 50,000 sq. ft. and within a Corridor Overlay District, Appendix F applies. Appendix F is intended for commercial development. While three of the proposed buildings are less than 50,000 sq. ft., they are intended for industrial use. The applicant has requested that staff evaluate all five buildings using Appendix X requirements for buildings greater than 50,000 sq. ft.
Appendix X requires that primary facades include at least three design elements and secondary facades include at least two design elements. Page three of Exhibit i - Zoning Analysis Tables evaluates the design elements for each building. The proposed building elevations do not meet Appendix X requirements.
VARIANCES:
City Council may approve variances to Appendix X if the applicant demonstrates that the proposal meets the intent of the ordinance and that the alternative design or measure provides an equal or greater level of quality and standard of development as mandated by the regulations. As a part of this Site Plan, the applicant is requesting the variances listed below.
Building 1
1. Foundation Plantings - Appendix X requires foundation plantings along primary facades without public entrances to conceal the base of the building. The proposal partially meets this requirement but does not include foundation plantings along all primary facades.
2. Building Entrance Plantings - Appendix X requires areas planted with annuals, perennials, or native grasses around public building entrances. The area must equal 1% of the overall building dimension and be situated so that no portion is more than 50 ft. from the entrance. The proposal includes landscape areas at the site entrance which is more than 50 ft. from the building entrance.
3. Truck Screening - Truck docks must be screened by a wing wall that is either architecturally finished as an integral portion of the building or include an opaque living screen. The proposal does not include a wing wall.
4. 30 Ft. Landscape Buffer - Appendix X requires a 30 ft. landscape buffer along all streets. Proposed parking areas encroach this buffer.
5. Building Design Elements for Primary Facades (North and South) - Primary facades must include three building design elements. The north and south facades include two elements.
6. Building Design Elements for Secondary Facades (West) - Secondary facades must include two building design elements. The west facade includes one.
Building 2
1. Foundation Plantings - Appendix X requires foundation plantings along primary facades without public entrances to conceal the base of the building. The proposal partially meets this requirement but does not include foundation plantings along all primary facades.
2. Truck Screening - Truck docks must be screened by a wing wall that is either architecturally finished as an integral portion of the building or include an opaque living screen. The proposal does not include a wing wall.
3. 30 Ft. Landscape Buffer - Appendix X requires a 30 ft. landscape buffer along all streets. Proposed parking areas encroach this buffer.
4. Building Design Elements for Primary Facades (North and South) - Primary facades must include three building design elements. The north and south facades include two elements.
5. Building Design Elements for Secondary Facades (West) - Secondary facades must include two building design elements. The east facade includes one.
Building 3
1. Foundation Plantings - Appendix X requires foundation plantings along primary facades without public entrances to conceal the base of the building. The proposal partially meets this requirement but does not include foundation plantings along all primary facades.
2. Building Entrance Plantings - Appendix X requires areas planted with annuals, perennials, or native grasses around public building entrances. The area must equal 1% of the overall building dimension and be situated so that no portion is more than 50 ft. from the entrance. The proposal does not include building entrance plantings.
3. Truck Screening - Truck docks must be screened by a wing wall that is either architecturally finished as an integral portion of the building or include an opaque living screen. The proposal does not include a wing wall.
4. 30 Ft. Landscape Buffer - Appendix X requires a 30 ft. landscape buffer along all streets. Proposed parking areas encroach this buffer.
5. Building Design Elements for Primary Facades (North and East) - Primary facades must include three building design elements. The north and east facades include two elements.
6. Truck Docks Facing Street - Appendix X does not allow truck docks to face the street. The proposal includes a truck dock that faces Burbank Way.
Building 4
1. Foundation Plantings - Appendix X requires foundation plantings along primary facades without public entrances to conceal the base of the building. The proposal partially meets this requirement but does not include foundation plantings along all primary facades.
2. Truck Screening - Truck docks must be screened by a wing wall that is either architecturally finished as an integral portion of the building or include an opaque living screen. The proposal does not include a wing wall.
3. 30 Ft. Landscape Buffer - Appendix X requires a 30 ft. landscape buffer along all streets. Proposed parking areas encroach this buffer.
4. Building Design Elements for Primary Facades (North and South) - Primary facades must include three building design elements. The north and south facades include two elements.
5. Building Design Elements for Secondary Facades (East) - Secondary facades must include two building design elements. The east facade includes one.
Building 5
1. Foundation Plantings - Appendix X requires foundation plantings along Primary Facades without public entrances to conceal the base of the building. The proposal does not include foundation plantings.
2. Truck Screening - Truck docks must be screened by a wing wall that is either architecturally finished as an integral portion of the building or include an opaque living screen. The proposal does not include a wing wall.
3. 30 Ft. Landscape Buffer - Appendix X requires a 30 ft. landscape buffer along all streets. Proposed parking areas encroach this buffer.
4. Tree Preservation - Appendix X requires that the applicant preserve 30% of total caliper of existing trees and all of trees over 24” caliper. The applicant is preserving 25.8% of existing trees and three out of the 15 trees over 24” caliper.
5. Building Design Elements for Primary Facades (North, South, West and East) - Primary facades must include three building design elements. The north, south, west, and east facades include one element.
6. Truck Docks Facing Street - Appendix X does not allow truck docks to face the street. The proposal includes truck docks facing I-30.
7. Driveway Spacing - The southernmost driveway does not meet the minimum spacing requirement of 160 ft.
RECOMMENDATION:
The Development Review Committee (DRC) recommends approval with the following conditions:
1. The applicant shall submit a letter of ‘No Hazard to Air Navigation’ from Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to the City before submitting applications for building permits.
2. The applicant shall provide wing walls as required by Appendix X and submit revised plans that include wing walls.
3. The applicant shall provide a masonry screening wall along property lines adjacent to residential zoning districts and submit revised plans that show the location, height, and material of the screening wall.
4. The applicant shall provide a double row of three-inch-caliper trees along the south and west property boundaries of Lot 5. The trees shall be offset so that trees are spaced every 15 feet. The applicant shall submit revised plans that show the double row of trees.
5. The applicant shall revise the proposed building elevations so that at least two primary facades on each building include three building design elements.
6. The applicant shall revise the proposed building elevations so that all secondary facades include the required number of building design elements.
7. As a compensatory measure for the requested variances, the applicant shall provide an activation feature listed in Section 6 of Article X, a coordinated signage plan with a landscape corner feature at each street intersection, or a comparable element.