HomeMy WebLinkAboutNORTH COLLEGE TACO JOHN'S - PDP - 13-10 - DECISION - MINUTES/NOTESPlanning & Zoning Board
August 19, 2010
Page 4
Board Discussion
Member Schmidt said she believed most of the area is detention pond but that there is some flexibility in
the final stages to move the patio area so it's not too close to the trailers. Shepard said the detention
pond Is very shallow and flat so the patio could be located somewhere else.
Chair Stockover said he thought it was a very well thought out plan. As a user of the car wash, he knows
it can be difficult to get out. He believes people form habits and get used to their surroundings. Hopefully,
people on that end of town are use to looking both ways before they merge into traffic. He's comforable
with the double drive-thru; one time through on the wrong side and you'll never do it again. Again, as
people frequent certain places, they get accustomed to how it operates. He supports the proposal —he
thinks it's a nice addition to that area. He would suggest to Mr. Allen that he contact Ted Shepard.
Shepard can keep informed as to where the patio goes.
Member Schmidt said she shares Stockover's thoughts. North College is already a pretty challenging
place to drive so she hopes this can be successful and that we won't be creating problems for
pedestrians and others trying to cross. Mr. Allen's point is good. She's glad there's access so that
people from the mobile home park can use the restaurant. Maybe a different concept such as benches
along the path will work just as well as the patic. If it ends up being a night time gathering place, that
might be hard for someone living just on the other side of the fence. She supports the project.
Member Schmidt made a motion to approve the North College Taco John's PDP, # 13-10 based
upon the Findings of Fact and Conclusion on page 6 of the staff report. In evaluating the request
for the North College Taco John's P.D.P.
A. The proposed land use, drive-in restaurant, is a permitted land use in the Service
Commercial zone, subject to Planning and Zoning Board review.
B. The P.D.P. complies with the applicable General Development Standards of Article
Three and the C-S zone district standards of Article Four.
Member Hatfield seconded the motion. Motion was approved 6:0.
ProJeFt: Otter Box Warehouse Expansion — Addition of a Permitt se, Project
Development Plan, # 17-10
Project Descriptio is is a request to add Light Industrial as a per d use, and a P.D.P., in
conj ion with an existing facility, located 0 Southeast Frontage Road,
within the change Business Park. T request consists of expanding the
existing facility ding 50,385 s e feet for new warehouse. Combined with
the existing warehouse 'Iity c isting of 31,194 square feet, the proposed
addition would bring the tot . ing up to 81,579 square feet. The primary
purpose of the expansi is for ston oduct inventory in bulk and then shipping
smaller units to cu ers. The original cuse facility was approved by
Lanmer Count ' 2002The Interchange Busine rk was annexed into the
City of Fo Ilins in 2605. Platted lots will be reconfigu create a new 4.25
acreeTndustrial
The zoning is C, Commercial. This zone normally not allow
Li as a permitted use.
Recommend: Approval
Planning & Zoning Board
August 19, 2010
Page 3
Disabilities Act) mandates? Shepard said the handicapped accessible route is spelled out in great detail
in the Building Code that is reviewed by Building Department staff. We would rely on the applicant's
engineer to satisfy that requirement because it'll be reviewed at the time of building permit application.
Member Schmidt asked if the spot for the handicapped access van could cut across the traffic lane.
Jim Nichols of Taco John's Intemational said there will be two options to get to the restaurant from the
parking lot —one will be across the drive-thru lanes and the other would be to come out to the sidewalk
and walk around to the front of the restaurant.
Chair Stockover asked if there would be wheel chair access —there appears to be a landscape island.
Nichols said yes that's correct, they'd need to come out onto the sidewalk.
Member Lingle said on the site plan around the patio there's delineation. Is that a border or is that a
raised wall? Nichols said it's a raised wall which can also be used as seating. Lingle said that would
negate the ability of someone to cut from the parking lot across the drive-thru lane to the front door.
Nichols said that's correct. Lingle said he wouldn't encourage people cutting across in front of those
exiting the drive-thru window. He believes that's a safety hazard.
Chair Stockover asked about access for bicycles. Nichols said bike parking would be on both sides of
the patio.
Member Lingle said at work session they spoke of the reverse drive-thru lane on the north side of the
building. Lingle ask if Nichols could speak a little to what they've done before on a corporate basis.
Nichols said they've not done that before. He said there are a number of companies such as Good
Times who have what he would guess to be 10 restaurants with.passenger side pickup. Rally's is a
national company that has probably over a 100 restaurants with passenger pickup. They've done some
programming with Good Times and have performed a lot of studies. That was not their first choice but
on a site such as this (one not able to drive in front of the restaurant itself); it was the only way they could
do it. They do want to proceed with this double drive thru with a passenger side pickup and move
forward with offering it to their other franchisees. They think it'll work fine. Nichols said it's an educational
process for the consumer. If they have more than one person in the car, it's not an issue at all.
Member Schmidt said her concern would be people coming out of the drive-thru window at peak times
when you're at level of service E. That means there's going to be cars right there by where you want to
exit. That might be a little difficult for folks and they might want to use the other side to allow them to exit
more easily. Nichols agreed the "major" pickup side has the better egress.
Public Input
James D. Allen, 1601 N. College # 1, noted that where the patio is located in the southwest comer of the
lot is where his bedroom is located. Is there going to be any type of noise abatement besides the fence?
Shepard said there would be a new 6 foot wood fence separating the two properties. Nichols said there
would also be landscaping. Allen said there appears to be access by the patio; is that for park people to
use? Nichols said the main purpose when providing access was to allow park residents access to the
restaurant rather than restaurant customers into the park. Nichols said the placement of the patio is not
set in stone. It can be moved if deemed necessary. Allen stated his primary concern relative to the
placement of the patio was the noise it could generate at night.
End of Public Input
Planning & Zoning Board
August 19, 2010
Page 2
Hearina Testimony, Written Comments and Other Evidence
Chief Planner Ted Shepard noted the proposed land use is permitted in the Service Commercial zone
district. The P.D.P. satisfies the applicable criteria of the General Development Standards of Article
Three and the C-S district standards of Article Four. Shepard noted since the Board's Work Session,
he'd distributed a copy of a schematic and a photography looking south on the property. Staff is
recommending, based on comments made at the Work Session that we flare out the sidewalk at the
south end. In addition to the type 3 barricade which will prevent people from falling off the grade, we'll
transition pedestrians to where there is a walk able path to the parcels to the south.
Member Schmidt said she noted to the southwest there's a sidewalk and patio tables. Does that connect
to the mobile home park? Shepard said it connects to the driveway that serves for the entrance drive for
the mobile home park. The sidewalk ties in at the west to a building at the entrance of the park.
Shepard said the intent of providing the path is to allow access from the park to Taco John's.
Member Schmidt said the traffic report stated, "In the short range (2015) future, given development of the
Taco John's and an increase in background traffic, the North College Car Wash -Taco John's access
intersection will operate acceptable with existing stop sign control and geometry... the calculated delay
for the afternoon peak hour eastbound approach will experience delays that are commensurate with level
of service E. This is considered to be normal during the peak hours at stop sign controlled intersections
along arterial streets."
Member Schmidt said in the traffic report that in the final development of College Avenue, that's going to
be a right-in/right-out—that the median will be extended. She's wondering if there is some way at this
point to extend that median and limit access. Could we get a sidewalk -like barricade to prevent people
from turning left when coming from the south? Also when people go out, could they be prohibited from
making a left turn? Traffic staff member Ward Stanford said there is no accident history to say we have a
problem there. They don't think Taco John's will create a problem. Traffic Operations doesn't like to do
"rebuilds" in small sections. They would rather collect enough improvements to make one long
monolithic improvement. If we don't really have a safety measure that needs to be solved; we don't see
using temporary measures such as delineators as useful or cost effective.
Member Schmidt said the traffic study recommended that the site access have full turning movements as
described in the short term access control plan. This access will be restricted to right-in/right-out
movements when the long range access control plan measures are to be implemented or a significant
safety issue arises. She asked if a significant safety issue arises, who pays for the improvements.
Stanford said it would be the City's job to mitigate. Schmidt asked why the applicant can't be responsible
for the improvements now. Stanford said we don't normally address issues before a problem is identified
and improvements necessary.
Member Schmidt asked what level of service E means on page 19 of the staff report —does it mean 2-5
cars might be stacking. Stanford says it's hard to quantify. Level of service is more relevant to a time
delay based on a hundred year average. Schmidt asked does that mean a delay of a few moments to
get out but it may not cause stacking if it's not at a peak time. Stanford said correct.
Member Schmidt said except for the turn access, this is good. She likes the seating and she likes the
sidewalk. She thinks it'll be an enhancement. She just worries that the middle lane on College is being
used so much. If you have a number of people filling up that lane, it's going to cause a problem and she
hates the fact it will cost the City to fix it later.
Member Lingle asked about the handicapped accessible route from the parking space to the restaurant
lobby appears to be pretty circuitous. Does that meet Land Use Code (LUC) and ADA (Americans with
Chair Stockover called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m.
Roll Call: Campana, Hatfield, Lingle, Schmidt, Smith, and Stockover
Excused Absence: Carpenter
Staff Present: Dush, Eckman, Shepard, Stanford, and Sanchez -Sprague
Agenda Review
Director Dush reviewed the agenda.
Citizen participation.
None
Chair Stockover asked members of the audience and the Board if they'd like to pull any item from the
Consent Agenda. Member Schmidt requested that Item 2, North College Taco John's Project
Development Plan, #13-10 be moved to discussion.
Consent Agenda:
1. Minutes from the June 17, 201C Planning & Zoning Hearings
Member Schmidt moved to approve item # 1 June 17, 2010 minutes of the Planning and Zoning
Board. Member Campana seconded the motion. The motion was approved 6:0.
Discussion Agenda:
2. North College Taco John's Project Development Plan (PDP), # 13-10
3. Otter Box Warehouse Expansion — Addition of a Permitted Use, PDP, # 17-10
4. 616 West Mulberry —the Sheldon House —Addition of Two Permitted Uses, # 15-10
Project: North College Taco John's Project Development Plan (PDP), # 13-10
Project Description: This is a request for a new 747 square foot restaurant featuring two drive -through
lanes. The site is now vacant and located 1603 and 1605 North College Avenue.
The site is .75 acres in size and will share an access drive with the existing
Executive Carwash and Self -Storage, the adjoining parcel to the north. The parcel
is zoned C-S, Service Commercial.
Recommendation: Approval