Memorandum

City of Lawrence

Planning Department

 

To:

Lawrence City Commission

From:

Lisa Pool, Planner II

CC:

Dave Corliss, City Manager

Debbie Van Saun, Assistant City Manager

Sheila Stogsdill, Interim Planning Director

Date:

October 17, 2006

RE:

Plan Revision for the Preliminary Development Plan for Wal-Mart; 6th and Wakarusa (PDP-06-06-06)

 

During its August 30, 2006 meeting, the Lawrence-Douglas County Metropolitan Planning Commission voted 5-5 to recommend approval of the Preliminary Development Plan for Wal-Mart, subject to several conditions; therefore the plan was denied. Since that time, the applicant has revised the Preliminary Development Plan to meet the conditions of approval. All conditions of approval have been satisfied or are in the process of being satisfied. The following list comprises the original list of staff-recommended conditions of approval. In some cases, further explanation has been provided regarding how alternate provisions have been utilized to meet a condition or how a condition has been met:

 

1.      Revision of the Retail Market Study per approval of City staff.

The Retail Market Study has been revised to meet staff’s approval.

2.      Revision of the Traffic Impact Study per approval of City staff.

3.      Submission of a tree survey to determine if existing trees should be retained and the retention of trees on site if warranted per the Commercial Design Guidelines.

A note has been included on sheet 1 of the Landscape Plan, stating that existing trees will be preserved as noted in the August 29, 2006 tree survey submitted by SCA. The cover letter states that 10-15 trees are healthy enough to be retained with the project.

4.      Revision of the plan to include the following:

a)      Reconfiguration of the northern curb cut radius to the approval of the City Engineer.

The applicant is working with the City Engineer to revise the curb cut radius to meet staff’s concerns.

b)      Notation of an existing 6-foot wide, not 5-foot, sidewalk along the north side of W. 6th Street.

c)      Notation of reconstruction of the existing 5-foot wide sidewalk along the west side of Wakarusa Drive to a 10-foot wide recreation path.

d)      Dimensioned setbacks from the periphery boundary or periphery street rights-of-way per City standards.

e)      A note, stating that the ADA building entrances will be constructed to zero entry.

f)        Preservation of right-of-way for the future installation of a transit shelter and wheelchair landing pads on 6th Street.

g)      Addition of landscaping, i.e. shrubs or greenery that will not interfere with pedestrian flow, within the parking lot islands directly west of the Wal-Mart building.

h)      Addition of groundcover or shrubs within the landscape island at the south end of the row of parking which includes 19 spaces in the Wal-Mart parking lot.

i)         A note, stating that occupancy permits for proposed buildings will not be issued until the required public drainage improvements are complete, final inspected and accepted by the Public Works Department.

j)        A note, specifying that all curb inlets will be constructed per City storm sewer standard details.

k)      A note, stating that Per City Code Section 9-903(B), a stormwater pollution prevention plan (SWP3) must be provided for this project. This project will not be released for building permits until an approved SWP3 has been obtained. Construction activity, including soil disturbance or removal of vegetation shall not commence until an approved SWP3 has been obtained.

l)         A note, stating that the 10’ x 10’ box culvert underground detention basin will be privately-owned and maintained.

This note has not been added to the plan, as underground detention is no longer proposed. If the rezoning application for Block 2, Lot 2A to OS (Open Space) is denied, the note will need to be added to plan.

m)    A note, stating that exterior building materials will be constructed within 9 inches of finished grade.

n)      A note, stating that native materials will be utilized for at least 30% of all building exteriors.

This note has been added to the plan. At least 30% of the exterior of the Wal-Mart building will include brick and stone veneer and wood. Staff accepts the use of brick and stone veneer as meeting the spirit of the native building materials requirement.

o)      Additional site amenities such as seating areas, public art, or fountains, abutting the Wal-Mart and pad site buildings.

Benches have been added abutting the Wal-Mart building. A note has been included on the plan, stating that site amenities for the pad site buildings will be included on the final development plan.

p)      A note, stating how pedestrian pathways will be differentiated when crossing drive aisles and driveways (pavers, paint, etc…).

q)      Addition of special markings or pavers to differentiate the pedestrian pathway from the 1,800-square foot building to the sidewalk across the driveway to the west.

r)       Inclusion of pervious surfacing for 50% of the parking areas which exceed the minimum parking requirements.

50% of the project’s parking spaces exceeding the minimum parking requirements are not constructed utilizing pervious surfacing; however 35 parking spaces within the Wal-Mart parking lot are proposed to be constructed with green pavers. 35 parking spaces comprise 30% of the site’s excess parking spaces. As the Design Guidelines state that the permeable surfacing requirement may be waived if excess interior parking lot landscaping is provided equal in area to the number of permeable parking spaces otherwise required, no additional permeable pavement is required. The Wal-Mart parking lot alone includes 11,368 square feet of excess interior greenspace.

s)       Inclusion of weather protection within 30 feet of all customer entryways.

Weather protection is provided for the Wal-Mart building. A note has been included on the plan, stating that weather protection for the pad site buildings will be included on the final development plan.

t)       Inclusion of focal points within 200 feet of the intersection of two streets.

u)      Inclusion of pedestrian-scaled lighting along pedestrian walkways.

Bollard lighting will be added along the sidewalk at the south end of the Wal-Mart parking lot. Other sidewalk portions will be lit via parking lot or building-mounted lighting.

v)      Inclusion of building foundation plantings for the pad site buildings and additional building foundation plantings for the Wal-Mart store.

Additional building foundation plantings have been added for the Wal-Mart building. A note has been included on the plan, stating that site amenities for the pad site buildings will be included on the final development plan.

w)     A note, stating that the pad site buildings shall be constructed with the same level of architectural standards as the Wal-Mart store, as determined by Planning Staff.

x)      Elimination of the 19 parking spaces along the eastern side of the north-south driveway. Greenspace should replace these spaces.

y)      With the elimination of the 9 parking spaces to the west of the 1,800-square foot building, revision of the lot lines for Lot 4C, Block 2 to include the minimum number of required parking spaces.

z)       Relocation of the 7,300-square foot building from the northwest corner of the southeast pad site to the northeast corner.

aa)   Addition of pedestrian connectivity (via sidewalks and special markers/pavement) from the relocated 7,300-square foot building to the 7,400-square foot building on the southeast corner of the site.

bb)  Elimination of the 35 parking spaces running east-west along the southernmost edge of the Wal-Mart parking lot. Greenspace should replace these spaces.

         The 35 parking spaces have not been eliminated along the southernmost edge of the Wal-Mart building; however, green pavers will be utilized for the surfacing of these spaces. Staff accepts the use of pavers as fulfillment of this condition.

cc)   Addition of a north-south pedestrian pathway running from the southernmost internal sidewalk to the Wal-Mart building. This pathway should be placed between the north-south rows of 33 parking spaces.

A north-south pedestrian has not been added through the Wal-Mart parking lot; however, an additional sidewalk portion has been added along the east side of the project’s north-south driveway. A sidewalk portion will also be constructed along the west side of the north-south driveway. Staff accepts the addition of a sidewalk portion along the east side of the north-south driveway as fulfillment of this condition.

 

In addition to the above-referenced development plan revisions, the applicant has also applied for a rezoning from the PRD (Planned Residential Development) District to the OS (Open Space) District for the lot at the southeast corner of Congressional and Overland Drives. The applicant proposes to utilize this lot as an open-air detention basin for all lots north of W. 6th Street, between Overland Drive and Wakarusa Drive, south of Overland Drive, as well as approximately 22 acres west of Congressional Drive. The previous plan included an underground detention basin, which would be located beneath the loading area for the Wal-Mart store. If the rezoning request is not approved, the original proposal for underground detention will be utilized.

 

Staff supports the revision of the plan to include the proposed open-air detention area. It is important to note that the City’s stormwater engineer has approved the revised drainage study which reflects the new location of the detention area.

 

Regarding the change in detention area location, an additional condition should be added to the list of conditions of approval. Condition #4dd should read as follows:

dd)  A note, stating that off-site detention will be provided, subject to the approval of a rezoning request from PRD (Planned Residential Development) District to OS (Open Space) District for Block 2, Lot 2A of Wakarusa Place Addition, or underground detention will be installed on-site.

This note has been added to the plan.