Discussion:
Site Information:
Address: 2700 4th Avenue East
Zoning: I-1, Light Industry
Land Use Guiding: Industrial
Lot Area: 8.34 Acres
Property Owner: Scannell Properties
Tom McCary, representing Scannell Properties has appealed a staff decision regarding an amended site plan at the speculative building under construction located at 2700 4th Avenue East in Valley View Business Park 3rd Addition.
Not long after the building permit was issued, Scannell proposed a revised plan for the site that would add truck traffic to Barenscheer Boulevard and Shenandoah Drive. The proposal involves three modifications to the site:
- The addition of a driveway around the east side of the building on Lot 1 to access the shared truck court from Barenscheer Boulevard.
- Placement of a semi-trailer storage area in the current location of a stormwater retention pond. The addition of this trailer storage area requires a conditional use permit for outside storage.
- The placement of required landscaping (43 trees) on an adjacent property, because it can no longer be accommodated on this site. The adjacent property is currently parking and owned by Canterbury Park.
The approved plan has an access to Barenscheer Boulevard in this location for passenger vehicles that is not connected to the truck court (see attached approved site plan). The proposed development of Canterbury Commons contemplates Barenscheer Boulevard being a public street and the latest plan involves a median in this area, which would not allow a left turn into the site from Barenscheer Boulevard. The City is not interested in Barenscheer Boulevard being used as a truck route whether the street is public or private, as 4th Avenue is specifically designed for truck traffic.
The applicant mentions that truck traffic is envisioned to take County Highway 101 to Shenandoah Drive and anticipated truck traffic of 1-2 trucks per day. This route isn't desirable to both Planning and Engineering / Public Works staff, as residential properties are adjacent to Shenandoah Drive, south of 4th Avenue. The truck court already has access to 4th Avenue. 4th Avenue can be accessed via Shenandoah Drive or County Road 83 from both County Highway 101 and US Highway 169. Trucks are able to access this site using regional roadways without passing residential properties or future commercial and entertainment areas. Staff's position is that truck traffic should not be using public streets south of 4th Avenue in this area. The proposed change encourages truck traffic in areas where it is not desirable because of noise, turning movements, and potential traffic conflicts during large events that take place on different days of the week and at different hours of the day.
The proposed lease for Little Caesar's Pizza is for less than 1/3 of the building. Other future tenants of the building are unknown. There are 22 truck dock doors in the first building and there are 16 proposed dock doors in the future 2nd building, where tenants are also unknown. The total square-footage between the two buildings is 261,300 square-feet, which could easily generate more than 1-2 truck trips per day depending on a future tenant. If trucks are not able to turn left into the site from Barenscheer, they could access Barenscheer from County Road 83 (approximately 3/4 mile east), or from the 4th Avenue access drive (1/4 mile east) to turn right.
Staff believes the Board should not grant the appeal based on the following findings:
- The most recent design for Barenscheer Boulevard involves a median in this area, which would not accommodate left turns. A right turn requires trucks to travel either a 1/4 mile or 3/4 mile path on Barenscheer Blvd.
- Canterbury Park has events that generate a significant amount of traffic on both weekdays and weekends at different times of day. It is anticipated that much of this traffic will use Shenandoah and Barenscheer Blvd. Truck traffic during events can cause significant delays.
- A recent traffic study completed for the region by SRF on behalf of the City did not contemplate the proposed truck traffic routes and would have an impact on the regional system that they have design in cooperation with the City and Scott County. Trucks should be on 4th.
- The proposed trailer storage area configuration requires trucks to use Shenandoah Drive and pass existing residential areas.
- The change generates an additional unknown amount of truck traffic on streets where truck traffic is not desired. The future tenants and truck traffic generation are unknown.
- The applicant is required to plant significant landscaping on the site for the size of the buildings and the large number of trees removed. The additional driveway around the building requires 43 trees to be placed on an adjacent property. It is expected that the developer of the adjacent property will want to remove the proposed landscaping, or it would be damaged during construction. Staff does not want to encumber an adjacent property to meet requirements for this site.
- A future trailer storage area will be difficult to screen from Barenscheer Boulevard and would be visible from the Canterbury Commons development.
- A current access to the site from 4th Avenue exists today, which is the city's desired route for trucks.