February 20, 2018 — Meeting Minutes
MINUTES
CITY PLAN COMMISSION/ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW BOARD
FEBRUARY 20, 2018
CITY HALL COUNCIL CHAMBERS
The City Plan Commission/Architectural Review Board of the City of Clayton, Missouri, met on the above date at 5:30 p.m. Upon roll call, the following responded:
Present: Steve Lichtenfeld, Chairman Craig Owens, City Manager Joanne Boulton, Aldermanic Representative Ron Reim (arrived at 5:45 p.m.) William Liebermann Scott Wilson
Absent:
Brian Maguire
Also in Attendance: Stephanie Karr, Acting City Attorney Susan M. Istenes, AICP, Planning Director Anna Krane, Planner
Chairman Lichtenfeld welcomed everyone to the meeting and asked that all cell phones be turned off and that conversations take place outside the meeting room.
MINUTES
The minutes of the February 5, 2018 meeting were presented for approval. The minutes were approved as submitted after having been previously distributed to each member.
CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT – TEMPORARY PARKING LOT – 15-23 LEE AVE.
Larry Zelenovich, applicant (PayneCrest Electric), was in attendance at the meeting.
Susan Istenes explained that the 20,000 square foot site is currently vacant greenspace. The applicant is proposing to temporarily cover the site with gravel for a surface parking lot. The
2 applicant is a contractor for the Centene construction project located south of Forsyth Boulevard and leases a commercial space adjacent to the subject lot. The applicant intends to use the subject lot to park employees working on the construction site. Terms of the applicant’s lease state that the lot shall be restored to the former state (lawn) upon expiration or termination of the lease. The lot was converted to parking prior to receiving proper approvals from the City and therefore has been required to retroactively apply. The applicant is proposing 54 parking spaces on the surface lot with access from north-south alley located west of the subject property. The hours of operation will correspond with the hours of construction, which are 7:00am to 6:00pm, Monday through Friday. Should a permit for extended construction hours or weekend construction be granted for the Centene project, the subject lot will likely be used. The applicant has stated that 35 electricians and 5 office employees will need access to the surface parking lot. The subject property is located between a single family neighborhood and a commercial district. The adjacent uses include single- family homes to the north and office, retail uses to the east, west and south. In the R-4 district, parking lots are conditionally permitted uses when located within 500 feet of a C-1, C-2, HDC or S-1 zoning district boundary. The subject property directly abuts lots zoned C-2 General Commercial District. The subject property is located in a transition zone between higher density commercial and single family. The lot should have a lower density use to serve as a buffer to the residential neighborhood. The proposed surface parking lot will not involve significant construction and will fill a need related to the ongoing construction project south of the site. The use will not encroach into the residential neighborhood and the vehicles utilizing the lot will be guided south by the traffic circulation pattern of the alley and Lee Avenue. It is staff’s opinion that the proposed use is compatible with the surrounding neighborhood. The applicant proposes a crushed rock surface parking lot with an orange snow fence. There are multiple surface parking lots in the immediate vicinity and most are paved with an asphalt surface. The temporary nature of the subject lot makes the use of a rock surface acceptable, when it would not be an allowed surface for a permanent lot. The crushed rock will also be a more permeable surface than asphalt. With appropriate screening from Lee Avenue and the residential neighborhood, the use of a rock surface can be mitigated. The subject lot is separated from the residential neighborhood by an east-west alley. The rear yards of the single family lots abut the north side of the east-west alley. This separation and orientation makes the subject lot appear to be a part of the commercial neighborhood as opposed to the residential neighborhood. For this reason, staff supports the request for a surface parking lot; however, buffering the proposed temporary use from the residential neighborhood is important to support an appropriate transition between the two zones. Staff recommends a 6 foot tall solid screen fence along the north and east boundaries of the surface lot to replace the proposed snow fence. The applicant is proposing to cover the lot with crushed rock. The proposed surface will be more permeable than other pavement types and will also not have the same heat generation impacts. The lot will be used for parking during construction hours and therefore will not generate increased noise levels during the early morning, evening or night. Because of the temporary nature of the construction parking and the fact that the subject lot is a lower grade than the residential lots to the north, staff does not believe that the proposed lot will adversely affect the residential neighborhood in terms of water runoff, noise transfer or heat generation. Staff’s recommendation to provide a solid screen fence along the north and east boundaries of the lot will provide visual and noise screening of the use. Staff also recommends
3 maintaining a landscape buffer between the fence and the sidewalk along Lee Avenue. This recommendation is discussed further in the Landscape section of the report. Because the lot has been vacant for many years, any use will generate more noise than is currently generated on the site. Staff believes that noise generation due to the proposed construction parking will not be more than typically generated by the adjacent commercial uses. The hours of use of the lot are also restricted to correspond to the allowed construction hours. The intent of this condition is to protect property from being developed or transformed in a manner that would reduce the value of the lot or render the property less useful once the temporary use leaves. The negative impacts of the proposed parking lot being temporary are mitigated by the condition requiring that the property is restored to the original condition. Our Zoning Code does not specifically address the temporary use of lots in conjunction with adjacent construction projects and therefore, it was determined that the proposed parking lot would require a Conditional Use Permit, even though it is temporary. Staff is of the opinion that the use complies with the Zoning Code. The R-4 Zoning District Code lists “parking lots and multi-level parking structures” as allowed with a Conditional Use Permit on land no more than 500 feet walking distance from the boundary of any C-1 or C-2 Commercial District, HDC Commercial District or S-1 Service District. The subject property meets the location requirement. The proposed lot will provide a use to an otherwise vacant lot and will provide off street parking for construction vehicles, keeping them from encroaching into other parking areas. Staff believes this is good planning practice and will fill an existing need. The applicant is not proposing any landscape buffers. Staff has recommended the addition of a solid screen fence along Lee Avenue. Staff believes there is also an opportunity to set the fence back approximately 15 feet to 20 feet from the east property line to provide room for landscape or grass area, so that the entire lot is not paved and there is not a solid fence directly abutting a public sidewalk. The site will contain a one-way drive that creates a u-shape on the lot. Vehicles will enter the site at the southwest corner of the property from the north-south alley, wrap around the site and exit back into the north-south alley from the northwest corner of the site. Vehicles exiting the parking lot will have to travel north on the north-south alley and turn east onto the east-west alley. The east-west alley connects to Lee Avenue, which is one-way in this section, so vehicles must turn south toward Forsyth Boulevard. No new curb cuts are proposed along Lee Avenue. The proposed use will generate more traffic than currently generated by the empty lot; however, based on the use proposed and traffic circulation pattern, the trips generated will likely not negatively impact the residential neighborhood. The proposed lot includes 54 parking spaces. The applicant has stated that at peak construction, there will be 40 employees needing to park on the site. Staff recommends shifting the drive lane west approximately 15 feet to 20 feet. This will create a buffer along the sidewalk and result in 46 parking spaces on the lot. There are no lights proposed for the parking lot. Director Istenes indicated that staff is of the opinion that the proposed surface parking lot meets the requirements contained in the regulations governing conditional uses. The proposed use is compatible with surrounding uses. Staff does not believe that this use will be disruptive to the surrounding properties and recommends approval of the Conditional Use Permit to the Board of Aldermen with the following conditions (amended since this report was written):
4 1. The applicant shall install a 6 foot tall solid fence along the north and east boundaries of the parking lot.
2. The applicant shall provide a 15 foot to 20 foot buffer along the east side of the parking lot between the screen fence and the public sidewalk.
3. The applicant shall remove the orange snow fence.
4. The required screen fence and any additional fencing desired by the applicant shall be reviewed and approved by the Department of Planning and Development Services prior to installation.
5. The Conditional Use Permit for the temporary parking lot shall expire after one year and the applicant shall restore the lot to grass no more than 90 days after expiration.
6. Within seven (7) days of approval by the Board of Aldermen, the applicant shall submit a performance bond in an amount determined by the Building Official to ensure restoration of the site.
Mr. Zelenovich informed the members that he is the electrical contractor for the Centene project and that parking is at a premium. He apologized for creating the gravel lot prior to receiving proper approvals.
Chairman Lichtenfeld asked if he needs more than 46 parking spaces.
Mr. Zelenovich explained that although he is the electrical contractor for the tower, once tenants begin moving in, they will need electrical work done as well.
A discussion ensued about the recommendations by staff. Chairman Lichtenfeld stated that he’s willing to allow a 10 foot buffer versus the 15-20 as recommended by staff.
Mr. Zelenovich asked if he could erect a 4-foot fence instead of a 6-foot fence as recommended by staff.
Chairman Lichtenfeld stated that 6-feet is what he recommends as well.
A discussion regarding construction hours and when the lot would be used ensued. It was determined that the lot could be used beginning at 6:30 a.m. as long as the trucks were not idling at all.
A local residence informed the members that there is trash and cigarette butts on the lot and asked that it be cleaned up. She asked that a trash can be provided on the lot so trash is not thrown on the ground.
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Craig Owens informed the neighbors to inform staff if the lot needs to be cleaned up. The members agreed that a trash can should be put on the lot.
Hearing no further questions or comments, William Lieberman made a motion to recommend approval of the conditional use permit with the following conditions:
1. The applicant shall install a 6 foot tall solid fence along the north and east boundaries of the parking lot.
2. The applicant shall provide a 10 foot green buffer along the east side of the parking lot between the screen fence and the public sidewalk.
3. The applicant shall remove the orange snow fence.
4. The required screen fence and any additional fencing desired by the applicant shall be reviewed and approved by the Department of Planning and Development Services prior to installation.
5. The Conditional Use Permit for the temporary parking lot shall expire after one year and the applicant shall restore the lot to grass no more than 90 days after expiration.
6. Within seven (7) days of approval by the Board of Aldermen, the applicant shall submit a performance bond in an amount determined by the Building Official to ensure restoration of the site.
7. The applicant shall install “no idling” signage.
8. The lot may be used 6:30 a.m. until 6:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, unless an emergency work permit is granted by the City for extended hours.
9. A trash receptacle shall be provided on the lot; trash shall be picked up on a regular basis.
The motion was seconded by Joanne Boulton and unanimously approved by the Board.
CONCEPTUAL REVIEW – HOTEL PROJECT – 227 SOUTH CENTRAL AVENUE
Andy Holloran, developer, was in attendance at the meeting. Also in attendance were Nicole Nathan, project architect (Denver) and Joel Fuoss (Trivers).
Susan Istenes explained that the 15,183 square foot site is located on the west side of South Central Avenue, between Bonhomme Avenue and Shaw Park Drive. The property has a zoning designation of HDC High Density Commercial District and is within the Central Station TOD Overlay District.
6 The site is currently improved with a vacant building, formerly occupied by the Clayton Police Department. Adjacent land uses include office and public parking. The property is currently owned by the City of Clayton. In June of 2015, the City released a Request for Proposal (RFP) for development of this site. The proposed project consists of the demolition of the existing building and the construction of a 119,236 square foot, 12 story mixed-use building containing 2,122 square feet of ground floor restaurant space, 114,801 square feet of hotel and a 2,313 square foot rooftop bar. The proposed building will be constructed primarily of masonry and stucco with glazing and metal accents. The hotel drop-off area is located along the northern property line of the site. A one- way access drive is proposed from South Central Avenue exiting to the north-south alley, west of the property. The project will be developed as a Planned Unit Development (PUD) and will require public hearings before the Plan Commission and the Board of Aldermen. The Central Station TOD seeks to encourage mid to high density office, retail and mixed-use development that capitalizes on the close proximity to a MetroLink station. A project in this zoning district involving a new structure is required rezone to a Planned Unit Development or Special Development District. This project qualifies as a Planned Unit Development by proposing a hotel and public restaurant. The property is also located in the Central Station District as identified in the Downtown Clayton Master Plan. The vision of the Central Station District is “to create a walkable, high density mixed use district with significant new office development and high density multifamily rental residential infill oriented around the Clayton MetroLink Transit Station.” A project of this scale requires a thorough staff review prior to a public hearing. The project will be reviewed and is subject to comments by the Planning, Public Works, and Fire Departments, and also the City’s contracted consultants for landscaping, architecture, storm water management, traffic and parking. Staff recommends that the Plan Commission/Architectural Review Board consider the proposal and provide input. This is conceptual review only and therefore any comments made in this report or at the meeting, either by the applicant, staff, or the Board/Commission members, are not binding. Staff offers the following comments based on the conceptual plans presented: Consider adding planter beds along South Central Avenue, similar to surrounding properties.
Chairman Lichtenfeld reminded the members that this is conceptual only and nothing that is said or presented is binding.
Mr. Holloran presented a PowerPoint presentation. Slides depicting the site plan, various color renderings and floor plans were presented. Mr. Holloran indicated that they believe this project will bring vibrancy to the area. He noted that the lobby will be open to the public, the rooftop will contain a bar area. He stated that the hotel will contain 175-195 rooms and the hotel will feature unique architecture and compliment the area. Ms. Nathan presented the inspiration and details of the building material and design.
Chairman Lichtenfeld commented that the hotel reminds him of the Fred & Ginger hotel in Prague. He stated that the project fits in the Downtown Master Plan and that he’s comfortable with the two design elements (masculine and feminine).
7 A brief discussion regarding signage ensued. It was suggested that the applicants apply for a sign sub-district when the time comes.
A brief discussion regarding parking ensued. Mr. Holloran explained that valet parking will be optional and that there will be up to 100 spaces available in the adjacent garage. He indicated that they have not yet commissioned the full parking study.
Chairman Lichtenfeld commented that the Mayor is here this evening and that he’s been looking for inspiring architecture; he thinks this may be it.
Craig Owens stated that more work is needed for the north face of the garage as it is quite visible.
Ron Rom stated that he agrees with the Chairman’s comments on the inspiring architecture and that he hopes the budget does not diminish it too much. He added that the path out of the garage/porte cochere may be a bit of a challenge.
Chairman Lichtenfeld commented that signage will help.
Ron Reim agreed. He asked if the top floor will be a full service restaurant.
Mr. Holloran replied “yes”. He stated that the first floor will just provide breakfast.
Joanne Boulton informed the applicant that a 3D presentation will be required as part of their formal submittal. She asked about the construction schedule.
Mr. Holloran stated that they believe 15-17 months.
Chairman Lichtenfeld and the rest of the members thanked the applicants for their presentation and indicated that they are looking forward to their formal presentation.
CITY BUSINESS – DISCUSSION REGARDING RSMo CHAPTER 89 (LAND USE)
Stephanie Karr, Acting City Attorney, distributed a print-out of the subject Chapter to the members.
She explained that Chapter 89 provides a lot of leeway for land use; noting that the Planning Commission formulates a Plan (Comprehensive Plan) and allows Cities to adopt land use regulations.
Issues such as the Board of Adjustment and subdivision regulations were discussed. A discussion regarding the notification process took place. Ms. Karr indicated that many Cities use 185-feet for their notifications as that is the distance one can protest a decision or regulation.
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Chairman Lichtenfeld thanked Ms. Karr and indicated that other Articles of the Zoning Regulations will be discussed at future meetings.
Having no further business before the Commission this evening, the meeting adjourned at 7:15 p.m. _______________________________ Recording Secretary