From
Chris Hartmann
Title
S141001 - Site Plan - International Leadership of Texas (City Council District 6). Consider a request to approve a site plan to construct and operate a charter school with dormitories (boarding school). The 23.80-acre property, located at 2851 Ragland Rd., is zoned Agriculture (A) District and is within the State Highway 360 (SH 360) Overlay District. The agent is Douglas Cooper, MMA and the owners are Robert Elrich and Lola Elrich. (On October 6, 2014, the Planning and Zoning Commission recommended approval of this request by a vote of 7-0.)
Presenter
Chief City Planner Jim Hinderaker
Recommended Action
Approve
Analysis
SUMMARY:
Consider a request to approve a site plan to construct and operate a charter school with dormitories (boarding school). The 23.80-acre property, located at 2851 Ragland Rd., is zoned Agriculture (A) District and is within the State Highway 360 (SH 360) Overlay District.
ADJACENT LAND USES AND ACCESS:
Direction |
Zoning |
Existing Use |
North |
Agriculture (A) District |
Religious Institution |
South |
Agriculture (A) District |
Undeveloped |
East |
Agriculture (A) District |
Religious Institution |
West |
PD 319 for Commercial (C) District uses |
Gas Well |
PURPOSE OF REQUEST:
The applicant is proposing construction of charter school with dormitories on a 23.80-acre unplatted lot in Agriculture (A) district. The subject site is within the SH 360 Corridor Overlay District.
BACKGROUND:
On August 19, 2014, an application was submitted which requested approval to construct and operate a charter school with dormitories on 23.80 acres located at 2851 Ragland Road.
On September 25, 2014, a Development Review Committee (DRC) meeting was held. Staff met with the applicant to discuss the proposal. The proposal was cleared to move forward subject to conditions found in the recommendation section of this report.
On September 26, 2014, legal notice was mailed to affected property owners and notice of the upcoming public hearing was published in the Fort Worth Star Telegram.
On October 6, 2014, the item is scheduled to be heard by the Planning and Zoning Commission.
On October 14, 2014, the item is scheduled to be heard by the City Council.
CONFORMANCE WITH COMPREHENSIVE PLAN:
The property is designated as Mixed Use (MU) on the Future Land Use Map (FLUM). The FLUM identifies development in this category should include residential, personal service and some limited office uses in a pedestrian oriented development. The proposal would allow a charter school with a three-story 44-unit dormitory. This development is not a mixed use development and it is not pedestrian oriented. The proposal is inconsistent with the FLUM; however, schools are permissible in all zoning district by right.
UNIFIED DEVELOPMENT CODE ANALYSIS:
Boarding School Use
School, Public/Private/Parochial/(K-12), is defined by the UDC as "a school under the sponsorship of a public, private or parochial agency, having a curriculum generally equivalent to public elementary or secondary schools, but not including trade, vocational or commercial schools." Schools are permissible by-right in the Agriculture district. The subject site is within the State Highway 360 Overlay District, which requires all site plans to have City Council approval.
Dimensional Requirements
The subject site is governed by the Agriculture (A) district provisions. The following table provides detailed dimensional requirements information.
Standard |
Required |
Provided |
Meets |
Minimum Site Area |
5 acres |
23.80 acres |
Yes |
Minimum Lot Width |
100 ft. |
603 ft. |
Yes |
Minimum Lot Depth |
150 ft. |
1,563 ft. |
Yes |
Front Yard |
40 ft. |
119 ft. |
Yes |
Rear Yard |
25 ft. |
262 ft. |
Yes |
Maximum Height |
25 ft. |
33 ft. |
No |
Parking and Access
There are two uses on the property; school and dormitory. The combined parking requirement is presented in the table below.
Use |
Standard |
Required |
Provided |
Meets |
School |
1 space/1.5 students + 1 space/faculty and staff |
614 |
499 |
No |
Dormitory |
1.25 spaces/room |
55 |
|
|
Totals |
669 |
|
|
The required parking does not meet the requirements of the UDC; however, the applicant is requesting a reduction in required parking as part of this proposal.
Access to Ragland Road is gained through the use on a single access point designed for access into and out of the site.
Elevations
The subject site is within an overlay district. Typically, development in an overlay district is subject to Appendix F design standards. However, schools do not always comply with the design requirements. The proposed school and dormitory do not meet the minimum requirements set forth in Appendix F. The applicant has requested exceptions to allow construction as presented. The following list of exceptions and appeals have been requested to allow the design depicted in the elevations plan:
Ø Additional Height - the proposed buildings exceed the maximum height requirement of 25 feet set by the zoning district dimension requirements.
Ø Horizontal Articulation - the proposed buildings do not provide horizontal relief as prescribed by Appendix F.
Ø Vertical Articulation - the proposed buildings do not provide vertical relief as prescribed by Appendix F.
Ø Cornice - the proposed buildings do not provide a cornice treatment as prescribed by Appendix F.
Ø Covered Walkways - the proposed buildings do not provide covered walkways as prescribed by Appendix F.
Ø Masonry Composition - the proposed buildings do not provide the 100% masonry for primary facades as prescribed by Appendix F.
Ø E.I.F.S. - the proposed buildings have EIFS in excess of 20%.
Ø Windows and Openings - the proposed buildings do not provide the minimum 25% glazing as prescribed by Appendix F.
Landscape
The subject site is governed by the UDC and Appendix F. The requirements are as follows:
Standard |
Required |
Provided |
Meets |
Minimum Landscape Area (4% 1,036,728 s.f.) |
41,469 s.f. |
37,204 s.f. |
No |
Sidewalks |
Along Ragland Road |
Provided with construction of the right-of-way |
No |
Standard |
Required |
Provided |
Meets |
Street Trees: 1 tree/25 - 50 l.f. |
12 |
15 |
Yes |
Trees: 1/500 s.f. required landscape |
83 |
82 |
Yes* |
Parking Lot Trees: 1 tree/20 parking spaces |
25 |
49 |
Yes |
Shrubs: 1/50 s.f. required landscape |
830 |
892 |
Yes |
All trees are minimum 3 in. caliper |
3 inch |
All required trees are 3 caliper inches |
Yes |
30 foot buffer from rights-of-way |
30 feet along Ragland |
30 feet along Ragland |
Yes |
* - Article 8 allows 10 five gallon shrubs to count as one required tree. The landscape indicates the site will have approximately 62 five gallon shrubs in excess of what is required; based on this information this requirement is met.
The landscape plan does comply with the landscape requirements contained in Article 8 of the UDC.
REQUESTED EXCEPTIONS AND APPEALS:
The applicant is request relief from numerous requirements, they are as follows:
Ø Reduced Parking - the proposed site plan does not comply with the parking requirements contained in Article 10 of the UDC.
Ø Additional Height - the proposed buildings exceed the maximum height requirement of 25 feet set by the zoning district dimension requirements.
Ø Horizontal Articulation - the proposed buildings do not provide horizontal relief as prescribed by Appendix F.
Ø Vertical Articulation - the proposed buildings do not provide vertical relief as prescribed by Appendix F.
Ø Cornice - the proposed buildings do not provide a cornice treatment as prescribed by Appendix F.
Ø Covered Walkways - the proposed buildings do not provide covered walkways as prescribed by Appendix F.
Ø Masonry Composition - the proposed buildings do not provide the 100% masonry for primary facades as prescribed by Appendix F.
Ø E.I.F.S. - the proposed buildings have EIFS in excess of 20%.
Ø Windows and Openings - the proposed buildings do not provide the minimum 25% glazing as prescribed by Appendix F.
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff is unable to recommend support due the numerous appeals/exceptions request. However, if it is the intent of the Planning and Zoning Commission to recommend approval Staff recommends the conditions recommended by the Development Review Committee be part of the approval.