Discussion:
Site Information:
Site Address: 1700 Saint Francis Avenue
Applicant: Jonathan Donavan
Property Owner: Saint Francis Regional Medical Center
Lot Area: 15.61 acres
Current Zoning: B-2, Office with PUD Overlay
2040 Comp. Plan: Mixed Use Employment Center
Jonathan Donovan of Loucks, representing Saint Francis Regional Medical Center, has applied for a PUD Amendment to the South Valley Health Campus PUD and the preliminary and final plat of St. Francis Medical Campus 3rd Addition. The proposed amendment and plat would allow for the construction of an approximately 44,000 square-foot ambulatory surgery center to be operated by Tria Orthopedics.
This proposed development is the first building of the campus to be built south of Saint Francis Avenue and is currently an outlot. The northern part of the site is currently used as overflow and staff parking for the medical campus. The proposed development plan and use of the site as a surgery center complies with the 2040 Comprehensive Plan and the B-2, Office zoning district. A preliminary / final plat is required to construct a building on this site.
Building Design
The proposed building is planned to be constructed out of brick, glass, bronze colored and woodgrain metal panels and cast stone. The proposed materials meet the construction materials requirements and complement the existing buildings of the medical campus. The amount of window coverage meets the requirements of City Code on all facades. Adding additional horizontal design features to different facades and screening wall, such as a band of brick of a contrasting color, will bring the facade into full compliance with the design and materials requirements of City Code.
Site Design
The applicant is proposing pedestrian connections to the following facilities:
- The existing sidewalk along the private driveway entrance from Valley View Road, which is the west side of the surgery center site.
- The existing public sidewalk along Sarazin Street
- A pedestrian connection through the parking lot to the existing crosswalk on St Francis Avenue for the existing campus buildings.
No additional pedestrian connections are necessary.
The applicant provided a traffic study with this application. The traffic study shows that the surrounding roadways are capable of supporting the proposed surgery center.
Proposed vehicle access to the site is in the following locations:
- Two accesses to Saint Francis Avenue (north side of site)
- One access to the private drive entrance drive between Valley View Road and St Francis Avenue (west side of site)
- One access to Sarazin Street (east side of site).
The traffic study proposed possible changes to the site design to enhance circulation, including the removal of one access to Saint Francis Avenue, which Planning and Engineering staff also recommend. The existing eastern access to the parking lot aligns with the driveway to the north for the existing buildings. The removal of the western access allows for additional parking spaces because there would be one less drive aisle through the parking area.
The northern portion of this site is currently an overflow parking lot for the existing campus. The applicant provided a parking study prepared by their engineer that reviewed the number of available parking spaces in the current parking lot on this site at different times on multiple days in January of 2023. The full results and explanation of the study are in the applicant narrative.
The number of cars in the lot during the study varied between 84 at 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday, January 10th to 117 spaces at 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday, January 11, 2023. Based on City Code requirements, the surgery center is required to provide 194 parking stalls.
Staff is comfortable with the applicant's parking study and proposed number of spaces based on the following:
- There are 333 existing parking spaces on the site. Approximately 81 parking spaces will be removed for the development of the site, leaving 252 existing spaces.
- City Code requires 194 spaces for the surgery center (1 space per 225 square-feet for medical / dental clinics).
- The parking study determined a need of 129 spaces in the existing lot, which is based on a 10% increase above the highest number of observed vehicles during the study. 194 required spaces + 129 spaces = 323 total required spaces.
- The applicant is proposing to construct 109 additional new parking stalls, totaling 361 spaces (252 existing spaces + 109 new spaces).
- 361 proposed spaces - 323 required spaces = 38 excess parking spaces, or 11.7% above the requirement.
- Staff is recommending the removal of the western access to St Francis Avenue, which will increase the number of parking spaces in the lot.
Landscaping
The applicant is proposing to develop the building and create additional parking on the lot, which requires additional landscaping. Staff is recommending multiple changes to the landscaping plan, specifically:
- Planting of boulevard trees at a 40' interval along Sarazin Street to match plantings south of this site and to meet City Code. Spacing from existing boulevard trees and utilities may require the 40' interval requirement to be adjusted slightly.
- Adding a second tree to the double landscape islands in the parking lot to comply with the landscaping requirements. Double landscape islands with an existing tree in the center will not be required to have a second tree due to space limitations.
- Increased diversity of tree species to meet City Code requirements for diversity.
- Adding Evergreens south of the loading dock to screen the loading dock area from Valley View Road.
Signage
The applicant is proposing an additional monument sign and two directional signs on the site. Staff is recommending that the signage be generally consistent with the existing sign package of the campus and not exceed the signage area and height of existing entrance and directional signs. Wall signage will be required to meet City Code requirements.
Preliminary / Final Plat Discussion
The entire site is currently an outlot and is required to be platted prior to construction of any buildings. The applicant is proposing to split the lot into two parcels. The proposed eastern lot is intended for the surgery center and the west lot would remain as an outlot. The west lot will be subject to another PUD amendment and need to be final platted at the time of future development. The applicant has not stated a planned use for the western site. No additional public right-of-way is necessary for this plat.