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Home My WebLink AboutAMOCO SERVICE STATION EXPANSION, NON-CONFORMING USE - 58-88 - REPORTS - RECOMMENDATION/REPORT W/ATTACHMENTSITEM NO. 5 PLANNING AND ZONING BOARD MEETING OF August 22, 1988 STAFF REPORT PROJECT: Amoco Station #5401, Non -Conforming Use Request, #58-88 APPLICANT: Mr. Bill Horn c/o Wendell Ayers 6920 S. Holly Circle, # 100 Englewood, CO 80112 OWNER: Amoco Oil Company 4380 S. Syracuse St., Suite 505 Denver, CO 80237 PROJECT PLANNER: Linda Ripley PROJECT DESCRIPTION: This is a non -conforming use request for adding a new canopy, relocating underground storage tanks, relocating a car wash and doing interior remodeling at an existing gas station located on the southwest corner of Taft Hill Road and Elizabeth Street. The property is zoned BL - Limited Business. RECOMMENDATION: Approval EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: This is a request to enlarge an existing non- conforming use by adding a new canopy, relocating underground storage tanks, relocating a car wash and doing interior remodeling at an existing gas station located west of Taft Hill Road and south of Elizabeth Street. A market study for this station has indicated that Amoco needs to expand their sales area to remain competitive with other stations in the area. The existing building is 2150 square feet in floor area and is being expanded to 2870 square feet to accommodate a larger sales area. Gasoline sales will still be the primary function of the station. Other changes are being proposed in order to improve the appearance and physical operation of the station and the image of Amoco Oil Company in the community. OFFICE OF DEVELOPMENT 300 LaPorte Ave. • P.O. Box 580 • Fort Collins, Colorado 80522 • (303) 221-6750 SERVICES, PLANNING DEPARTMENT Amoco Station ##5401, Non -Conforming Use Request, ##58-88 P & Z Meeting - August 22, 1988 Page 2 COMMENTS 1. Background: The surrounding zoning and land uses are as follows: N: BP - Planned Business; Circle K Convenience Store/Gas Station S: BL - Limited Business; Cedarwood Plaza E: RL - Single Family Residential; Foothills Subdivision W: BL - Limited Business; Cedarwood Plaza This property was annexed into the City as part of Miller Brothers Tenth Foothills Annexation in November, 1960. The station has existed as a non- conforming use since its original construction in the early 1960s. 2. Land Use: A non -conforming use is defined as any legally existing use which does not conform to the use regulations of the zoning district classification in which the use is located. The existing zoning is BL-Limited Business which does not allow gas stations unless they are developed as a planned unit development. In considering the enlargement or extension of a building containing a non- conforming use The Planning and Zoning Board makes a finding as to whether or not the enlargement will adversely affect the surrounding property. For purposes of review the following criteria are considered: a. The nature of the proposed expansion or extension. b. The size of the proposed expansion or extension. c. The difference in the degree of use of the non -conforming use as a result of the proposed expansion or extension. d. The reasons for the proposed expansion or extension. e. The overall impact of the proposed expansion or extension on the surrounding property. The applicant is requesting the following changes to the existing service station: a. Conversion of an existing service bay into a sales area. b. Conversion of an existing car wash into a service bay. c. Construction of a new car wash addition on the west side of the building. d. Removal of existing underground fuel storage tanks and installa- tion of new underground fuel storage tanks at a different location on the site. e. Replacement of existing gas pumps with new at the same location. f. Construction of a new 32'x 50' canopy over the gas pump area. g. Installation of additional landscaping. Amoco Station #k5401, Non —Conforming Use Request, #k58-88 P & Z Meeting — August 22, 1988 Page 3 A market study for this station has indicated that Amoco needs to expand their sales area to remain competitive with other stations in the area. The existing building is 2150 square feet in floor area and is being expanded to 2870 square feet to accommodate a larger sales area. Gasoline sales will still be the primary function of the station. Other changes are being proposed in order to improve the appearance and physical operation of the station and the image of Amoco Oil Company in the community. The canopy will provide pro- tection from the weather during gas pumping. Extensive landscaping on the north and east sides of the project will improve the appearance of the site. The underground fuel storage tanks are being relocated to improve access for transport trucks. 3. Neighborhood Compatibility The service station is compatible with the shopping center located west and south of the site, as well as with the commercial land uses located to the north. In analyzing compatibility with the neighborhood to the east it is important to look at the impact of the expansion, rather than the land use in general. In terms of visual compatibility, staff believes that the proposed site changes and the increased landscaping will improve the overall appearance of the service station, notwithstanding the addition of a gasoline pump canopy. It is anticipated that the expansion of the sales area will increase the amount of traffic entering and leaving the site. However, the additional trips are negligible compared to the overall traffic volumes on Taft Hill Road adjacent to the residential neighborhood. 4. Desipan The existing service station site is predominantly paved and has only one existing tree. The proposed landscape plan provides irrigated turf areas along Elizabeth and Taft Hill Road with berming along Elizabeth and at the corner. The plan calls for nine additional trees as well as significant shrubbery additions. The proposed canopy is black with the Amoco logo in white letters with blue and red striping. The proposed car wash will match the flagstone of the existing building. 5. Transportation The traffic study indicates that in the long range future, the Taft Hill/Elizabeth intersection will operate acceptably, but warns that Elizabeth and Taft Hill accesses will operate unacceptably during specific hours of the day. Locating the access point on Elizabeth further from the intersection and eliminating the northernmost access on Taft Hill Road will improve operations, safety and will keep the site accessible. Amoco Station #5401, Non -Conforming Use Request, #58-88 P & Z Meeting - August 22, 1988 Page 4 6. Public Facilities and safetv Plans for the new underground fuel storage tanks proposed for the site have received a cursory review by the Poudre Fire Authority. It appears that the plans will conform to all applicable fire and safety codes. After final approval the proposed fuel tanks are required to go through a permitting process which includes a minimum of three on -site installation inspections. RECOMMENDATION: Staff believes that the nature and size of the proposed expansion of this non -conforming use does not adversely affect the surrounding neighborhood and therefore recommends approval of Amoco Station #5401, Non -Conforming Use Request, #58-88. m I - MUM o!11di tea" lsoc IWE3 :. ;IRlq!plll alvildlill as Nt JJd . t �€ I • III lE�� jf 0Eggs s iieie iiEc �. i E1 lii�IEi�Ellii it �' E 1 fnrt� I�rf� ,... � l0�lil� �I{ii�l►:: :: I 1lEPly 1!!tj Q I 1 1 1 1 CIVOU I1IH 1JV1 -- — - - ---- ------ -06—s-4111111 -- -- --a su WI P.,ter 1 a� i • i�Y ��! W� ,000ii 1 IRE 1 k i I•.li� �p �' t? ti' ♦ -J ��! y L— / t F 14E �E ESE Igo E111 a OVOU 111H liVI w I 9 0� t �4 ou 10 4�Q < ► qaJ! Z yv W♦ e � 0� EM • y. ED Wy DEE Ir DIED EE is u �Y tlQ • w• wx WC IEEEIEEE 0 • SITE DATA Existing Building 1,964 S.F. 12% Building Addition 762 S.F. 5% Landscape Area 2,433 S.F. 15% Parking and Drive Area 10,792 S.F. 68% TOTAL SITE AREA 16,562 S.F. 100% D-1838 HOLLAND WEST, INC. NARRATIVE The Amoco station at the southwest corner of Elizabeth Street and Taft Hill Road is currently in use as a full service gas station with a carwash. Amoco Oil Company wishes to expand the existing station to increase the size of their sales area. The current sales area would increase from an existing display counter to sales area. This would require adding a carwash to the existing building and converting the existing carwash to a service bay and converting an existing service bay into a sales area. New underground gas tanks, new gas pumps and a canopy over the pumps are additional proposed improvements to this site. The changes to this site are being proposed in order to improve the appearance of the station and the image of Amoco Oil Company to the community. The canopy will provide protection from the weather during gas pumping. Landscaping is being proposed to enhance the appearance of the site. The underground tanks are being relocated to improve the access of the transports for refilling the underground tanks. Currently the transports must pull in the site and back out onto Taft Hill Road to deliver gasoline. Placing the tanks on the northeast corner of the site would enable the transport to pull in from Elizabeth and pull out of the right only curb cut onto Taft Hill Road. A market study for this station has indicated that Amoco needs to expand their sales area to remain competitive with other similar stations in the area. This is the reason to add the new carwash and do the interior remodeling. The existing exterior storage area is being removed and storage area is being provided within the improvements to the building. The existing building is approximately 2,150 sq. ft. and is being expanded to approximately 2,870 sq. ft. In conclusion, the improvements to this site will have a positive impact on the surrounding properties and will only improve the appearance of this corner. A-284 6920 South Holly Circle, Englewood, Colorado 80112 (303) 773-0020 Planners • Engineers • Surveyors • Construction Managers Denver 0 Phoenix 9 Ft. Worth