This case is regarding a Conditional Use Permit (CUP) required for a proposed commercial property development due to residential proximity with an existing single-family neighborhood. The applicant is proposing to develop a center with four commercial medical/professional office buildings on approximately 2.46 acres of land zoned Neighborhood Business (B-1) to the east of the Grand Parkway (US HWY 99) and to the north of East Riverpark Drive (directly west of the Best Western Hotel). The platted commercial reserve sits to the rear of ongoing commercial development, consisting of multiple buildings. Only this 2.46 acre commercial reserve triggers the requirement for a CUP, due to the direct adjacency with the rear property lines of multiple residential single-family lots in the Riverpark Section 2 neighborhood. It is important to note that the existing development to the southwest of the hotel site was constructed prior to annexation into the City Limits, and the retail center to the west along Grand Parkway began development prior to the residential proximity CUP Development Code requirement. Therefore, this is the first residential proximity CUP case for commercial property within Riverpark.
The applicant proposal for the four buildings has a cumulative square footage of approximately 22,058. The individual buildings are not greater than 6,121 square feet (range of between 4,908 and 6,121 square feet) and are all single-story, with parking nestled around the front and sides. There are no parking spaces at the rear along the perimeter with the single-family neighborhood, and the applicant is not proposing any rear doors for the buildings. There are specifics to buffering from both an increased setback area and landscaping plantings.
As a residential proximity CUP in a commercial district, the CUP is less about the B-1 uses and more related to how the site works with the overall area as to compatibility and any shaping criteria that can mitigate any negative impacts. The process is important to bring public notification to the zoning review, and to ensure certainty to what will be constructed adjacent to single-family lots. It will be important for the Commission to examine the proposal with regard to layout and buffering and whether the plans appear adequate. From initial points for consideration, staff believes that the proposed landscaping setbacks and plantings can work to create a good buffer. There is an existing 6-foot high wood fence at the rear of the commercial property, originally installed by the residential subdivision when developed. Staff believes that it is appropriate to consider a condition in the CUP to replace the fencing with a masonry wall for a more long-term screening, but the applicant wishes to have wood fence screening. During the last residential proximity CUP (2017), the City Council determined that a masonry wall was the most appropriate for a buffer/screen and attached the condition to the CUP (Eldridge Road & West Airport area). It will be important for the Commission to provide feedback on this element. The attached staff report and exhibits provide additional detail with regard to the proposal.
Cc: Justin Schrader, PE, LJA Engineering- JSchrader@LJA.com