PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION AGENDA ITEM
ACTION REQUESTED:
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Conduct the public hearing to consider a major change to the Bradford Commons PUD to grant a conditional use to permit a daycare center and a final PUD plat with deviations for parking, stacking, and the setback for a monument sign for the subject property located at 2719 Beebe Drive (KLA School) - PZC 21-1-034
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DEPARTMENT: Transportation, Engineering and Development
SUBMITTED BY: Erin Venard, AICP
ENTITLEMENTS REQUESTED:
• Major Change to a Planned Unit Development & PUD Plat (Section 6-4-6, Changes to a Final PUD)
• PUD Deviations (Section 6-4-6, Changes to a Final PUD)
o Reduce the required number of off-street parking spaces (Section 6-9-3:6 Schedule of Off-Street Parking Requirements)
o Reduce the required number of stacking spaces for a daycare (Section 6-9-3:6 Schedule of Off-Street Parking Requirements)
o Reduce the interior yard setback for a monument sign (Section 6-16-5:2.2.5.3: Signs on Commercial and Institutional Property: Setbacks)
• Conditional Use to permit a daycare (Section 6-7B-3, B2 Conditional Uses)
• Final Subdivision Plat (Section 7-2-2, Subdivision Plat Procedures)
BOARD/COMMISSION REVIEW:
Official notice for the public hearing for PZC 21-1-034 was published in the Daily Herald on April 5, 2021.
BACKGROUND:
The subject property is located at the northwest corner of the curve of Beebe Drive and has a common address of 2719 Beebe Drive. It is zoned B2 (Community Shopping Center District) Planned Unit Development and is currently vacant. In 2002, the subject property was platted as Lot 2 of the Brach Brodie Farm Unit 1 Planned Unit Development (PUD) per Ordinance 02-191. A major change to the PUD was granted in 2005 and the subject property was re-platted as Lots 5 and 6 of the Bradford Commons PUD per Ordinance 05-171.
The petitioner, ARS Estate LLC, requests a major change to the Bradford Commons PUD to grant a conditional use to permit a daycare center in B2 and a final PUD plat with deviations to reduce the required parking, stacking, and monument sign setback on the subject property. The petitioner also requests to subdivide Lot 5 and Lot 6 of Bradford Commons in order to resize the lots, reducing the size of Lot 5 (now named Lot 1 of Bradford Commons Resubdivision) and an increasing the size of Lot 6 (now named Lot 2 of Bradford Commons Resubdivision). The petitioner intends to purchase Lot 1 in order to construct a 12,800 square foot building to be utilized as a daycare center. The newly created Lot 2 will remain vacant to be sold at a future date.
DISCUSSION:
Conditional Use for a Daycare
The petitioner requests approval of a conditional use to permit a daycare in the B2 (Community Shopping Center) District per Section 6-7B-3 (B2 District: Conditional Uses) <https://library.municode.com/il/naperville/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=TIT6ZORE_CH7BUDI_ARTBB2COSHCEDI_6-7B-3COUS>. The petitioner intends to develop the subject property with a 12,800 square foot daycare center and an associated 9,000 square foot outdoor playground. 40 surface parking spaces will be located on-site. A right in/right out access point is located on the east side on Beebe Drive. Additional access is provided on the west side of the property from the X-Sport parking lot.
Staff finds the proposed use is compatible with the intent of the B2 district to accommodate a wider range of uses for both daily and occasional shopping and is complimentary to uses within the existing PUD (i.e. X-Sport fitness center, Costco, etc.). The petitioner’s responses to the standards for granting a conditional use are attached. Upon review, staff agrees with the petitioner’s findings and recommends their adoption by the Planning and Zoning Commission.
Major Change & Final PUD Plat
As noted above, the subject property is part of the Bradford Commons PUD and the petitioner is requesting a conditional use to permit a daycare center on subject property. Per Section 6-4-6:1 (Changes to Final Planned Unit Development: Major Change) <https://www.municode.com/library/il/naperville/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=TIT6ZORE_CH4PLUNDE_6-4-6CHFIPLUNDE>, the conditional use request requires approval of a major change to the PUD. The following deviations are requested in conjunction with the PUD plat:
• Off-Street Parking: The petitioner is requesting a deviation to reduce the required number of off-street parking spaces per Section 6-9-3:6 (Schedule of Off-Street Parking Requirements) <https://library.municode.com/il/naperville/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=TIT6ZORE_CH9OFSTPA_6-9-3SCOFSTPARE>. Per Code, a daycare center is required to provide 4 parking spaces per 1,000 square feet of gross floor area. The proposed daycare center, at 12,800 square feet in size, is required to have 51 parking spaces on site. Per the proposed site plan, 40 parking spaces are provided for a deficit of 11 spaces.
To support the deviation request, the petitioner has supplied parking counts from the existing KLA Schools locations in Plainfield and in Naperville on Tuthill Road. Parking counts were taken at regular intervals over 4 separate days in January of 2021 and verified with the schools’ video cameras. The parking counts, adjusted for non-Covid time capacities, demonstrated that the 40 proposed parking spaces will sufficiently accommodate the peak parking demand at both schools. Per the submitted counts, peak parking demand at the similarly sized Naperville-Tuthill campus was 34 cars; peak parking demand at the larger Plainfield campus was 40 cars.
In order to accommodate any potential overflow parking, the petitioner has secured a reciprocal easement agreement with an adjacent property owner (X-Sport Fitness) for the use of 50 parking spaces. It is important to note that certain elements of the petitioner’s site design, including the curved parking lot access drive on the west side of the subject property, were requested by staff. Staff requested that the parking lot access drive on the subject property be aligned with the X-Sport parking lot drive aisle to the west. This alignment resulted in the curved nature of the access drive and the loss of approximately 10 spaces. For these reasons, staff is in support of the request for a deviation to reduce the required number of off-street parking spaces subject to the following condition:
If the City’s Zoning Administrator determines that the petitioner’s parking needs cannot be accommodated within the parking on the subject property, the petitioner shall take adequate measures to meet the parking needs, including but not limited to formally assigning/reserving parking spaces for each employee, assigning a staff member to monitor student drop off and pick up times, establishing an overflow parking location off-site, or constructing additional parking spaces, which shall be subject to the review and approval of the Zoning Administrator. Failure to timely take adequate measures to adequately accommodate the owner’s parking needs may result in the City’s revocation of the parking deviation.
• Stacking Requirement: The petitioner is also requesting a deviation from Section 6-9-3:6 (Schedule of Off-Street Parking Requirements) <https://library.municode.com/il/naperville/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=TIT6ZORE_CH9OFSTPA_6-9-3SCOFSTPARE> to eliminate the stacking requirement for a daycare center. Per Code, a daycare center over 10,000 square feet is required to provide 10 stacking spaces for vehicles. For safety reasons, KLA Schools requires parents and guardians to escort students on and off campus. Staff is in support of the request for a deviation as the school does not permit vehicular drop off and pick up, thus eliminating the need for vehicle stacking spaces.
• Monument Sign Setback: The petitioner is requesting a deviation to permit a monument sign located less than 40’ from an interior property line per Section 6-16-5:2.2.5.3 (Signs on Commercial and Institutional Property: Ground Signs: Setbacks) <https://www.municode.com/library/il/naperville/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=TIT6ZORE_CH16SI_6-16-5SICOINPR>. The petitioner is proposing two monument signs; one each on the east and south portions of Beebe Drive. The monument sign on the south portion of Beebe Drive is located approximately 15’ from the interior (west) property line, encroaching 25’ into the setback.
A monument sign is permitted to be located on a property with 100’ of lot frontage provided it is oriented perpendicular to the eligible frontage per Section 6-15-6:2.2.1 (Signs: Ground Signs) <https://library.municode.com/il/naperville/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=TIT6ZORE_CH16SI>. Eligible frontage is defined as “a strip or extension of land abutting a public or private roadway (excluding drive aisles).” In this case, the west property line is classified as an interior property because it abuts the X-Sport property to the west. The entrance drive between the subject property and the X-Sport property is a drive aisle; however, it acts similarly to a private drive as it connects Beebe Drive on the south to Fitness Drive on the north and is separated from the parking spaces by landscape islands.
The proposed sign meets all other Code requirements, does not encroach in any easements, and will not result in a site distance conflict for drivers. For these reasons, staff is in support of the reduced setback.
The petitioner’s responses to the standards for amending a PUD and the standards for approving a PUD deviation are attached. Upon review, staff is in agreement with the petitioner’s findings and recommends their adoption by the Planning and Zoning Commission.
Final Plat of Subdivision
The petitioner also requests approval of the Final Plat of Subdivision for Bradford Commons Resubdivision in order to resize Lot 5 and Lot 6. Lot 5 (now Lot 1 of Bradford Commons Resubdivision) will be reduced in size from 2.0 to 1.2 acres and Lot 6 (now Lot 2 of Bradford Commons Resubdivision) will be increased in size from 1.4 to 2.2 acres. The petitioner intends to purchase the newly created Lot 1 to construct the daycare center. Lot 2 will remain vacant.
Staff finds that the proposed final plat of subdivision meets all technical requirements. It should be noted that the subdivision is not reviewed by the Planning and Zoning Commission. Information on the final plat of subdivision is provided for reference; the request will be reviewed by City Council at a subsequent meeting date.
Building Design
The proposed single-story building will be constructed with exterior finishes of light-toned brick and gray cast stone. Metal canopies will extend over the windows and wood accents are intended to provide interest near the front entryway. The roof top mechanical units are screened by the parapet wall as required per Section 5-10-3:12 (Landscaping and Screening: Rooftop Structures and Equipment). Staff is in support of the proposed elevations as they utilize high quality building materials and four-sided architecture and are consistent with the Citywide Building Design Guidelines.
Key Takeaways
• The petitioner requests approval of PZC 21-1-034, a major change to the Bradford Commons PUD to grant a conditional use to permit a daycare center and a final PUD plat with deviations for parking, stacking, and the setback for a monument sign for KLA Schools.
• Staff recommends approval of the major change to permit a conditional use to permit a daycare as the use is compatible with the surrounding PUD and the intent of the B2 District.
• Staff also recommends approval the PUD plat and associated deviations. The deviation to reduce the required parking is supported by the provided parking counts and the availability of adjacent off-site parking spaces. The deviation to eliminate the required stacking spaces is valid because the petitioner does not permit vehicular drop off/pick up. Finally, staff supports the deviation to reduce the interior monument setback due to the layout of the PUD.