HomeMy WebLinkAboutKAUFMAN & ROBINSON OFFICE DEVELOPMENT - PDP - 40-08 - SUBMITTAL DOCUMENTS - ROUND 3 - MODIFICATION REQUESTentrance located facing the street. This orientation provides a more architecturally detailed
and visually attractive fagade to face the district boundary.
The subdivision creating these lots was filed in 1974, and the current owners purchased the
property in 1996; both occurred prior to adoption of the current district buffer standard in
1997.
To mitigate the request to waive the district buffer requirements and ensure that the intent
of the Land Use Code is met, we have proposed increasing the landscaping along Blue
Spruce Drive to include one additional tree and six additional shrubs as screening to the
parking. Additionally, a pedestrian link has been provided from the new sidewalk along Blue
Spruce Drive, across the parking to the main entry.
Given the age of this development, the nature of this infill development and the character of
the neighboring properties, we feel that this modification is not unreasonable or a substantial
departure from the intent of the requirements in the Land Use Code.
Prepared by: Matthew Heiser BASIS Architecture, P.C.
Kaufman & Robinson Office Development
1330 Blue Spruce Drive
Evergreen Park Fourth Filing
Apffi 21-, 2009
MODIFICATION of STANDARDS
1) Per section 4.28(E)(3)(a.3) of the Land Use Code, an 80-foot buffer is required between
this Industrial zoned property and the adjacent Low Density Mixed -Use Neighborhood to
the east. This project provides for an 80-foot strip of property free of buildings and parking,
but seeks a modification of this standard to provide additional landscape screening.
Section 2.8.2(H)(1) of the Land Use Code allows for such a modification of the standard
when the submitted application promotes the purposes of the code and equally meets the
provisions of the modified standard. The existing Evergreen West pond and surrounding
vegetation create a visual screen that exceeds the requirements of the 80-foot buffer.
2) Per section 4.28(E)(3)(a.2) of the Land Use Code, a 30-foot district boundary buffer is
required between Industrial zoned property and the CN Commercial property west of Blue
Spruce Drive. Section 4.28(E)(2)(b) of the Land Use Code then requires that 30% of the
building frontage abut to this buffer. This project seeks a modification of these standards to
waive the requirement of the district buffer and to waive the requirement of positioning the
building to abut this buffer.
Per section 2.8.2(H)(1) of the Land Use Code, a modification of these standards may be
granted where the submitted plan promotes the general purpose of the standard. The
standards for district buffers are in effect to visually screen differing land uses, in this case,
industrial and commercial uses. Whfle zoned commercially, the neighboring lot has been
developed industrially, both in use and visual character of the development. The vertical
structure is a concrete and metal building with a small amount of fenestration facing the
proposed project. The majority of the openings that do face the proposed project site are
overhead doors with an industrial look. The parking for the commercially zoned lot extends
to the street with no landscaping of any kind.
The proposed project is on an infill lot, developing one of the few remaining vacant
properties in this subdivision. The planned orientation of street/parking/building is
consistent with all of the properties in this subdivision to the south, and the building
location proposed creates a uniform setback with these properties. There is no requirement
for a district buffer south of Red Cedar Circle as there exists industrial zoning on both sides
of Blue Spruce Drive.
The combined requirement of the district buffer and building frontage on the buffer,
eliminates the possibility of placing parking to the west of the building, resulting in a building
side or `end condition' facing the street, with the building entry located on an `off-street'
side. Allowing parking between the street and the building provides for the primary building