From
Chris Hartmann
Title
SU181201/S181201 - Specific Use Permit/Site Plan - GSW Logistics Addition (City Council District 1). Specific Use Permit and Site Plan for Oscar Orduno, Inc. consisting of 9,485 square feet of Office space along with a Contractor Shop with Outside Storage, Heavy Equipment Storage, and Private Vehicle Maintenance on 6.364 net acres. Lot 4, Block A, GSW Logistics Addition, City of Grand Prairie, Tarrant County, Texas. 9.981 acres zoned LI, Light Industrial within the SH-360 Corridor Overlay, located approximately 950 feet east of SH-360 and addressed as 623 E. Ave. J, Grand Prairie, Texas. (On January 7, 2019, the Planning and Zoning Commission recommended approval of this request by a vote of 6-1).
Presenter
David P. Jones, AICP, Chief City Planner
Recommended Action
Approve
Analysis
SUMMARY:
Specific Use Permit and Site Plan for construction and operation of an 8,297 square foot Corporate Office and Contractor Shop with Outside Storage and Heavy Equipment Storage and Private Vehicle Maintenance. The 9.981-acre property is located at 623 Avenue J East and is zoned Light Industrial (LI) district.
ADJACENT LAND USES AND ACCESS:
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 |
Former Great Southwest Golf Course; Industrial Logistics Uses |
|
South |
LI |
Avenue J; Undeveloped; Heavy Commercial/Contractor Uses; Corporate Office |
|
East |
LI |
Former Great Southwest Golf Course; Heavy Commercial/Contractor Uses |
|
West |
LI; MF-1 |
Former Great Southwest Golf Course; Multi-Family; Hotel/Motel |
SITE HISTORY:
DRC approved a Final Plat of Lot 4, Block A, GSW Logistics Addition in May 2017 (RP170601)
PURPOSE OF REQUEST:
The applicant intends to establish a corporate office and storage yard in the Light Industrial (LI) district. The office component will consist of an 8,297 square foot single-story modern style building with a combination of concrete tilt-wall and glass curtain construction.
The building has been designed to blend with the existing topography and tree canopy, along with an outdoor patio and amphitheater.
The storage yard will consist of concrete paving and fire circulation areas in which no vehicle or materials storage will be allowed. A combination of 7 foot masonry screening wall and existing mature trees is designed to shield views of the storage area from Avenue J. The final configuration of the storage yard may change based on the reconfiguration of the existing floodplain.
The third component is a 12,710 private maintenance facility intended for equipment owned by the operator. The applicant intends that the appearance of the building complement the design of the office with use of tilt wall and metal accents behind the existing native trees.
SITE CHARACTERISTICS AND FUNCTION:
The approximately 10 acre site is an irregularly-shaped remnant parcel originally developed for the Great Southwest Golf Course. After the closure of the golf course, the surrounding area has transitioned into logistics and contractor shop uses. A substantial portion of the site, including the entire north and western sections of the property, lies within the 100 year flood plain per FEMA maps revised in January 2018. The applicant has designed the majority of the improvements around the existing floodplain. Mitigation will be required where paved areas or structures encroach into the floodplain.
Access is from Avenue J, which is a divided arterial street. Four access points are proposed, two for the office portion of the site and two for the storage yard and shop portion. As part of the development, the applicant will install a hooded left turn and full left turn lane within existing medians on Avenue J to facilitate left turn movements into the site.
ZONING REQUIREMENTS:
Density and Dimensional Requirements
Table 1 evaluates the density and dimensional standards of the proposed development. The proposal meets or exceeds the density and dimensional requirements.
|
Table 2: Site Data Summary |
|
Standard |
Required |
Provided |
Meets |
|
Min. Lot Area Sq. Ft. |
15,000 |
434,772.36 |
Yes |
|
Min. Lot Width (Ft.) |
50 |
Approx. 1,695 |
Yes |
|
Min. Lot Depth (Ft.) |
100 |
Approx 554 |
Yes |
|
Front Setback (Ft.) |
25 |
25 |
Yes |
|
Rear Setback (Ft.) |
0 |
176.64 |
Yes |
|
Max. Height (Ft.) |
50 |
30 |
Yes |
Landscape and Screening
The property is subject to the landscaping and screening requirements found in Article 8 and Appendix F of the UDC. Table 2 summarizes what is required and what is provided. The applicant has designed the project to take advantage of existing trees for aesthetic and screening purposes. As part of the site design process, a tree survey was conducted cataloguing the caliper inch size of trees existing on site. Per Section 8.7.3 and Section 4.B of Appendix F, Unified Development Code, the applicant proposes to use existing trees as credit for 5 required trees and 12 parking spaces.
|
Table 3: Landscape & Screening Requirements |
|
Standard |
Required |
Provided |
Meets |
|
Landscape Area (Sq. Ft.) |
17,390.9 |
29,445 |
Yes |
|
Trees |
35 |
30 + Existing Trees |
Yes* |
|
Shrubs |
347 |
416 |
Yes |
|
Parking Lot Screening |
36” Hedge |
36” Hedge |
Yes |
|
Dumpster Enclosure |
Masonry Enclosure |
Masonry Enclosure |
Yes |
|
Roof Mounted Equipment |
Screened by Parapet |
Screened by Parapet |
Yes |
EXCEPTIONS:
The applicant is requesting exceptions from the Appendix F design guidelines related to stone accents and building articulation, as well an exception to the parking setback requirement in the corridor overlay. These exceptions are further outlined in Exhibit F. Staff has worked with the applicant to create a coherent look for both buildings that both compliments and blends with the existing trees and terrain of the site.
The landscaping buffer exception is due to a handicapped accessible space encroaching into the required 30 foot buffer by approximately 14 square feet. Given the shape and existing limitations of the property as well as the number of existing trees that are being preserved for screening purposes, staff does not object to this minor encroachment.
RECOMMENDATION:
At its January 7, 2019 meeting, the Planning and Zoning Commission voted 6-1 (Coleman) to recommend approval per conditions listed below, and that flexibility on architectural materials be allowed provided that at least 50% masonry is maintained.
Staff recommends the Specific Use Permit be subject to the following conditions if approved:
1. The applicant complete a flood study prior to construction and obtain all necessary permits through the Engineering Department and FEMA, where applicable.
2. Adjust location of screening wall to avoid existing tree roots.
3. Either the office and shop buildings and the storage yard will be constructed at once, or the office will be constructed first. In any event, no certificate of occupancy, whether temporary or final, will be granted for the shop and storage area until a final certificate of occupancy is granted for the office building.
4. All existing trees identified on the Site Plan will be preserved during construction in accordance with Article 8 of the Unified Development Code.
5. Storage and parking of trucks, trailers, heavy equipment, and machinery described in Exhibit B, “Operational Plan” will be limited to the rear portion of the lot as indicated in Exhibit C, “Site Plan.”
6. Outside materials storage will not exceed a height of one (1) foot below the top of the masonry screening wall to be erected adjacent to Avenue J.
7. The SUP for the Outside Storage and Heavy Equipment Storage will be reviewed 12 months after issuance of a Certificate of Occupancy.
Body
AN ORDINANCE AMENDING THE ZONING ORDINANCE AND MAP SHOWING THE LOCATION, BOUNDARY AND USE OF CERTAIN PROPERTY FOR A SPECIFIC USE PERMIT FOR A CONTRACTOR SHOP WITH OUTSIDE STORAGE AND HEAVY EQUIPMENT STORAGE IN THE LIGHT INDUSTRIAL DISTRICT, ON PROPERTY DESCRIBED AS LOT 4, BLOCK A, GSW LOGISTICS ADDITION, BEING 9.981 ACRES OF LAND SITUATED IN THE J.R. PARKER SURVEY, IN THE CITY OF GRAND PRAIRIE, TARRANT COUNTY, TEXAS,; SAID ZONING ORDINANCE AND MAP BEING NUMBERED ORDINANCE NUMBER 4779 AND PASSED ON NOVEMBER 20, 1990; REPEALING ALL ORDINANCES OR PARTS OF ORDINANCES IN CONFLICT HEREWITH; CONTAINING A SAVINGS CLAUSE; AND TO BECOME EFFECTIVE UPON ITS PASSAGE AND APPROVAL.
WHEREAS, the owners of the property described herein below filed application with the City of Grand Prairie, Texas, petitioning an amendment of the Zoning Ordinance and map of said city so as to allow a Specific Use Permit for a Contractor Shop With Outside Storage and Heavy Equipment Storage in the LI, Light Industrial District;
WHEREAS, the Planning and Zoning Commission of Grand Prairie, Texas, held a public hearing on said application on January 7, 2019, after written notice of such public hearing before the Planning and Zoning Commission on the proposed Specific Use Permit had been sent to owners of real property lying within 300 feet of the property on which the issuance of a Specific Use Permit for a Contractor Shop With Outside Storage and Heavy Equipment Storage in the LI, Light Industrial District is proposed, said Notice having been given not less than ten (10) days before the date set for hearing to all such owners who rendered their said property for City taxes as the ownership appears on the last approved City Tax Roll, and such Notice being served by depositing the same, properly addressed and postage paid, in the City Post Office; and
WHEREAS, after consideration of said application, the Planning and Zoning Commission of the City of Grand Prairie, Texas voted 6 to 1 to recommend to the City Council of Grand Prairie, Texas, that said Zoning Ordinance and Map be amended to allow a Specific Use Permit for a Contractor Shop With Outside Storage and Heavy Equipment Storage in the LI, Light Industrial District; and
WHEREAS, Notice was given of a further public hearing to be held by the City Council of the City of Grand Prairie, Texas, in the City Hall Plaza Building at 6:30 o'clock P.M. on January 22, 2019, to consider the advisability of amending the Zoning Ordinance and Map and the recommendation by the Planning and Zoning Commission, and all citizens and parties at interest were notified that they would have an opportunity to be heard, such Notice of the time and place of such hearing having been given at least fifteen (15) days prior to such hearing by publication in the Fort Worth Star Telegram, Fort Worth, Texas, a newspaper of general circulation in such municipality; and
WHEREAS, all citizens and parties at interest have been given an opportunity to be heard on the matter of the Specific Use Permit and the City Council of the City of Grand Prairie, Texas, being informed as to the location and nature of the specific use proposed on said property, as well as the nature and usability of surrounding property, have found and determined that the property in question, as well as other property within the city limits of the City of Grand Prairie, Texas, has changed in character since the enactment of the original Zoning Ordinance to the extent that a specific use may be made of said property as herein provided and by reason of changed conditions, does consider and find that this amendatory Ordinance should be enacted since its provisions are in the public interest and will promote the health, safety and welfare of the community.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF GRAND PRAIRIE, TEXAS:
SECTION 1.
THAT, Ordinance Number 4779, being the Zoning Ordinance and Map of the City of Grand Prairie, Texas, showing the locations and boundaries of certain districts, and said Zoning Ordinance and Map having been made a part of an Ordinance entitled:
"THE UNIFIED DEVELOPMENT CODE OF THE CITY OF GRAND PRAIRIE, TEXAS, AS PASSED AND APPROVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL ON THE 20TH DAY OF NOVEMBER, 1990, TOGETHER WITH ALL AMENDMENTS THERETO AND ENACTING A REVISED ORDINANCE ESTABLISHING AND PROVIDING FOR ZONING REGULATIONS; CREATING USE DISTRICTS IN ACCORDANCE WITH A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN…”
and passed and approved November 20, 1990, as amended, is hereby further amended so as to establish a Specific Use Permit for the property location as shown in attached Exhibit A - Location Map.
SECTION 2.
THAT, the purpose of this Ordinance is to provide the appropriate restrictions and development controls that ensure this Specific Use Permit is compatible with the surrounding development and zoning and to also ensure that the development complies with the City’s Comprehensive Plan and Unified Development Code.
SECTION 3.
THAT, for operations of a Specific Use Permit for a Contractor Shop With Outside Storage and Heavy Equipment Storage in the LI, Light Industrial District, the following standards and conditions are hereby established as part of this ordinance:
1. The development shall maintain compliance with all Federal, State and Local regulations; including, but not necessarily limited to, all applicable standards and regulations of the Grand Prairie Municipal Code, Unified Development Code, and this ordinance.
2. The development shall adhere to the City Council approved Operational Plan, Site Plan, Landscape Plan, and Building Elevations (as contained within attached Exhibit B - Operational Plan, Exhibit C - Site Plan, Exhibit D - Office Elevations, Exhibit E - Shop Elevations, and Exhibit G - Landscaping Plan).
3. Building Elevations shall conform to option 'A' or option 'C' as shown in Exhibit D - Office Elevations and Exhibit E - Shop Elevations.
4. The applicant shall obtain all necessary drainage and flood plain permits through the Engineering Department and FEMA, as applicable.
5. The office will be constructed simultaneously with or prior to construction of the shop building and the storage yard. In any event, no certificate of occupancy, whether temporary or final, will be granted for the shop and storage area until a final certificate of occupancy is granted for the office building.
6. All existing trees identified on Exhibit G “Landscaping Plan” will be preserved during construction in accordance with Article 8 of the Unified Development Code.
7. Storage and parking of trucks, trailers, heavy equipment, and machinery described in Exhibit B, “Operational Plan” will be limited to the rear portion of the lot as indicated in Exhibit C, “Site Plan.”
8. No portion of the site may be sublet for the storage of equipment or trucks or the maintenance of any vehicle.
9. Outside materials storage will not exceed a height of one (1) foot below the top of the required masonry screening wall to be erected adjacent to Avenue J.
10. Final location of screening wall will be designed avoid encroachment upon the drip line of existing trees.
11. No later than twelve (12) months following issuance of a Certificate of Occupancy for the shop building and storage yard, the Specific Use Permit for the Contractor Shop with Outside Storage and Heavy Equipment Storage will be brought back to Council for review. Any violation of this SUP or the Grand Prairie Code of Ordinances prior to this date will be grounds for City staff to introduce revocation proceedings against the Specific Use Permit established by this ordinance.
12. Signage shall comply with the Unified Development Code.
SECTION 4.
THAT, the following shall apply to this Specific Use Permit:
1. By this Ordinance, this Specific Use Permit shall automatically terminate in accordance with Section 5.4.1 of the Unified Development Code if a building permit is not issued for said use within one (1) year after City Council adoption of this Ordinance, or upon cessation of said use for a period of six (6) months or more.
2. It shall be unlawful for the owner, manager, or any person in charge of a business or other establishment to violate the conditions imposed by the City Council when a Specific Use Permit is granted, and the violation of those conditions could result in a citation being issued by the appropriate enforcement officers of the City of Grand Prairie. Violation of this provision may be punishable in accordance with Section 1-8 of the Code of Ordinances of the City.
3. This Specific Use Permit shall run with the land and therefore may be transferred from owner to owner; however, each new owner shall obtain a new Certificate of Occupancy.
4. The Certificate of Occupancy shall note the existence of this Specific Use Permit by its number and title.
SECTION 5.
THAT, it is further provided that in case a section, clause, sentence, or part of this Ordinance shall be deemed or adjudged by a Court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid, then such invalidity shall not affect, impair, or invalidate the remainder of this Ordinance.
SECTION 6.
THAT, all ordinances or parts of ordinances in conflict herewith are specifically repealed.
SECTION 7.
THAT, this Ordinance shall be in full force and effect from and after its passage and approval.
PASSED AND APPROVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF GRAND PRAIRIE ON THIS THE 22ND DAY OF JANUARY 2019.
Ordinance No. 10589-2019
Specific Use Permit No. 1067
Case No. SU181201/S181201