To: Mark Hafner, City Manager
From: David Hawkins, Planning Manager
Subject:
Title
Consider a resolution approving a Preliminary Site Evaluation, with variances, for Liberty Hills Farms Estates, a proposed residential subdivision, with variances, consisting of seven (7) residential lots, located on a 7.06-acre tract of land, being Lots 1, 2R, and 3, Block 1, Hungry Heights Addition and Tract 2AE and 2E of the Daniel Bancroft Survey, Abstract No. 141, located on the north and northeast side of Mount Gilead Road, approximately 1,270 feet north of the Mount Gilead Road and Bancroft Road intersection, at 1301, 1305, and 1307 Mount Gilead Road, and zoned SF-36 (Single Family Residential-36,000 square foot minimum). Ross Brensinger, Deborah Wolfe, and Briar Pointe LP, owners/applicants. Thomas Hoover Engineering, LLC engineer. (PSE-17-0003)
Body
Action Requested:
Consider a resolution approving a Preliminary Site Evaluation, with variances, for Liberty Hills Farms Estates, a proposed residential subdivision consisting of seven (7) residential lots.
Current Zoning:
SF-36 (Single Family Residential, 36,000 square-foot minimum lot size)
Background:
The property consists of three (3) lots and two (2) tracts of land. The lots were previously platted as Lots 1, 2R, and 3, Hungry Heights Addition. This plat was approved by the Keller City Council on December 3, 1985. A copy of the Hungry Heights plat is enclosed with the “Staff Attachment”. A home exists on Lot 2R per our most recent aerial images.
Analysis:
The purpose of the Preliminary Site Evaluation is to show how the subject property is to be subdivided in accordance with the UDC with the exception of four (4) variances being requested by the applicant.
1. To waive the requirement of a divided entry to Mount Gilead Road and instead use a flush stamped concrete pattern.
2. To waive the requirement of the landscaping and screening wall requirements for residential subdivisions
3. To waive the sidewalk requirement for both sides of the street.
4. To waive the detention requirements for a residential subdivision.
The Preliminary Site Evaluation also illustrates how these lots would be served by water, sewer, and street access and also addresses the drainage and paving improvements for this development. If approved, Civil plans for the water, sewer, street, and drainage improvements would have to be submitted to the City for review and receive approval before any construction can begin. A residential replat will also be required.
The SF-36 zoning minimum lot size is 36,000 square feet. There are seven (7) residential lots proposed in which the lots sizes range from 36,007 square feet to 42,095 square feet.
All setback requirements meet the requirements of the SF-36 zoning district and UDC.
Lot 1 will have a twenty-foot (20’) side yard setback due to the adjacency to a thoroughfare (Mount Gilead Road). The front setback for Lot 1 has been increased from Mount Gilead in order to meet the minimum lot width of one hundred forty feet (140’).
Lots 5-7 have a ninety-five foot (95’) front setback to ensure building will be placed at least thirty five feet (35’) from the inside edge of the access easement.
Section 5.13 (B) states that lots shall have a minimum of fifty feet (50’) of frontage along a dedicated street or public access easement. Lot 1 will be accessed from Mount Gilead, Lots 2-4 will have frontage on the proposed street, Liberty Hill Drive, and Lots 5-7 will have access from an access easement and driveway from Liberty Hill Drive.
Entry Features:
Section 5.03 (M.2.b) of the UDC states that propose street connections to a thoroughfare shall provide ten-foot (10’) of extra ROW and five feet (5’) of additional pavement for easier turning. The entrance shall also provide a divided entry with a raised landscaped island/median.
Variance Request:
1. The applicant is requesting a variance to waive the requirement for the added ROW and pavement width at the proposed Liberty Hill Drive and Mount Gilead Road street connection. The applicant is also requesting to waive the requirement for a divided entry. The applicant is proposing to install a stamped concrete pattern to be flush with the street pavement at the entrance.
Screening Wall and Landscaping:
Section 5.10 (A) of the UDC states that a screening wall is required in all residential subdivisions platted with rear or side yards adjacent to collector streets. The section of Mount Gilead Road adjacent to the proposed development is scheduled to be a three-lane collector. Lot 1 is the only lot to have a side yard adjacent to Mount Gilead.
Section 5.10 (B) states that trees are required within a ten-foot (10’) landscaping and screening wall buffer spaced at a distance to accommodate the mature canopy width.
Variance Request:
2. The applicant is requesting to waive the screening wall and landscaping requirements. Lot 1 is the only lot with applicable side yard exposure to the street.
Streets, Easement & Land Dedication:
All streets are planned to be public and maintained by the City of Keller. The design of the street is guided by UDC Section 5.23, Design and Technical Construction Standards. Deviations from these standards may be considered by the Director of Public Works or the City Engineer.
The applicant is proposing a rural street design with thirty feet (30’) edge to edge without curbs or gutters. The width of the right of way would be sixty feet (60’). Public Works has approved the proposed street design. No variance would need to be considered by the Planning and Zoning Commission or City Council.
Point of Access:
Section 5.03 (G) of the UDC states that developments with less than twenty (20) lots may be served with a single point of access if the dead end street does not exceed six hundred feet (600’) unless additional fire protection is provided and approved by the Fire Marshal.
The proposed Liberty Hill Drive cul-de-sac will be five hundred forty-eight feet (548’) from the center line of Mount Gilead. An access easement will branch off from the street to serve three (3) lots. Residential fire suppression systems will be required for Lots 5-7. A fire hydrant will also be installed near the northern property line of Lot 5. No variances will be required.
Sidewalks:
Section 5.06 (B) of the UDC states that sidewalks no less than four feet (4’) wide shall be constructed adjacent to all residential streets.
Variance Request:
3. The applicant is requesting a waiver to the sidewalk requirement and to install a rural road with a drainage ditch on the north side of the road.
Tree Preservation:
A tree survey has been submitted with this application. An aerial with the Preliminary Site Evaluation overlay has also been included. A tree preservation plan will be submitted with the civil construction plans prior to final plat application.
Drainage & Utilities:
UDC Section 5.23 - Design and Technical Construction Standards allows for the Director of Public Works to consider variances to Sections 5.32, 5.24, 5.25, within the Design and Technical Construction Standards.
Section 4.25 (A.3) - Drainage System Improvements, specifies the minimum requirements for drainage system improvements including: limiting surface runoff from residential lots (lot to lot drainage), setting minimum design standards for lot grading and drainage improvements, and minimum detention requirements.
Variance Request:
4. The applicant has requested a variance to the residential detention requirements in order to preserve trees which would be required to be removed for the installation of a drainage pond and/or grading of the lots to manage drainage
Existing Roadway Access:
Mount Gilead Road, a two (2) lane collector (designated as four (4) lanes).
Surrounding Land Uses & Zoning:
North, South, East, West: Single Family Residential, zoned SF-36.
Summary:
There are four (4) variances being requested:
1. To waive the requirement of a divided entry with a raised landscaped island/median.
2. To waive the screening wall and landscaping requirements for residential subdivisions.
3. To waive the sidewalk requirement for residential streets.
4. To waive the detention requirements for residential subdivisions.
Citizen Input:
A UDC variance application does not require a public hearing, so no public hearing notifications were sent out to the surrounding property owners for this request. There has been no response from the public to this application. The public will have an opportunity to speak on this agenda item at the “Persons To Be Heard”.
Professional Opinion:
Staff analysis of the variances requested have been provided in bold text.
1. To waive the requirement of a divided entry with a raised landscaped island/median.
Staff is not supporting this variance request. The S-curve of Mount Gilead Road and the location of the neighborhood entrance would benefit more from the wider entrance and turn lanes. The divided entry would also be one of the few identifiers of the subdivision.
2. To waive the screening wall and landscaping requirements for residential subdivisions.
Staff is in support of this variance request. There is only one hundred feet (100’) of adjacency to Mount Gilead Road which would require the installation of landscaping and the screening wall. Staff does not feel that a freestanding wall with no ability to tie into adjacent development would be beneficial to this subdivision.
3. To waive the sidewalk requirement for residential streets.
Staff is in support of this request. The applicant intends to utilize a rural street design with bar ditches and without curbs or gutters.
4. To waive the detention requirements for residential subdivisions.
Staff is not in support of this variance request. The Director of Public Works considered this request during staff review and it is the opinion of staff that the increased flow without detention, as proposed, would exceed acceptable flow rates of water onto adjacent properties.
Staff is forwarding this Preliminary Site Evaluation application for consideration by the City Council with the following variances:
1. The variance request to waive the requirement of a divided entry with a raised landscaped island/median to be considered.
2. The variance request to waive the screening wall and landscaping requirements for residential subdivisions to be considered.
3. The variance request to waive the sidewalk requirement for residential streets to be considered.
4. The variance to waive the detention requirements for residential subdivisions shall be considered.
Board Review:
The Planning and Zoning Commission considered this application on July, 10, 2017 and have provided a recommendation to approve with a vote of 7-0:
1. The variance request to waive the requirement of a divided entry with a raised landscaped island/median shall be allowed.
2. The variance request to waive the screening wall and landscaping requirements for residential subdivisions shall be allowed.
3. The variance request to waive the sidewalk requirement for residential streets shall be allowed.
4. The variance to waive the detention requirements for residential subdivisions for Lots 1-4 only shall be allowed.
City Council Action:
- Approve as submitted (with requested variances)
- Approve with modifications or additional condition(s)
- Tabling the agenda item to a specific date with clarification of intent and purpose
- Deny