Agenda - Council - 07/12/2022 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Site Plan The proposed school facility has a building footprint of approximately 73,000 square feet and would be two (2) stories. The Applicant has shared recently that the school building may be constructed in phases. This is due in large part to current market conditions related to construction and financing costs. The proposed height would be less than thirty-five(35) feet,which is the maximum allowed. Parking would be provided on all four sides of the school. The proposal also includes an athletic field north of the school,track and field areas. The building appears to exceed all required setbacks from property lines, as do the proposed parking and maneuvering areas,with the exception of the eastern property boundary(common lot line between the school and the future church site). On May 26,2022, the Planning Commission did approve a variance for a reduced parking and maneuvering area setback along the eastern boundary Lot 1, Block 1. Building Architecture The exterior finish of the school will include a combination of color integrated precast concrete panels, a small percentage of metal paneling as an accent, and windows. Additionally, a waste enclosure is also proposed and would consist of Concrete Masonry Units (CMUs)with composite wood decking boards for a gate. The Site Plan does identify an area abutting,but outside,the waste enclosure, as a'Farm Bin'. Staff has asked for clarification on what this is and why it is outside the enclosure. The exterior finish materials of the school and waste enclosure meet the standards of the B-1 General Business District. Streets and Access There are no new roads proposed. The Subject Property is between Armstrong Boulevard(Minor Arterial) and Variolite Street(Major Collector) and will be accessed from 161 st Avenue(a Municipal State Aid or MSA street, which are generally designed or intended for higher volumes of traffic than typical local roads). There are two (2) proposed access points on 161 st Avenue. The eastern access will serve as the bus entrance and ingress/egress for pick-up/drop-off and staff parking. The western access will serve as the bus exit and ingress/egress for the student drivers. A third access was shown as part of the Conceptual Site Plan in February of this year,but that has since been eliminated. At the May 26, 2022 meeting, the Planning Commission directed the Applicant to analyze the potential of a 'right-in/out'bus only access off of Variolite Street. The Applicant's Traffic Engineer provided a response to the bus only access to Variolite, and did not support this. City Engineering Staff also do not support an access on Variolite Street due to safety concerns associated with the restricted sight distance related to the vertical curvature of Variolite Street. A ten(10) foot wide bituminous trail is required from Variolite Street to the eastern boundary of Central Park. While the plans were updated to provide sidewalks adjacent to each vehicle entrance, including crosswalks connecting to the school,the plans still do not show the required trail along 161 st Avenue. The City is currently reviewing options for the reconstruction of 161 st Avenue, as either a 2023 or 2024 project(scheduled for 2024 but would make sense to bump it up to 2023). The reconstruction will include the 10-foot bituminous trail,but it should be reflected on the plans. If the installation of the public trail results in significant tree loss in this green space, which is likely, Staff would recommend that PACT install a 3-4 foot tall berm that is densely landscaped. This would help provide some visual relief for the neighbors south of 161 st Avenue. Parking The Applicant provided a summary of parking needs and proposed parking. At full capacity,PACT anticipates a student population of 790 students, 130 full-time faculty and staff, and another roughly 30 part-time staff. PACT anticipates about fifteen percent(15%) of the student population will drive themselves to school with the remainder of the students riding the bus (60%) or getting dropped off and picked up by parents (25%). The Site Plan includes a total of 291 parking stalls. While City Code does not specifically address parking requirements for schools, this does seem reasonable. The Applicant's narrative also indicates that there are ongoing discussions with Saint Katharine Drexel Church about the possibility of shared parking for events. The typical operating hours of the two uses would be offsetting and thus,this seems like a reasonable approach to accommodate various events. A Shared Parking Agreement