From
Chris Hartmann
Title
S080802A - Site Plan Amendment - La Quinta - 380 Palace Pkwy (City Council District 1). Consider a request to approve a site plan amendment to change the elevations of an approved hotel. The 1.51-acre property, located at 380 Palace Pkwy., is zoned Planned Development 217 (PD-217) for mixed uses and is within the Belt Line Corridor Overlay District. The owner/applicant is Amish Patel, Aum Shanker LLC. (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 amendment to change the elevations of an approved hotel. The 1.51-acre property, located at 380 Palace Pkwy., is zoned Planned Development 217 (PD-217) for mixed uses and is within the Belt Line Corridor Overlay District.
ADJACENT LAND USES AND ACCESS:
Direction |
Zoning |
Existing Use |
North |
PD-217 for mixed uses |
Hotel |
South |
PD-217 for mixed uses |
Undeveloped |
East |
PD-217 for mixed uses and SUP 229 |
Auto sales and Leasing |
West |
MF-1 |
Multi-family Development |
PURPOSE OF REQUEST:
The applicant is proposing a site plan amendment to allow construction of a 48,490-square-foot, four-story, 85-unit hotel on a 1.59-acre platted lot in PD-217 with elevations that differ from those previously approved by the City Council. The subject site is currently zoned PD-217 for mixed uses and is within the Beltline Corridor Overlay District. The applicant's proposed amendment reflects significant changes to the elevations and minor changes to the site plan and landscape plan to accommodate the new building form.
BACKGROUND:
On August 12, 2008, the City Council approved S080802, a proposal for a hotel redevelopment project.
On July 16, 2014, an application was submitted which requested approval to construct and operate a hotel on 1.59 acres within PD-217 with elevations that differ significantly from the approved elevations.
On August 28, 2014 and September 25, 2014, Development Review Committee (DRC) meetings was held. Staff met with the applicant to discuss the proposal. The proposal was cleared to move forward subject to conditions.
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 Future Land Use Map (FLUM) of the 2010 Comprehensive Plan designates this area as Commercial/Retail/Office (CRO) uses. The FLUM indicates Commercial/Retail/Office category should include office, neighborhood services, general retail, commercial, and Planned Development districts with one or more of these uses. The proposed use is consistent with the FLUM designation.
UNIFIED DEVELOPMENT CODE ANALYSIS:
Hotel Use
A site plan for the hotel has been approved by the City Council; however, an amendment has to be approved by the City Council to allow construction of the proposed building because the building design differs significantly from the building design approved by City Council in 2008.
Dimensional Requirements
The PD-217 Ordinance allows General Retail (GR) and Commercial (C) district uses in this area as provided for in the Unified Development Code (UDC). The proposal meets all applicable minimum dimension requirements outlined in UDC except maximum height. The maximum height in these districts is 25 feet; however, the 2008 City Council approval allows for a building that exceeds the 25 feet height. This proposal is consistent with the 2008 City Council approval.
Parking and Access
Hotel and motels in the City are parked at a ratio of one space per rooming unit plus four. The proposal would allow 85 guest rooms (rooming units) which would require 89 parking spaces.
The site plan graphically depicts 90 parking spaces. The parking requirement has been met.
Access to Palace Parkway is gained through mutual access easements through the property south of the subject site.
Elevations
The elevations proposed differ from those previously approved by the City Council. The subject site is within the Beltline Corridor Overlay District and is within PD 217 which calls for a distinctive Spanish Style architecture. The hotel approved in 2008 had a neo-traditional architecture style that is consistent with the provisions found in Appendix F of the UDC. The La Quinta Corporate architecture proposed by the applicant differs from both of those styles.
Landscape
Minor landscape changes have been made to accommodate the new building form.
REQUESTED EXCEPTIONS AND APPEALS:
The applicant is request relief from numerous requirements, they are as follows:
Ø Building Design - the applicant is requesting approval to exceed the 25-foot maximum height required by the zoning district, relief from the supplemental stone requirement, relief from the horizontal and vertical articulation requirements, relief from the required roof profile and cornice requirements, and relief from the required windows and covered walkway requirements. The relief is sought to allow for construction of the corporate architecture style depicted on the elevations.
Ø Landscape Buffer - the approved landscape plan does not depict a 30-foot wide buffer. The applicant is making only minor changes to the landscape plan to accommodate the new building form and proposes to plant the site in accordance with the approved site plan in all other respects.
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff is unable to recommend full support due the numerous appeals/exceptions requested. 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.