Agenda - Planning Commission - 09/15/2003 - Special Meeting

Home

CASE REQUEST FOR SITE PLAN REVIEW PACT CHARTER SCHOOL; CASE OF ACADEMIC INVESTMENTS, INC. By: Patrick Trudgeon, AICP, Assistant Community Development Director Background: Academic Investments Inc. has submitted a site plan to construct a two-story, 71,350 square-toot Charter School on Lot 1, Block 1 of the proposed Town Center subdivision. The school will accommodate approximately 560 students from K/nderga~en to 12th Grade. The school is proposed to be located at the southwest quadrant of Ramsey Blvd. and the proposed Ramsey Parkway. The following items are enclosed for your information: a) b) c) d) e) Notification: Site location map Site plan Building elevations PACT Charter School Project Narrative City Staff review letter dated September 12, 2003 Site Plans do not require a public hearing. However, as part Of the site plan approval, a conditional use permit must be issued. The CUP requires a public hearing which will-be held on October 2, 2003. Observations: The site is currently zoned E-2, Employment. However, the City Council is currently in the process of rezoning the Town Center area into new zoning districts; TC-1, TC-2, TC- 3, TC-4, and TC-5. Even though the Town Center Zoning Districts have not been officially adopted, Staff will be using them as a basis for Site Plan review. The school is proposed to be located in TC-3, which allows for educational facilities as a conditional use permit. The public hearing for the Conditional Use Permit will be held at the Planning Commission meeting of October 2, 2003. The site plan will need to comply with any conditions enumerated in the conditional use permit. The new lot to be created as part of the Town Center plat will be 5.35 acres in size. The proposed TC-3 District requires a Floor Area Ratio (F.A.R.) of 0.5. On this particular lot, the F.A.R. requirement would mean that there would have to be 116,523 square feet of building. The school is proposing to have 71,350 square-feet, or a F.A.R. of 0.31. If the area designated fbr playgrounds and tot lots are included (21,616 square feet), the F.A.R. is 0.40. Since the TC Zoning Code is not adopted presently and the fact that a school use has needs fbr open space for recreation and parking, the Planning Commission should discuss allowing a lesser F.A.R. The proposed Town Center Zoning District has setback standards based on the princiPle to have them serve more as "build to" lines than traditional setbacks, This is especially important for the front yard since it is in this area the building presentation to the street is 13