DATE: May 17, 2017
TO: Franklin Municipal Planning Commission
FROM: Brad Baumgartner, Senior Planner
Amy Diaz-Barriga, Current Planning Supervisor
Emily Hunter, Director of Planning and Sustainability
Subject
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Carothers Development Property Subdivision, Site Plan, Lot 3 (Prime Health Office Building), A 61,974 Square Foot Medical Office Building On 3.53 Acres, With 1 Design Modification (Primary Entrance Orientation), Located On the South Side of Liberty Pike and East of Carothers Parkway At 1217 Liberty Pike.
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Project Information
COF Project Number: 6323
Applicant: Adam Crunk, Crunk Engineering
Owner: Ray Morris
Background/Staff Comments
The applicant is proposing a site plan for a medical office building consisting of 61,974 square feet. The structure will be accessed from the private road to the east and also from Liberty Pike. There is an incompatible land use buffer to the south of the property, to buffer the residential from this office use. The applicant is asking for one design modification.
Design Modifications
The applicant is requesting one design modification from the Zoning Ordinance, to allow a front entrance orientation that does not face Liberty Pike. Section 5.3.6 (b) (i) of the Zoning Ordinance states, “The primary façade of a building shall be parallel to the street they front unless an alternate orientation is consistent with existing adjacent development.”
The Zoning Ordinance allows the Planning Commission to grant a design modification from Section 5.3, provided that the applicant has presented sufficient justification and documentation that:
1. The design modification will not be detrimental to the public safety, health, or welfare, or injurious to other property or improvements in the neighborhood in which the property is located;
2. The conditions upon which the request is based are unique to the design intent for the development which the design modifications are sought and are not applicable generally to other property;
3. The design modification is necessary because of the particular design intent of the development, which would not be achievable if strict adherence to these requirements was carried out; and
4. The design modification will not vary the provisions of the Franklin Land Use Plan.
The applicant’s statements regarding the findings can be found on the cover sheet of the site plan.
Staff agrees with the applicant’s statement on the first finding, that the request is not detrimental to public health, safety, or welfare (#1).
In regards to the second finding, the applicant describes that this is a unique situation where the site is not immediately bounded on the north by Liberty Pike, as there is a lot between the arterial street and this proposed building lot. If that lot on Liberty were to develop, the rear of that building would face the required primary entrance of this proposed building. However, staff finds that there are no unique conditions that directly dictate the request for a design modification, as many other lots in Franklin have buildings facing an arterial street with outparcels located between these buildings and street. The Jones Company building to the east faces the internal private drive, rather than Liberty Pike, but that development was approved under a previous Zoning Ordinance. Envision Franklin and our current Zoning Ordinance would require any future development along Liberty Pike, including the vacant lots west of this site, to be oriented towards Liberty Pike, rather than a side drive. (#2).
Staff understands the applicant’s desire to have a “main” entrance facing the private drive, and, therefore, staff has asked that a door of similar presence also face Liberty Pike to establish a primary presence on the arterial street (Liberty), particularly, in the case that a structure is not built between this building and Liberty Pike on the small outparcel. Staff believes that both the applicant’s design intent and Zoning Ordinance standard could be met under this scenario. However, due to the specific nature of the proposed tenant’s business, which handles sensitive information, the applicant desires only one entrance to the building. (#3)
Approval of this design modification would vary from the provisions of Envision Franklin, which specifically states in the Regional Commerce Design Concept, where this property is located, “Buildings should have a primary entry identity that defines the visual character of the building, and it should be oriented toward the primary street. Buildings may have additional primary entrances, which should be oriented to a secondary street, internal drive that resembles a street, or prominent public space.” Most often, Franklin citizens experience building form from arterial streets, and buildings should not turn their back or side to the public view. (#4)
Based on these findings, staff recommends disapproval of this design modification.
Recommendation
recommendation
Approval, with conditions.
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See attached pages for a list of staff recommended conditions of approval.
PROCEDURAL REQUIREMENTS:
1. The applicant shall upload the corrected plan to the online plan review website (<https://franklin.contractorsplanroom.com/secure/>). All revisions to the approved plans shall be “clouded.” With the resubmittal, each condition of approval/open issue in the online plan review system shall contain a full response from the applicant as to the satisfaction or completion of that condition.
2. Once the corrected site plan has been approved, one (1) full-size and one (1) half-size copy of the final approved landscape plans shall be submitted to the Department of Building and Neighborhood Services for future landscape inspection purposes.
3. Once the project has obtained Site Plan approval, the applicant will be notified by COF Engineering Department with instructions regarding the status of their digitally stamped construction plans.
4. The applicant shall upload complete building plans, including the approved, revised site plans, to the City's IDT site for Building and Neighborhood Services Department review and approval prior to the issuance of a building permit.
5. Prior to start of any excavation work, the developer and/or contractor shall notify AT&T and Comcast.
6. The city’s project identification number shall be included on all correspondence with any city department relative to this project.