HomeMy WebLinkAbout2000-04-27 - Minutes• MINUTES OF A MEETING OF THE
•
•
SUBDIVISION COMMITTEE
A regular meeting of the Subdivision Committee was held on Thursday, April 27, 2000 at 8:30
a.m. in Room 111 of the City Administration Building, 113 W. Mountain, Fayetteville,
Arkansas.
ITEMS CONSIDERED
LSD 00-2.10 Atlas Construction, pp 367
AD 00-11.00 Nelms, PP 248
Discussion of Drive -In Theater on Hwy 112
MEMBERS PRESENT
Bob Estes
Lorel Hoffman
Lee Ward
STAFF PRESENT
Sara Edwards
Tim Conklin
Ron Petrie
Kim Hesse
Chuck Rutherford
ACTION TAKEN
Forwarded to PC
Approved
Approved to submit LSD
MEMBERS ABSENT
None
STAFF ABSENT
Perry Franklin
•
Subdivision Committee
April 27, 2000
Page 2
LSD 00-2.10: LARGE SCALE DEVELOPMENT
P.U.D. (ATLAS CONSTRUCTION, PP 367)
This was submitted by Chris Patton of Crafton, Tull and Associates on behalf of Dan Ferguson
of Atlas construction for property located on Sycamore between Woodland and North College.
The property is zoned R-1.5, Medium Density Residential and contains approximately 0.95 acres
with 5 units proposed.
COMMISSIONER DISCUSSION
Hoffman: This is the April 27, 2000 meeting of the Subdivision Committee. We have two
items on our agenda this morning. The first is a LSD and P.U.D. for Atlas
Construction which is located on Sycamore between Gregg and North College.
Thank you. And the second item is an administrative item for Nelms. So, that
being said, Tim.
Conklin: This is a planned unit development containing five units. Each of the units contain
• 3,200 square feet, 2,800 square feet of heated area and 400 square feet for the
garages. Parking will be provided for the use of garages and driveways. Each
unit will be separately owned. The property was rezoned on November 16, 1999
from RI to R1.5. This project was originally reviewed at the February 16, 2000
Technical Plat Review and Staff did request it be redesigned in order to meet the
PUD ordinance requirements regarding open space and preservation of natural
features. This project was resubmitted at the April 12, 2000 Technical Plat
Review with one less unit and six additional trees preserved. All planned unit
developments are required to preserve at least 30 percent open space. This
development is preserving 34.1 percent open space. There is still an issue with
regard to a building set back on the west property line. Our recommendation that
the project be redesigned to meet the ordinance requirements. Kim Hesse will
also give a report regarding tree preservation and compliance with that ordinance.
Conditions to address, one the requested waiver to reduce the setback on the west
side of this development. The applicant is requesting to reduce the setback from
the required 20 feet to 11 feet. Our P.U.D. ordinance requires that any structure
containing more than two units which exceed one story shall be setback an
additional foot for every foot in height over ten feet when adjacent to single
family development. The proposed buildings are 22 feet tall That's -the setback I
was referring to.
•
Hoffman: So that would mean a 22 foot setback?
•
•
Subdivision Committee
April 27, 2000
Page 3
Conklin: Twenty two foot setback.
Hoffman: Okay, because you are saying it requires...
Conklin: Twenty foot. I'm sorry. You have an eight foot setback required and then you
have to add twelve
Hoffman: You add twelve
Conklin: Twelve you add for the top of that.
Hoffman: Okay.
Conklin: Condition two, Planning Commission determination of the requested waiver to
allow a private dead end street. Our P.U.D. ordinance requires private streets to
be permitted only for a loop street or street ending in a cul-de-sac. Staff is
supporting this request to the use of a dead end street. More open space and tree
canopy are able to be preserved. Typically, this is a pioneer development and I'll
go over the ordinance after I go thru these Staff conditions. Typically this isn't
considered a private drive. You would have a cul-de-sac for cars to turn around.
Number three is Planning Commission determination of compliance with
compliance with tree preservation. The applicant is required to preserve 20
percent of existing tree canopy in an R -I.5 district. The Landscape Administrator
will make a recommendation regarding tree protection and preservation this
morning. Number four, restrictive covenants must be submitted that provide for
the maintenance of open space and maintenance of the private drives. Number
five, developer shall erect at the entrance of the private street a rectangular sign
not exceeding 12"x24" designating the street as a private street and shall be
clearly visible to motor vehicle traffic. And number six, a waste management
plan must be approved by the Environmental Affairs Administrator. The rest are
standard conditions of approval. I did make copies of the R-1.5 zoning district
standards and I'll pass those out. I did want to go over why this is a planned unit
development verses just a standard conventional multi -family development. This
site was rezoned from R-1 to R-1.5. If someone brought a building permit into
the Planning Division they would not be allowed to develop at this density.
Hoffman: And that was a different, that was a different proposal in front of us as a part of
that rezoning I remember. This is not the same, the same site, different buildings.
• Parton We just had one additional building.
•
•
•
Subdivision Committee
April 27, 2000
Page 4
Conklin:
Hoffman:
Conklin:
One additional building which they removed because in my opinion it was not
meeting our Planned Unit Development Ordinance. I'm still concerned with
preservation of natural features. So, let me just go thru this ordinance really
quick. If someone came in for a building permit on this lot and they asked
planning staff what could be developed on this lot, we would require that each lot
for a three family structure or triplex, have 90 feet of frontage. So, basically
looking at this lot with public street frontage you would have one triplex. That is
the reason they have applied for a planned unit development which is proposing
what we classify as a duplex and a triplex, each of those would have to have the
frontage requirement on the public street. They can't meet that on Sycamore
Street. They are not proposing any additional public streets. So, therefore, we
have a planned unit development. I also included, if you turn to your second page
under Section 166.06 Planned Unit Development, and this is important for the
Commission to consider, and the Subdivision Committee, A)Purpose: to be
approved the plan must comply with the provision of this section and must
achieve all the following purposes, more efficient use of land, more efficient use
of public facilities, more useable open space through structure grouping and other
design techniques and for preservation of appropriate natural and physical
features. Approval B) a Planning Commissioner shall not approve a plat unless it
finds that a satisfactory provision has been made concerning the following where
applicable. I don't, I didn't have the list of that but I did want to make sure that as
Staff, when they first came to us, I was concerned with six units because it's hard
for me to look at this site and say they've grouped their structures together to
preserve natural resources. This site has about 100 percent tree canopy over it. I
think the tree canopy is probably a natural feature you want to try to preserve.
Therefore, we have also haven't recommended the setback on the west side. We
did meet with engineers, applicant's representatives and did suggest turning the
buildings possibly this way, running east west and allowing possibly additional
open space to be preserved and possibly some additional trees up here. I think the
important thing to remember is the zoning allows how many units you can place
on this property. They have chosen to request dwelling units that contain 2,800
square feet of heated space and 400 square feet of garage, unheated space. The
size of the units, in my opinion is making it difficult to meet our ordinance
requirements.
And, essentially we have two more units based just on the configuration of the lot
than would be normally permitted because of the street frontage?
Yes. That's correct.
•
•
Subdivision Committee
April 27, 2000
Page 5
Hoffman:
Conklin:
Hoffman:
Rutherford:
Hoffman:
Petrie:
Hoffman:
Petrie:
Hoffman:
Petrie:
Ward:
Petrie:
Hoffman:
Peter:
The 90 foot at street would give us three and since we don't have a public street
back thru here then there is nothing to connect to.
Yes. We are using the private street ordinance to get around that requirement.
That is Staff's presentation. Planning Staff's.
Thank you very much. Before we have questions and answers, I'd like to hear
from the rest of the staff. Chuck.
They have made the corrections on the sidewalks.
Sidewalks. Okay. Engineering?
On condition number four states restrictive covenants must be submitted that
provide for maintenance of open space and private drives. I'd like to ask for
detention ponds on that.
Is that in the back there? That long skinny thing?
Uh huh.
Okay. Is that the approximate or is that the location that you feel pretty confident
it would stay in, or would it get bigger?
About the size, I feel comfortable with. I have a lot of concerns about how this
discharges. We've got a situation where they are providing detention and they are
going to make it pretty close on flows and that's on a grade that has a situation
where everything is sheet flowing off this lot and now we are bringing it all to one
point. I'm, that I can not accept. A method would have to be provided to bring
this more in line with the existing conditions.
What's the best way to do that?
I don't have a good answer for you. There are several different ways but off the
top of my head, I'm not sure.
But that would be to get something from the pond out to the street right?
Something to get something from the pond out toward the street, or no?
Well, there are not streets down stream.
•
•
•
Subdivision Committee
April 27, 2000
Page 6
Hoffman: I know that.
Conklin: Everything flows away from Sycamore Street.
Petrie: If the school doesn't have a problem with it, I shouldn't have a problem with it.
But I don't know if they do or they don't. So, I'm going to err on the save side
and say you need to spread this flow back out over this property somehow.
Hoffman: Any other concerns? How long do you think it will take to find out, with you all
working together, on a plan for the drainage? Contacting the school and working
together on this?
Parton We can contact the schools, you know as early as today probably.
Hoffman: Okay. I'd like you, go ahead.
Parton If we can get an answer that quick, who knows. But we can certainly contact
them today.
Hoffman: Let staff know when you submit another revision. Miss Kim.
Hesse: I'm just going to basically read off my comments. Chris, I don't think we have 24
inch trees identified. I looked at the originals and it didn't have it on there. We
need it on the new one, the size of the trees. When I just look at these plans it
looks like to me you're saving more than 10 percent. So we are calculating just
roughly and what I come up with is more like 15 percent or 16 percent. We
require 20 percent so, I mean, we need another four to five percent tree
preservation.
Ward: You're talking about tree canopy?
Hesse: Tree canopy. I'm, it's questionable on some of these trees as to how they will be
preserved. If the plan was to go through, we would need some special conditions
for aeration to the roots that are under pavement, things like that. I'm
recommending 20 percent but I don't know if there are ways to move the
buildings or if there is one percent we don't know about. There are a lot of trees
on here that are small and they don't show up.
Hoffman: So, the ones that they are showing are how large?
Hesse: Those are 24". They are pretty good sized including the ones shown that are
•
•
•
Subdivision Committee
April 27, 2000
Page 7
Targe, Targe trees.
Hoffman: So, you are saying in any case, they have met the minimum 15 percent?
Hesse: Well, it's 20 percent. We're at 15 to 16 percent right now. The calculations show
10 percent. So, I mean it's going to be questionable.
Conklin: And the trees that are shown are rare landmark.
Parton: I was just counting the larger trees and I'll have to go back out and look. I don't
remember seeing any other trees but I'll go back and look.
Ward: So you want him to number each tree and put how big it is? Size of the tree?
Hesse: Yes, the size and number. And what is questionable is this tree right here. I
don't, I'm not even counting that.
Parton: If we were to do some type of special type of system underneath the paving, you
know, to allow those roots to get things it needs, which would be air and water,
would we be able to count that?
Hesse:
I'm kind of a little worried about this. This has to be trenched in, your sewer, it
has to be deep enough to flow so you're cutting all of that off. You're cutting that
off with the foundation probably five feet down the wall if not more. So, if we are
not cutting at all here, that's one thing.
Hoffman: Can these be moved back?
Parton: They're about as close as they can be to that detention pond.
Conklin: To that detention pond.
Parton: I don't remember the requirement, Ron, but there's a pretty good requirement for
that detention pond for setback. I don't remember exactly what it is, but we are
right at it right now.
Hoffman: But we can waive it. We could take, I remember that because..
Ward: I'd leave the setback alone at the pond.
Conklin: What is that Ron?
•
•
•
Subdivision Committee
April 27, 2000
Page 8
Petrie: It's 30 feet from the building.
Conklin: Thirty feet from the building.
Hoffman: Plus I'm sure they don't want to step out their back door into the ditch. So this
gives you, and I think, good reason for concern about these trees in-between the
two structures that causes the sewer, can the sewer be resolved or can we do
anything else.
Parton: We didn't see a different way to get sewer up there to those three units along the
street up the hill.
Hoffman: It's coming from behind?
Parton: Yes. With the possibility of finishing up the basement, what we looked at was
bringing the sewer further up the hill and running it in front of the units actually
between the street and the, with the potential of finishing out that basement if we
can get the sewer deep enough for the lower floor to be able to get into the sewer.
So, we felt like that wasn't an option.
Hesse: At this point I'm not counting that tree. If we were able to save that tree he might
be at the 20 percent, but I 'd have to look closely at the conditions.
Hoffman: Is there a way, Chris, we can move this up and bring all these lines side by side in
one trench?
Parton: If engineering has no problem with that I see no problem with that.
Petrie: As long as they are separate lines.
Parton: Right.
Hoffman: I like that, or something better than fanning out thru those root lines. I think if
you all can work on that and come up with a way to not impact these trees by
either running it to the front, because I think you can just bury it. It may cost a
little more but, just bury it or come up with a way to get it closer to the back of
these buildings and maybe shift this back a little bit, I don't know if that would be
something that would help. Kim, what kind of trees are these?
Hesse: A lot of big ones are oaks.
•
Subdivision Committee
April 27, 2000
Page 9
Parton: They are, I think all the big ones are oak.
Hoffman: Okay, at this point we will bring the discussion to the applicant. Do you have a
presentation to make or do you just want to answer question?
Parton: I think we have really hashed out everything that I was going to present all ready.
You know, Tim did mention that the developer has agreed to drop one unit in
order to try to preserve the nice open space and the rare trees in the area that were
there and the developer has gone a long way in making that gesture.
Ward: What about, Chris, what about, Tim had mentioned kind of a flip-flopping those
first three units. Would that help at all?
Parton: We looked at that, Lee, and never wanted to see this, this drive was such that, that
drive is something about a 12 to 13 percent slope and from one end of the garage
to the other end, you're going to have quite a bit of slope.
• Ward: A pretty good slope, about 35 feet?
Parton: There's about 20, about 30 to 35 feet from one corner to the other. So, it's a very
steep side.
Ward: Is there any old buildings or anything on this now?
Parton: No. There was a house on it at one time, several years ago but there's nothing
there now.
PUBLIC COMMENT
Hoffman: Okay. I'll take public comment at this time. If you would please stand and, sir,
would you please let us know your name.
Gill: Earl Gill. This is my wife Kay. We own the property at 1716 Woodland Avenue
which, the back yard buts up against that property. We are mainly interested in
the drainage off there that it doesn't come off into our lot that we are on.
Hoffman: Which one, are you towards the back of this property?
• Gill: Our two lot back up together.
•
Subdivision Committee
April 27, 2000
Page 10
Hoffman: Okay. I see where you are.
Gill: We already get a good bit of drainage right straight north off of the yard with the
house on the corner and I want to be sure that the drainage from that lot doesn't
rush into our yard.
Hoffman: Ron, can you talk about that or whoever.
Petrie:
With the drainage that is proposed would not effect your property with the trench
to the north along with the contours would be picked up in the parking lot to this
detention ponds. So you have, you would see no effect.
Hoffman: So it already does drain, are they going to be doing some regrading to make sure
that it all goes to the back here?
Petrie: That's what it's doing.
Gill: Are these going to be individual buildings or one apartment building?
• Conklin: Do you want to come up here and I'll show you what they are proposing.
Gill: Just out of curiosity, I'd like to see
Conklin: These three units are attached and you have two units attached back here.
Hoffman: And your property is there as shown.
Kay: This is to the west and this is on the east?
Conklin: Here's your property. Here's Woodland and here's Sycamore Street.
Gill: I see.
Ferguson: This is what each unit looks like and it will just be three of those side by side.
Gill: I guess it would be nice to know exactly what was going to be built there, but the
main thing I'm interested in is the drainage.
•
Hoffman: Will, it sounds like the problem, from what I'm hearing is not going to be for your
property because they would have to, they are adding all the concrete, they are
going to have direct it in a way that's going to be directed back towards that
•
•
•
Subdivision Committee
April 27, 2000
Page 11
school and we're concerned about that.
Gill: Our son lives there. We live in Bentonville and I thought we'd come down and
see exactly what was going to be placed there.
Hoffman: Well, thank you for coming and if you have any, as things progress and the
process moves on, if you have questions, the Planning Office is always happy to
answer them.
Estes:
Does Engineering have an opinion as to whether the proposed grading and
drainage with the detention pond to the rear would improve what Mr. and Mrs.
Gill are now experiencing?
Petrie: That would have no effect one way or the other.
Hoffman: I guess that brings up the question, is there screening that's going to be put up?
Parton: Six foot wood fence.
Hoffman: Wood privacy fence?
Parton: Yes around the three sides. Then along the front we are proposing a wrought iron
fence with posts every 10 feet. 18 inch, 19 inch posts every 10 feet.
COMMISSION DISCUSSION
Hoffman: Is there anyone else from the public that would like to comment on this project?
With that I'll bring it back to Staff, applicant and the committee for more
discussion. I guess the first thing to discuss would be the setbacks. Yes, let's talk
about the setbacks first, of this unit one.
Conklin: Once again it's a planned unit development, because it's a planned unit
development the Planning Commission has to look at those purposes of in order
to approve this that they are clustering the units together, preserving natural
features and it's hard for me to support a variance of that setback with, I guess
I've heard today they may or may not be meeting the tree preservation ordinance.
This is, I think it's different from looking at other developments because they are
asking, in my opinion, for consideration to be allowed as a PUD and I think the
nature] features on the site are the rare trees. It's not just your conventional
apartment subdivision or large scale development so, that's the reason why I'm
not going to support that. I believe they could redesign this site, cluster the units
•
•
•
Subdivision Committee
April 27, 2000
Page 12
together and actually preserve more natural features.
Hoffman: And save more trees on the site?
Conklin: I'm not sure they could save more trees.
Hesse: There are two of these trees that are questionable. You're cutting most the roots
off. One of them, you're cutting two thirds of the roots off. But one for sure not
preserved and the other is questionable.
Conklin: Also, what I looked at just trying to group these structures closer together, you
wouldn't have your private drive, your concrete private drive up along Sycamore
Street. Now, as staff, all these years, I know it's difficult. We try not to design
someone's project, I'm just looking at alternatives to group these buildings closer
together to meet the ordinance requirements. They have specific requirements on
the buildings they have chosen to build here. They want people to be able to walk
out the bottom basement out onto grade, the back yards.
Ferguson: It's also designed so that, like the lower part was designed so that it would also
serve as, you know, tornado shelter type thing. Put a bedroom back under there,
it's easy to get to. The land is designed already the way it's sloped, it's ideal for
this type of planning. And that's the reason why we selected it.
Hoffman: Well, if you can't meet the setback and I think setbacks are important, because
you have a single family zoned property right next door to you, it appears to me
that you may even have one more too many units. I understand it's a heavy
economic impact to make a statement about, but the recent current events have
taught us that not only do we have to meet many ordinances on these sites, the
tree preservation is important. If you're not going to be able to viably preserve
trees that you've counted in these numbers, you've got that issue then you've got
the setback issue.
Ferguson: We had talked that we could possibly go this way another, maybe five feet to pull
this way so that we get another five feet onto this setback.
Hoffman: The thirteen feet?
Ferguson: Yes.
Hoffman: What does that do to this width of this grass? How wide is this drive?
•
•
Subdivision Committee
April 27, 2000
Page 13
Parton: It's 22 feet right now from face to face.
Ferguson: It won't change the size of the drive it just, we just have to reconfigure the way
we do the retaining wall so that it's closer to the corner.
Hoffman: Did the fire department have anything to say about the length of the driveway?
Conklin: No they haven't.
Edwards: They didn't make any comment.
Hoffman: I believe that there are some fire codes about how deep is the lot.
Parton: It's 297.
Hoffman: In order to move you over and decrease maybe even the width of the drive, the
fire department, I think, wants to be able to pull a fire truck in for 150 feet straight
in and be able to back out and they can have a turn around. I don't know if that's
the particular expression of this fire chief, but you might want to check with him
and see if that would be acceptable to them and you could have a tum around
along here and make this to meet their requirements.
Conklin: I could get with Mickey Jackson.
Ferguson: As far as my understanding as far as the width of the drive being 22' we wouldn't
be changing that we would just be changing, getting closer to the retaining wall
with the drive.
Hoffman: I understand that but thirteen feet is not twenty feet.
Ferguson: Well, I understand. We are trying to, you know pull it over as far as we can to
work with everybody.
Hoffman: And I appreciate that.
Ward: Do you think you can sell these units? These are pretty big units.
Ferguson: We actually have three of them already sold.
• Ward: Some things that I have concerns with for sure, will be on residential 20 percent
canopy. There is not going to be a change on that, okay. I mean, on commercial
Subdivision Committee
April 27, 2000
Page 14
I'm more lenient in my case personally on commercial developments.
Ferguson: You talking about the tree canopy?
Ward: Yes, and the same way on setbacks. I would like to see the full area developed
more, personally, because I think it's been mainly rental units right through there
and I'd like, these are really expensive, nice looking units as afar as for that area,
so it's kind of one thing I was worried about. You put that kind of expensive unit
on there, who are you going to sell them to because you are over building the area
to the lower value Everything else along here is, that I know of is all pretty much
rental property
Ferguson: I understand.
Hoffman: More modest.
Ward: But, anyway those are my only concerns. I'm ready to push this on.
Ferguson: I think we can get the tree canopy part but as far as being able to make that
setback I don't see how we are going to be able to clear the 20 feet.
Estes: My concerns would be the same as Lee's. I need to see 20 percent tree canopy
and I need to see those setbacks.
Hoffman: I think we have made just a few suggestions that you all can maybe go back to the
drawing board with and try to work with staff. I'm also concerned about the
drainage. I would think that addressing, for agenda session, I wouldn't be able to
do any kind of approvals at this level.
Conklin: So you want to forward this on but with the recommendation that they revise it
but go directly to Planning Commission?
Hoffman: With specific goals to achieve. And I guess if you all want to craft a motion that
would include those four things, or I can do it.
Ferguson: So we need to meet the tree canopy and the set back. The drainage I don't think
that's, I don't think we have a problem getting that worked out and I think we can
meet the tree canopy.
Hoffman: But have a definite answer for us by that next Thursday.
•
Subdivision Committee
April 27, 2000
Page 15
Ward: I think on the setback that, you know, if you get real close, I don't think it has to
be set in stone, but if you get closer than what you are now, it would be a lot
better.
Ferguson: Well, we've been working. We will try to pull this over as far as we possibly can.
Ward: If we miss by a few feet that's one thing, but if we miss by this, where you are at,
that's another.
Ferguson: I understand. We're twelve feet right now. I understand that.
Hoffman: A private drive ought to be able to go down to 15 feet I think.
Conklin: The private drive, actually, it says in the plat ordinance, 22 feet. The fire chief by
state law is 20 feet.
Hoffman: But he doesn't have that hundred and fifty foot turn around.
• Conklin: I'll check with him, but I'd say minimum would be 20 because Mickey Jackson
tells me 20 feet every couple of weeks.
•
Hoffman: Okay, and then I guess we had forgotten to ask how your waste disposal was
going to be handled. Would, how would it be screened?
Parton: I talked with Ms. Zotti last week and all she asked right now is that we Just
allocate some space somewhere on this site where a future trash closure, if it is
necessary. What they are planning right now is for each individual tenant to place
their bins in purple bags out front for solid waste.
Hoffman: Out front at the street?
Parton: Either out front at that street or in front of the, she said if, they haven't really
determined yet if they are going to pull down in and then back out or if they want
them to place it on the street.
Hoffman: Okay, if it's on the street, we'll be looking for a screen enclosure.
Parton: Right.
Hoffman: And if it's for each unit, then we'll go with that.
o
•
•
Subdivision Committee
April 27, 2000
Page 16
Ward:
Conklin:
Hoffman:
Conklin:
Hoffman.
MOTION
Estes:
Hoffman:
Parton:
Hoffman:
Ward:
Hoffman:
Parton:
Ferguson:
Tim, does he need to show where he is going to show where he's going to put this
12"x24" private street sign on the plat?
I don't think it's that serious at this time.
Overall, I think it's, you know, it's going to be real attractive design, I just want
the details worked out.
I just want to make one more statement too, that it was, when it was zoned RI that
would allow four units per acre. This is an acre lot so we are really close to
overall density that would be allowed even in R-1. With R-1.5 the issue is trying
to, with the streets, the private drives.
Okay.
Madam Chair, I would move that we forward LSD 00-2.1 to the full Commission
with the condition that there be a 20 percent tree canopy provided, that the setback
be provided as approved and as described in staff comment, 20 foot. Uh, what
else?
That the detention pond drainage issues be known, I can't say resolved, but they
need to be looked at.
We need to contact the school basically.
Yes, concerning that run off. Tree canopy, I think there was one more, I can't
remember it. We have to approve the dead ending of the cul-de-sac. I'd
recommend that.
Second
I'll concur. Thanks gentlemen.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Subdivision Committee
April 27, 2000
Page 17
AD 00-11.00 ADMINISTRATIVE ITEM
NELMS, pp 248
A revision to the approved landscaping plan of the Large Scale Development.
Conklin: Kim, would you like to talk about Nelms and what they are requesting?
Hoffman: Item two on our agenda is an administrative item for a revision to the approved
plan for the Nelms development.
Hesse:
What we had talked about is leaving, and the reason why I wanted to bring this
back is because during the Subdivision and also the Planning Commission
meeting this had been discussed as being, you guys actually specifically
mentioned this planting and this planting at the entrance. Mr Nelms would like
to move and spread some of this planting into other portions of the site. Part of
that reason is and I have to agree with him, when you are, especially when you are
traveling this way, it really, any direction you travel you really don't see this
corner. It's hidden by the bank which is where your overpass is. So, this way he
can kind of spread some of that greenery out to this quarter. I think he's kept
everything in the front here and some of the other plants have gone in other
locations like right in here.
Nelms: In every comer, we've put plantings in every comer where you turn.
Hoffman: What is the status of your planting? Have you really started any?
Nelms. It's probably, I'd say 75 percent complete. All the irrigation is just about in. It
hasn't been fired up. It's over such a big area, for instance, in this area we've got
some areas that are still being used for construction so we haven't put anything in
there. But all the irrigation along in here and all this is finished. In fact all the
plantings in these areas are beginning, I think these are all finished and these are
finished along here. These are finished and these are beginning to get underway.
The irrigation is to it. So it will be done, when we are finished with this thing, it
will be done. It won't be lagging behind 1 don't think at all. In fact I think it will
be done before the whole thing is finished.
Estes: Are we going to have more or less when we are done?
Nelms: The current plan that we had in here had 129 trees. This new one will have 130.
And shrubbery had 1039 and will go to 1089. We've added some additional
•
•
•
Subdivision Committee
April 27, 2000
Page 18
planting in the internal parts of the project.
Hoffman: So you've moved what?
Nelms: The main things that we have moved are some landscaping in here. We left the
trees there it was just the landscaping we've moved out into here because if you
come down the road and see this side, as you're coming on the road on this side
it's so high and so you can't see any of this. So we've just moved it here. Also
on the entrances we had to round things out here and we brought those into the
corners. We feel like these are more appropriate places for them. We've moved
some shrubbery on this side of the street to this side of the street because this is
just inventory collection and this is the frontage of the dealerships. But all of the
canopy and all the plantings here were screening purposes, all this remains pretty
much the same.
Hoffman: So this is, you're just clumping them in this area right here, pretty much.
Nelms: No, that's trees that is there now.
Hesse: Here, here and here I think takes up what used to be here.
Nelms: We just redistributed it to where people will actually see it. Where we think it
will have an impact on the ascetics of the project.
Hesse: Most of this goes above and beyond what was required. But since it was
mentioned at the meeting, I felt we should discuss it.
Hoffman: I think it was a good idea to clump it, I understand you couldn't have islands in
your lot areas and it was a good idea to clump it towards the road. I would be
inclined to go along with this because I just figure things weren't really done, but
it is seemly quite bare in this area, so if you haven't planted this yet I understand
that but if there isn't going to anything planted here, I think I'd like to see that...
Ward: It would look better to have more planting down in here.
Nelms: Well, we have done this just by looking at after we've done it. It's so hard to
visualize something so complicated as this.
Hoffman: You have really made good time, I'd say, in your construction schedule. I'm
amazed at how quickly it has seemed to have gone.
Nelms: We needed it to happen pretty quick. I tell you the reason, a couple of reasons it
•
•
•
Subdivision Committee
April 27, 2000
Page 19
Ward:
Conklin:
MOTION
Ward:
Nelms:
Hesse:
Nelms.
Hoffman:
Nelms.
Ward:
Nelms.
Hesse:
Nelms:
did is we spent so much time planning this thing and when we came to you I told
you, they were questioning all this and we told you we thought of that, we thought
of that. I mean we really worked on the planning. A lot of these things were
thought through so it was a matter of just building it.
Are we going to just approve this at this level?
Yes.
I recommend we approve it and we have Kim's approval and if Don want's to
plant some more shrubs and trees out in this, especially shrubs and stuff out in this
area here where it's kind of wide open, that would be great.
Well, this isn't wide open. We've got a pretty good tree canopy here so we've got
to be kind of careful about what we do to those. In fact one of those, part of one
of those trees, one of them is almost like two trees and it's going to have to have
some work done on it at some point. And those things are, tell me again what
those are?
Hackberry.
They are hackberry. They are not the longest lived trees in the world.
Aren't you glad you didn't have a heavily treed site?
No comment.
With rare and landmark trees.
Well, actually we had some rare. This right here we didn't save quite a few, we
saved them all. We saved all of them. These right here are old fence line trees
and if we ever built something in here, those are probably going to have to go, but
these are really pretty monumental sort of trees and we had no intension of ever
doing anything to them.
And we have a little pond in here.
Yes, we built a pond in the middle of them and we have a sidewalk going down to
them. When you come out and get your car serviced you'll be able to walk on the
•
•
•
Subdivision Committee
April 27, 2000
Page 20
sidewalk all the way down to here down thru those trees.
Hoffman: Wonderful.
Ward: When you get your free oil change.
Nelms. No I didn't say that now.
Hoffman: I had a motion, I don't know if I had a second?
Estes: I second. I agree with Lee's comments.
Hoffman: And I will concur. Thank you for continuing to take regard to the appearance
because you are in a prominent spot, believe me.
Nelms. We thank you all and you all have been very cooperative. Kim has and everybody
has and Tim and we appreciate it a great deal.
•
•
Subdivision Committee
April 27, 2000
Page 21
PRELIMINARY DISCUSSION OF DRIVE IN THEATER ON WHY 112
Conklin: If you have a couple of minutes, I have Chris Parton coming in to talk about the
drive in theater. I was concerned about the dust issue. I don't know if Chris had
talked to you about this at all. Chris since you happened to be here, that is my
biggest concern about dust.
Ward: Do we need to hear this too?
Conklin: Yes. I'm trying to get some advise. Chris Parton called with a request this week.
They have a proposal to expand the existing drive in theater in this area.
Hoffman: Orient us please
Conklin: Existing drive in is here. 112 is here. The is the existing drive.
Parton: Nelms Auto Plaza is over here.
• Conklin: This is the existing screen right here.
•
Hoffman: And they are proposing this?
Conklin: Yes.
Hoffman: Well, that answers my question about the light. If they are going to expand the
theater I was worried you couldn't see the movie theater for the lights from your
parking lot.
Nelms: The candle power in this area is very low and we intentionally did that knowing
this was a drive in. All of our lights that are brighter are up this way. We got this
down into the, probably by the time you get to this tree line we are probably in the
two candle power area. Pretty low light.
Parton: What they want to do also, they want to see the outline of tree canopy out through
there and they want to save as much of that as possible to screen that light from
coming over into their property. They actually, they're going to have to do some
work on their projection house sounds like, put in some digital projectors and to
beef up their system to offset what little additional light there is right now, sounds
like.
Conklin: The main issue, what they met with us earlier this week on was they want, this has
•
•
Subdivision Committee
April 27, 2000
Page 22
already been graded, this entry was built to serve two screens. That's their, the
screen house is there. They want to add the screen. They want to take the top soil
off and put SB2 gravel like they have over here. I don't have any problem with
that. My concern was dust with your cars sitting at Nelms. We drove out there
earlier this week, drove around on it and it doesn't seem to be too dusty, but
before, I guess, this project will not go forward if they have to pave the area where
you park the cars to watch the show.
Nelms. Tim, you know, under all cost and from my standpoint, of course, those are not
the most sensitive cars as far as dirt is concerned. I will be extremely opposed to
paving that from a drainage stand point.
Hoffman: So the SB2 would be fine with you?
Nelms: We'll work that out with them. I mean, if we've got to, if it gets so bad we have
to wash cars, I'll go over there and raise cane, but under no circumstances do I
want to see that paved.
Hoffman: I imagine in the summer when it's pretty dry, do they wet it down?
Parton: No
Conklin: No
Hoffman: They don't?
Nelms: If you, I mean, the first year you'll get some but probably after that, I doubt
seriously it would be a problem. Of course we won't be there most of the time
any way.
Hoffman: Midnight madness sales.
Conklin: I kind of wanted to get your three opinions on that before they hired a Crafton,
Tull and spent thousands of dollars.
Ward: The main thing we are worried about is wether the SB2 is acceptable?
Hoffman: Is some quirky ordinance going to come out of the brook and bite us?
• Conklin: I'm not calling it a parking lot. I don't think it's a parking lot. It's a drive in
theater. We haven't had one of those built in a number of years.
•
•
•
Subdivision Committee
April 27, 2000
Page 23
Ward: I don't think there has been a new drive in theater built anywhere in the country.
Hoffman: I think we need to go down and get us a world record.
Conklin: We would ask that they pave this exit drive up to this point. We went out there
and it's not paved right now. It's paved to this point right here. I think you're at
higher speeds.
Nelms: You know this land right here is ours. And it's not even zoned C-2. It's zoned A-
1 still. And I'm probably, to be honest with you, I'd be surprised if any of you all
are still here when we come back to rezone. But it could happen next week but I
have no intentions to rezone it now.
Estes: Where is the flood plain lay on Mr. Nelms' property?
Nelms: You talking about the drainage easement? The drainage easement is right down
the center of this line.
Estes: I thought some of this was in a flood way.
Conklin: That's correct. There is a flood plain and flood way out in this area.
Parton: I don't know exactly where it is but it will be along those south lines.
Conklin: A lot of this that will be in the flood plain they can fill the flood plain. There is
no problem with that.
Hoffman: So does this cover as far as a large scale development?
Conklin: Yes, I'm requiring it to go through large scale.
Estes: Now if you fill a flood plain or flood way, what does that do to the drainage of
Mr. Nelms property if you raise it, what effect? Does engineering have a
comment?
Parton: If I can step in for a minute, they are not wanting to do anything as far as grading
is concemed. When they built the original drive in they did all the grading for
that second screen. It' already been done. All they want to do is come in, strip
the top soil and put down a little bit of red hill side, come back with six inches of
gravel on top of that, packed in. There's no change in elevation whatsoever.
•
•
•
Subdivision Committee
April 27, 2000
Page 24
Petrie: And you checked to see if that screen is in the flood way?
Parton: Have not done that yet, Ron, but I'm pretty confident that it's not.
Nelms: One thing that I will comment about it, just for whatever it's worth department,
we have the drainage easement that the city required right down through here.
And it's actually split on these folks land and our land. It just has a few feet on
their land, most of it is on our land. We are incurring some elevation issues with
this on the other side of the road over here, over there by the trucking company.
But that thing down through the years has, settlement off of this when this was
built thru the ditches and so forth, I don't really think it really is, I don't think we
produced much settlement. I went over and looked at it and we haven't had much
at all. There is an elevation issue there and we probably need to address that at
some point on the other side of that road. This is a pretty flat area here and the
reason I would not want pavement on it is simply for absorption purposes. We
don't, we've got detention ponds and if you start putting more detention ponds, I
guess you could put them in there and deal with it, but you're going to have a lot
of area involved in it if you do.
Hoffman: Does this need to be cleaned out?
Nelms: No. This is done. This is fine. We redid that. It's on the other side of the road.
We've got settlement probably about this high. It's probably not eight or nine
inches, but it's an issue of making all, you know, leaving water in there as
opposed to not leaving water in there. Of course, a lot of trees grow in these
ditches and that has created a part of it too.
Petrie: The problem is part of that was fenced off and there is no official drainage so the
city does not have a right to clean that out.
Nelms: There is no easement to continue on the other side. We have environmental issues
down stream too, I think, that we have to be careful with. Ours has settlement
ponds in it. Our drainage all has settlement ponds and all of our flooring on the
internal part of our dealerships, there are drains in every part, in every shop we put
drains in it that goes through separator and then goes into the city sewer. We are
not releasing anything off of our shop floors into the surface water.
Hoffman: It's more the parking lots and stuff.
Nelms: But you have the same problem over here too and that's a consideration. I was
•
•
•
Subdivision Committee
April 27, 2000
Page 25
just throwing some ideas out here to you to consider. Another thing too is this
screen, these two screens, I'll say this to you all while your thinking about this
city, when you come down the road this way into Fayetteville, this 28 acres that
we have right down through here, that's really the beginning of Fayetteville.
That's what you see on the right hand side and you are going to see those screens
out there so, they are pretty big element.
Hoffman: As long as they aren't showing x -rated movies we won't have wrecks. But I hear
you.
Nelms. Well, I heard that's....no, no...
Hoffman: Now they used to have one, the reason I say that, they used to have one in Austin
and they built it, it was kind of out in the country and they built, Lockeed or
someone built a great big office building and the most popular side of the building
was facing that screen until it was tom down. But they can be a traffic hazard if
it's too close to a highway.
Nelms: We are okay with the dirt issue. I think that's fine. I don't have any problem with
it and I think if we, they are very good people, they are very nice people and I
think we can work that out between us. That's not an issue.
Conklin: Thank you for your time. Is that it?
Hoffman: That's it. We are adjourned. 9:25am