Agenda - Planning Commission - 04/25/2024

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Channel -letter "Norhart" signage on the fifth floor along the northwest side of the building, measuring approximately 51 square feet in area. Channel -letter "n" (Norhart's logo) on the ground floor along the west side of the building, measuring approximately 100 square feet in area. The generic "Retail" sign noted on the south and west elevations will be the location of the retail tenants signs. Two freestanding monument signs, each measuring 10 feet tall, with a base of 6 feet in width and 1.5 feet in length. Each sign face will measure approximately 60 square feet in area. One sign will be located at the southwest corner of the site, at the intersection of Sunwood Drive and the shared driveway with Home2Suites; The other sign will be located at the northeast corner of the site, at the intersection of Ramsey Parkway and Zeolite Street. The total proposed signage is 316 square feet for wall signage, divided between 8 total signs, and 240 square feet of display area on the two freestanding monument signs. It is recommended that the proposed sign package be approved. Landscape Plan As noted in the Environmental Policy Board's (EPB) recommendation from March 18, there are no significant trees on the Subject Property and therefore, there was no need for an inventory or preservation plan. The Environmental Policy Board may recall that much of the remaining vacant land in The COR was cleared and grubbed last fall. The proposed landscaping for this project includes forty-five (45) new trees. The combination of plantings for the hotel project, this project, and the Waterfront Village detached townhome project (north of the Subject Property), along with the City's improvements to The Waterfront, which also includes plantings, will ultimately exceed the reforestation requirements from the clearing and grubbing activities last fall. The landscape plan includes a combination of deciduous trees and both evergreen and deciduous shrubs. The perimeter of the site (all views from public roads and entrances) is well landscaped. Staff had recommended enlarging the parking lot islands to accommodate trees, which would not only provide some shade but also break up the parking lot with some visual relief. However, this would result in the loss of parking spaces, which would drop below the minimum number of stalls required. In lieu of installing trees, Staff has recommended increasing the number of shrubs in these islands. Staff provided a few other minor comments regarding the Landscape Plan, most specifically limiting plantings in the boulevard along Zeolite Street to include only trees (no shrubs) and to utilize a species from the Connector Street pool of species outlined in The COR Design Framework. Lighting Plan Section 106-310 of City Code provides lighting regulations for all developments in the City. All photometric readings will measure less than 0.5 footcandles at the property line and will measure at least 1.0 footcandle throughout the parking lot in compliance with City Code. All lighting must be downcast and shielded. The proposed lighting plan shows a 27-foot mounting. It is recommended that the plans be modified to use a 20-foot mounting to match Home2Suites to the south. Additional light poles are likely required to meet the light levels. Utilities The building will be connected to municipal water via a stub along the south edge of the property, and connected to sanitary sewer via a stub to the north along Ramsey Parkway, which will be constructed as part of COR Infrastructure Project currently underway. Stormwater Management All stormwater from the site will be directed into a network of pipes that flow into the large regional retention basin in Waterfront Park then into the regional infiltration basin at the southeast portion of the COR. A separate system of pipes will collect stormwater from a trench drain at the bottom of the parking garage ramp. This will help prevent back-up and overflow of stormwater pipes during high -precipitation weather events. The Applicant will contribute the cost of constructing a storm water basin on -site into the regional basin. Zoning Map Amendment The Subject Property was rezoned to COR-4b back in November 2023 to accommodate the Waterfront Village development to the north, since the Subject Property was included as part of that larger parcel at that time. However, the COR-4b zoning district allows mutli-family residential uses, but only to a density of 4 to 15 units per acre. The COR-4c zoning district allows 15 or more units per acre, with a theoretical maximum density of 75 units per acre, as defined by the City's 2040 Comprehensive Plan. The only other instance of the COR-4c zoning district in the City is Greenway Terrace Apartments, which was approved in