# 11 ZON2011-02680 PLANNING APPROVAL STAFF REPORT Date: November 17, 2011 NAME LOCATION Alabama Power Company East side of Navco Road 130 ± South of Columbus Avenue CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT District 4 PRESENT ZONING AREA OF PROPERTY CONTEMPLATED USE TIME SCHEDULE FOR DEVELOPMENT R-1, Single-Family Residential District 1 Lot / 0.4 + Acres Planning Approval to allow the expansion of an existing electrical substation in an R-1, Single-Family Residential District. Start project by the week of November 24, 2011, if approved, and complete project by the week of January 2, 2012. ENGINEERING Must comply with all storm water and flood control ordinances. Any work performed in the existing ROW (right-of-way) will require a Right of Way (ROW) permit from the Engineering Department. TRAFFIC ENGINEERING No comment. URBAN FORESTRY Property to be developed in compliance with state and local laws that pertain to tree preservation and protection on both city and private properties (State Act 61-929 and City Code Chapters 57 and 64). FIRE DEPARTMENT All projects within the City of Mobile Fire Jurisdiction must comply with the requirements of the 2009 International Fire Code, as adopted by the City of Mobile. REMARKS The applicant is requesting Planning Approval to allow the expansion of an existing electrical substation in an R-1, Single-Family Residential District.
# 11 ZON2011-02680 Planning Approval is required for electrical substations in an R-1, Single-Family Residential districts. Alabama Power proposes to expand the footprint of an existing 1960 s era substation compound by 4.25 feet to the North, and 5 feet to the South. Additional work will include routine system upgrades and maintenance, and an underground conduit accommodating the enlarged compound area. The substation compound will expand in size from 3723 square feet to 4398 square feet. The review required for Planning Approval examines the applicant s location and site plan with regard to transportation, parking and access, public utilities and facilities, traffic congestion and hazard, and to determine if the proposal is in harmony with the orderly and appropriate development of the district. It is very important to note that the Planning Approval review is site plan specific; therefore any future changes to the site plan or to the scope of operations, as approved, by current or future applicants must be submitted for Planning Approval. The site is bounded to the North by a non-conforming commercial use in an R-1, Single-Family Residential district, to the East and South by residential uses in an R-1 district, and to the West by vacant land and commercial uses in an I-1, Light-Industrial District. The proposed modifications to the existing substation are minor, however, it appears that the compound area will be enlarged to be approximately 7-feet from the North property line. Any structure, other than a fence, which is less than 8-feet from an adjacent side or rear property line, must be less than 3 feet tall. Furthermore, any fence in this area cannot exceed 8 feet in height. A new fence to enclose the expanded compound is proposed. If the fence will be topped with barbed wire, razor wire, electrified or similar, a separate building permit will be required, and specific approval from the Director of Urban Development, or her designee, will be required. The applicant did not provide a site plan depicting the proposed expansion and the abutting property lines. Prior to the issuance of any permits, a site plan depicting the new boundaries of the compound enclosure and the adjacent property lines must be submitted to Planning. The existing compound is served by an existing gravel driveway. Typically a paved driveway to the substation should be provided, however, a large oak tree appears to exist on the Southern portion of the site, and the tree may be impacted by any improvements to the existing gravel access drive that will lead to the new gated compound entry. As a land disturbance permit will be required, the site plan submitted for the land disturbance permit must show the existing tree, and must also show any proposed driveway improvements, including any new paved or gravel surfacing. Any improvements around the existing tree should be coordinated with Urban Forestry, while the driveway location and curb-cut must be coordinated with Traffic Engineering and Engineering (Right-of-Way). The requested new site plan should depict a 25-foot minimum building setback line from all both Navco Road and Columbus Avenue. - 2 -
# 11 ZON2011-02680 Finally, it appears that the site is not adequately buffered from adjacent residential uses. A sixfoot high wooden privacy fence should be provided where the site abuts residential uses to the East and the South, except within the 25-foot minimum building setback are along Navco Road and Columbus Avenue, where the fence shall not exceed 3-feet in height. The site plan should be revised to show the required fence. RECOMMENDATION Planning Approval: Based upon the preceding, this request is recommended for Approval, subject to the following conditions: 1) Revision of the site plan to depict the proposed substation compound boundary and property lines; 2) Revision of the site plan to depict the 25-foot minimum building setback line from both Navco Road and Columbus Avenue; 3) Revision of the site plan to depict a six-foot high privacy fence where the site abuts residential uses to the East and South, except within the 25-foot setback area, where the fence shall only be 3-feet in height; 4) Revision of the site plan to show a paved driveway to the new compound gate, with the exact location of the driveway to be coordinated with Urban Forestry, Traffic Engineering and Engineering (Right-of-Way); 5) Submission of a separate building permit for the fence if barbed-wire, razor-wire or similar is proposed, so that a separate review by the Director of Urban Development can be undertaken; 6) Fence height is limited to 8-feet; 7) compliance with Engineering comments (Must comply with all storm water and flood control ordinances. Any work performed in the existing ROW (right-of-way) will require a Right of Way (ROW) permit from the Engineering Department.); 8) Placement of a note on the site plan stating that approval is site plan specific, and that any changes to the site will require a new request for approval from the Planning Commission; 9) Submission of a revised Planning Approval site plan to Planning, prior to the request for any permits. - 3 -