SITE PLAN REVIEW
CITY COMMISSION
SP-11-85-06: 619 E. 8th Street, a site plan for improvements to the Poehler building and associated parking and roadways. Submitted by Bartlett and West Engineers, Inc. for Cinco Hombres, LLC; property owner of record.
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Current Zoning and Land Use: |
CS (Commercial Strip) District; existing industrial building and parking area.
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Surrounding Zoning and Land Use: |
IG (General Industrial) District to the north, south and east; industrial and commercial uses.
CS (Commercial Strip) District to the west; office and industrial uses. |
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Site Summary: |
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Total Property Area: |
70,258 square feet (1.61 acres) |
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Existing Building Coverage: |
16,714 square feet (0.39 acre) |
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Proposed Building Coverage: |
16,714 square feet (0.39 acre) |
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Existing Pavement Coverage: Proposed Pavement Coverage: |
22,796 square feet (0.49 acre) 7,145 square feet (0.16 acre) |
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Off-Street Parking Required: |
143 spaces if offices on 2nd floor and 141 spaces if 2nd floor residential |
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Off-Street Parking Provided: |
160 on and off-street spaces , including 5 ADA spaces |
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Staff Recommendation: Planning staff recommends approval of SP-11-85-06: a site plan for improvements to the Poehler building and associated parking and roadways, subject to the following conditions: 1. The site plan shall be revised to reflect the following changes: a. Removal of the note: “Delaware Street per future public improvement package”. b. Removal of the note: “Lot 4 and Lot 5 boundary limits”. c. Removal of “future” from the following note: “Future street tree species per 700 E. 9th building site plan”. d. Inclusion of a note which clarifies that the second floor space will be utilized for either residential or office, not both. 2. Submittal of a full set of Public Improvement Plans to the Public Works Department for all infrastructure items. 3. Approval of the site plan (with all conditions met) by the Historic Resources Commission prior to release of the site plan to Neighborhood Resources for building permits. 4. Recordation of the 8th and Pennsylvania Street Neighborhood Redevelopment replat at the Register of Deeds’ Office prior to release of the site plan to Neighborhood Resources for building permits. |
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C. STAFF REVIEW
This property is zoned CS (Commercial Strip) District and is located to the south and east of E. 8th and Pennsylvania Streets. The applicant proposes to reconstruct an existing building for office, commercial, and residential uses. Additional improvements include the extension of Delaware Street (with street trees and on-street parking), reconstruction of the alleyway, reconstruction of and expansion of the existing parking lot, and installation of curbing, sidewalks and street trees along 8th and 9th Streets abutting the site.
The applicant is proposing both residential and office uses for the second floor to allow for flexibility due to market demands. Parking and density calculations have been included on the plan to demonstrate compliance with either the office or residential second floor use. A note should be included on the plan, clarifying that the request is to utilize the second floor for either office or residential, not for both. Once a user has been chosen for the second floor space, the applicant should submit a letter to the Planning Office, identifying the use of the space.
8th and Pennsylvania Redevelopment Project
The project is located within the Urban Conservation Overlay District (UCD) for the 8th and Pennsylvania Redevelopment Project. As such, the subject site plan was reviewed for its conformance with the 8th and Pennsylvania UCD Design Guidelines. The Design Guidelines govern the project’s lot area and setback requirements, parking and paving standards, and other elements of the project. Where specific standards for the project are not set forth in the UCD Design Guidelines, the City’s Land Development Code will be utilized.
Historic Resources Commission
The Lawrence Historic Resources Commission (HRC) at their meeting on November 16, 2006 approved the above-referenced request. The approval was based upon a determination that the proposed construction “would not encroach upon, damage or destroy any historic property or the environs” with the following conditions:
D. Findings
Per Section 20-1305(j) staff shall first find that the following criteria have been met:
1) The site plan shall contain only platted land;
The subject site is platted as part of the 8th and Pennsylvania Neighborhood Redevelopment Final Plat. Rights-of-way and easements were accepted by the City Commission on August 8, 2006, and the Final Plat was recorded at the Register of Deeds’ Office on December 12, 2006.
2) The site plan shall comply with all the standards of the City Code, this Development Code and other adopted City Policies and adopted neighborhood or area plans;
The site plan complies with all applicable standards of the City Code, Land Development Code, and Design Guidelines for the 8th and Pennsylvania Street UCD. Per a Development Agreement for the 8th and Pennsylvania Street project, the following phased public improvements will occur with the site plan:
Phase 2: Extension of Delaware Street
On-street parking along Delaware Street
Sidewalks on both sides of Delaware Street
Pedestrian canopies on the west side of Delaware Street
Streetlights along Delaware Street
Storm sewer improvements
Phase 3: Porous asphalt parking lot
Porous asphalt alleyway
Parking lot lighting
Alleyway lighting
8th Street on-street parking and Poehler frontage
Phase 4: Curb replacement
On-street parking
Sidewalk improvements
Storm sewer improvements
Streetlights
Landscaping and lighting have been provided in accordance with the Design Guidelines and City Code. A photometric plan has been approved, and is on file with the Planning Office.
3) The proposed use shall be allowed in the district in which it is located or be an allowed nonconforming use;
The proposed uses of office, commercial, and multi-family are permitted in the CS (Commercial Strip) District. Certain commercial uses were restricted from the C-5 (now CS) District for this project, and are listed on the site plan.
4) Vehicular ingress and egress to and from the site and circulation within the site shall provide for safe, efficient, and convenient movement of traffic not only within the site but on adjacent roadways as well and shall also conform with the adopted corridor or access management policies;
The site is currently abutted by E. 8th Street, E. 9th Street, as well as an alleyway. The site plan proposes the extension of Delaware Street to the north, extending from E. 8th Street to E. 9th Street. Improvements, including new sidewalks, street trees, curbing, and on-street parking are proposed for all abutting roadways. The alleyway will also be improved with porous asphalt, lighting, and curbing.
The plan includes five required accessible parking spaces, three of which are located along the south side of the building, and one of which is located in the center of the parking lot. As the parking lot serves the buildings at 619 E. 8 th Street and 830-832 Pennsylvania Streets, the location of these parking spaces is acceptable. The plan also provides six required bicycle parking spaces. These spaces are located along the south side of the building at 619 E. 8th Street and are located on an approved surface.
5) The site plan shall provide for the safe movement of pedestrians on the subject site.
The plan shows new five-foot wide sidewalks abutting the site along extended Delaware Street, E. 8th Street, and E. 9th Street. Pedestrians will be able to access the 619 E. 8th Street building via sidewalks abutting all adjacent roadways.
E. CONCLUSION
The site plan generally conforms with the requirements and specifications of the City Code, Land Development Code, and 8th and Penn. UCD Design Guidelines.