Colerain Township report to. Hamilton County Regional Planning Commission. December 2, 2010, 1:00PM. t a f f r e p o r t

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1 Colerain Township report to Hamilton County Regional Planning Commission December 2, 2010, 1:00PM Preliminary Plan: Case No.: ZA , Forevergreen Prepared By: Amy Bancroft, Land Use Planner t a f f r e p o r t ACTION REQUESTED: Review and approval of Preliminary Development Plan. OWNER : APPLICANT: Stephen Loeb, Forevergreen Landscaping Company Abercrombie & Associates PROPOSED USE: The Owner proposes structures to accommodate his landscaping business, including office, retail and nursery uses. SITE DESCRIPTION: Parcel No.: and 0344 Parcel Size: gross acres (20.15 net acres) Location: The northeast corner of Harrison Avenue and East Miami River Road Topography: Existing Development: ZONING & LAND USE Site: Current Zoning: Land Use Plan: Surrounding: Approximately 200 feet elevation gain from roadside to northeast corner of property Vacant lot. Some grading and clearing performed by prior and current owners. PD-B Planned District-Business Allows for uses in the B-1, B-2, B-3. and O-1 zoning districts Planned Mixed Use Employment Developments containing some combination of office, retail, light industrial or compatible uses developed with a consistent theme and containing architectural, landscape, streetscape, and signage standards. Direction Zoning Land Use Current Land Use North R-2, Estate Residential Rural Residential Single Family Home South B-3, Commerce Planned Mixed Use Employment East R-4, Medium-Suburban Residential Rural Residence West RF, Riverfront Planned Mixed Use Employment Convenient store, Restaurant, Laundromat Hunters Ridge Subdivision Light Industrial, Junkyard 1 s Planning & Zoning Department

2 CASE HISTORY: Approval of Zone Change to O-O, Planned Office, and E-E, Planned Retail, - Approved by Board of Trustees, Resolutions #49-01 and # Colerain Township Zoning Resolution and map revised. O-O and E-E zoning districts are eliminated. Such parcels are now classified as PD-B. Planned District Business Final Development Plan submitted CTZC denies FDP on procedural reasons: 2001 Preliminary Plan expired Preliminary Plan Application submitted by Applicant. PRELIMINARY PLAN SUMMARY The Applicant plans to build one-60 x60 office building, one-152 x60 retail building, three 152 x60 warehouse buildings each with 10 doors, seven 100 x60 greenhouses, and nineteen aggregate bins. The development will be phased. The office, retail, parking area and bins will be Phase 1 with completion by the end of The remainder of the project would occur in Phase 2, completion by the end of 2018, and Phase 3, completion by the end of Two existing access points will be maintained and improved. The main access is approximately 120 north of the Harrison Avenue/East Miami River intersection. The second is toward the northern end of the East Miami River frontage. The northeast corner of this intersection is a separate parcel, the result of a road realignment, and in ownership by Hamilton County. It is not included in this plan. AGENCY REVIEW: OEPA No comments received. Colerain Township Fire Inspections No objections. Hamilton County Public Works Still reviewing at time of report. Metropolitan Sewer District Letter stating that sanitary sewer is available. List of requirements and conditions also included. Soil & Water Conservation District Comments given regarding necessary permits for stormwater discharge during construction, sediment and erosion control plan or stormwater pollution prevention plan, and stated that the project will require monitoring by a geotechnical engineer. Hamilton County Engineer Comments received regarding right-of-way dedication, possible need for a traffic impact study, and that proposed access points will need to meet their department s standards. Hamilton County Health District Comment that a septic tank abandonment permit is required for the existing house on site. Landscape Advisory Board The Board recommended extending the streetscape design around the corner, following the curve of the property line, for continuity. While understanding the challenge of the Harrison Ave side, they felt that something could be added there. They felt that there should be some screening of the potentially haphazard-looking heel-in bed. The streetscape could be less dense in this area, but should continue in some fashion. A mix of low-growing or ground cover could be included along with some plant groupings similar to those proposed along East Miami River Rd. Some canopy trees were suggested to break up the sight line along Harrison Ave. The Board understood that additional landscaping would be required by the Zoning Commission along the north boundary by the north-most warehouse, and they agreed this should be included and should be consistent with and/or complementary to the streetscape. They asked for some detail on how the heel-in bed would work as located within the proposed detention basin. LAND USE PLAN COMPLIANCE The Colerain Township Land Use Plan classification for this property is Planned Mixed Use Employment which allows for uses such as office, retail, and light industrial. The Applicant s proposal includes all aforementioned uses. This category is described further a campus style development with multiple uses that are created in separate buildings or within single buildings, sharing a common image and circulation system. The proposal includes separate buildings that will share access ways and similar signage. All structures will be used for the operation of the landscaping business. 2

3 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN COMPLIANCE The subject property while technically in the Miami River Valley South (MRVS) character area, is at the junction of that area and the Harrison Avenue character area. The vision of the MRVS area acknowledges the land surrounding Harrison Avenue will see more pressure for development and will be better suited for development. Emphasis on development should be located in this area, while the northern portion s rural character should be protected. Although the MRVS area does not encourage nonresidential development, the Harrison Avenue area does. Light industrial, general commercial, and office uses are listed as appropriate land uses. One element Harrison Avenue area s vision is to be an employment center and to encourage site redevelopment and development standards to improve the overall aesthetics. There were also concerns over outdoor storage (junkyards) and a need for additional buffering. Both sectors noted the importance of protecting the hillsides, this resulted in the addition of a Hillside Development Overlay to the 2006 Zoning Resolution revision. ZONING RESOLUTION COMPLIANCE USE: A zoning classification of Planned District Business (PD-B) allows for uses permitted in the B-1, B-2, B-3, and O-1 zoning districts. Retail and office is permitted in all these districts. Nurseries are permitted in B-2. B-3 permits warehouses. Thus, all uses are permitted in a PD-B. SITE DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS: All proposed structures are setback 50 feet or more from right-of-way. Impervious surface ratio is 43.6%, well below the maximum permitted in a business district of 75%. In a PD -B, 15% open space is required. Required setback from the northern property adjacent to a R-2, Estate Residential District is 60 feet. Along the east property line adjacent to the R-4, Suburban-Medium Residential District is 35 feet. All structures on the site are one-story. The three warehouse buildings are positioned with the doors facing towards the street. While D requires screening for freight carrier loading and unloading from a public street, this requirement would not apply in this situation since only smaller vehicles would be loading and unloading. HILLSIDE DEVELOPMENT OVERLAY DISTRICT (HDO): A significant portion of this property is within the HDO. Land must have a natural slope of 20 percent or greater and/or the existence of Kope Formations. The majority of the proposed development is outside the HDO (A)3 states the maximum lot coverage of land in a nonresidential zoning district with 30 percent slope/kope Formations is 15%. GENERAL DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS: 12.9 Proposed outdoor lighting is within code guidelines Outdoor Display Sales and Storage greenhouses are exempt from this section of Zoning Resolution Architectural Standards, the buildings proposed are lacking in design to meet code requirements. Given the nature of the use of many of the proposed buildings, warehouse and greenhouse, architectural standards may be less practical. Architectural standards should definitely be applied to the office and retail buildings. PARKING: A breakdown of parking requirements is accurately shown on the FDP. 11 spaces are required for the office use, 36 spaces required for the retail use, and 14 spaces required for the warehouse space. The FDP shows two rows of 24 spaces and two shorter rows, totaling the required 61 spaces. A variance is required to have more than 15 spaces in a row without a landscaped median separating it. Wheel stops or a continuous curb are required for parking spaces. The width of the parking aisles meets code guidelines of 24 feet. Sidewalks are not proposed, but are required in The Applicant has requested a variance to this requirement. Since the corner of the East Miami River Road/Harrison Avenue is not in possession of the Applicant, it does complicate how sidewalks would be installed. LANDSCAPING & BUFFERING: The required buffer between the subject property and abutting residentially zoned properties is less than the required setback. Thus (3) would apply, and the minimum buffer would be the same as the required setback. The Applicant has proposed a 30 buffer along the eastern property line. A 60 setback is shown along the north and with appropriate landscaping will meet the required buffer along that property line. 3

4 ZONING RESOLUTION COMPLIANCE (CONT.) LANDSCAPING & BUFFERING (cont.): The required 15 streetscape buffer is shown along East Miami River Road. No streetscape buffer is provided along Harrison Avenue. There are large raised beds of retail plants at two locations along the south border. Whether grass or another ground cover is used in the area south of the parking lot should be noted on the landscape plan. There is a noticeable upward slope along the north side of Harrison Avenue. The Landscape Advisory Board examined the submitted landscape plan at their October meeting. Their comments are listed in the Agency Review section. SIGNAGE: Freestanding Sign A 15 foot sign with 144 square foot sign face is proposed along East Miami River Road. A 3 foot sign with 4 square foot sign face is located along the access point near the East Miami River Road and Harrison Avenue intersection. Both these freestanding signs are within the guidelines for each style type. Wall Signs Wall signs are proposed for all structures. The Zoning Resolution permits wall signs at a ratio of 1 square foot per lineal foot of building frontage. Each greenhouse has a 37.5 x4 (150 square feet) sign stating a type of plant grown on site; this area exceeds the permitted ratio based on building frontage. Each warehouse has 10 doors, each with a 10 x1 sign with various messages displayed. This totals 100 square feet signage per warehouse. While the area is within code guidelines, it is a significant number of signs to put on each building. The retail and office buildings each have a sign with the business logo. The retail building has additional signage with text. Often, changeable copy signs are useful for businesses that offer different products or services depending on the season. A changeable copy sign might be a way to convey many messages over time with less overall signage. Staff feels that no additional sign area than the ratio permitted by code should be permitted. CONCLUSION Staff finds this Preliminary Plan to be in accordance with the Colerain Township Zoning Resolution, Comprehensive Plan and Land Use Plan. The details provided indicate that this project will be an improvement to the Harrison Avenue Corridor and especially to the state of this vacant property. Upon a recommendation of approval of this Preliminary Plan by the Hamilton County Regional Planning Commission, the following conditions and variance are recommended, CONDITIONS 1. That construction of a cell tower shall not be permitted; 2. The portion of the HDO to be preserved between the eastern modular wall and Hunters Ridge Subdivision shall be labeled on the Final Development Plan as open space and measurements provided; 2. That screening and buffering shall be included along the northern property line adjacent to the existing residential use; 3. That outdoor storage shall be limited to nursery/landscaping materials; 4. That the landscaping plan shall reflect the comments of the Landscape Advisory Board. and 5. That the Final Development Plan shall comply in all other respects with the Colerain Township Zoning Resolution. VARIANCES Landscape Island Location 4

5 SITE PHOTOS At the intersection of East Miami River Road and Harrison Avenue, looking northeast. The Applicant s property begins where the telephone lines are and extends to the hill in the background. Traveling south on East Miami River Road, looking southeast across the subject property. Looking from south side of Harrison Avenue looking to the central and east portions of the property. 5

6 VICINITY MAP Case: Request: ZA , Forevergreen Approval of Preliminary Plan 6