Title
To authorize the special use of the property known as 1121 North 25th Street for the purpose of a building with commercial uses on the first floor, up to two dwelling units on the second floor, and no fewer than two on-site parking spaces, upon certain terms and conditions.
Body
O & R Request
DATE: January 3, 2018 EDITION: 1
TO: The Honorable Members of City Council
THROUGH: The Honorable Levar M. Stoney, Mayor
THROUGH: Selena Cuffee-Glenn, Chief Administrative Officer
THROUGH: Peter L. Downey, Deputy Chief Administrative Officer for Economic Development and Planning
FROM: Mark A. Olinger, Director, Department of Planning and Development Review
RE: To authorize the special use of the property known as 1121 North 25th Street for the purposes of permitting constructing a mixed-use building to include residential and commercial space upon certain terms and conditions.
ORD. OR RES. No.
PURPOSE: To authorize the special use of the property known as 1121 North 25th Street for the purposes of permitting a mixed-use building, to include residential and commercial space, upon certain terms and conditions.
REASON: The applicant is proposing a two-story newly constructed building with the intention of leasing space for a restaurant on the ground floor with office or retail on the 2nd floor and is applying for a Special Use Permit to waive existing off-street parking requirements for commercial spaces that currently exist within the property’s location. This district does not permit the proposed restaurant use of the property without adequate parking, which is the primary reason a special use permit is required. However, because the current parking requirements for the UB-PE3 zone only apply to existing buildings, and not to newly constructed buildings, the parking requirements for this parcel fall under Section 30-710 of the zoning ordinance requiring a total of one (1) space per one-hundred (100) sq. ft. or thirty-five (35) spaces total.
RECOMMENDATION: In accordance with the requirements of the City Charter and the Zoning Ordinance, the City Planning Commission will review this request and make a recommendation to City Council. This item will be scheduled for consideration by the Commission at its February 20, 2018, meeting. A letter outlining the Commission’s recommendation will be forwarded to City Council following that meeting.
BACKGROUND: The subject property consists of a 3500 SF or .08 acre parcel of unimproved land located in the Church Hill North neighborhood. The City of Richmond’s current East Planning District Land Use Plan designates a land use category for the subject property as Mixed Use. Permitted uses for this category include commercial, residential, and offices. The property is currently located in the UB-PE3 (Urban Business-Parking Exempt) zoning district which requires one (1) space per three hundred (300) square feet or, in the case of this application, approximately six (6) spaces required and three (3) spaces needed after subtracting the proposed three (3) spaces within the applicant’s proposed site plan.
The density of the parcel if developed as proposed would be (2) units / .08 acres or approximately (25) units per acre. The City’s Master Plan clearly recommends infill development within the East Planning District “…of like density and use…” as appropriate (City of Richmond Master Plan p. 230). Additional supporting language within the Plan can be found within Chapter 11, East Planning District, Land Use Patterns and Development Trends, where it states how the Church Hill North Conservation Area has been targeted for redevelopment with the goal of eliminating blight. (Ibid. p. 161)
Adjacent and nearby properties are primarily within the Urban Business Parking Exempt Zoning Overlay District. Nearby, a combination of B-2, R-6, and R-63 surround the aforementioned District. This portion of North Church Hill and the North 25th Street Corridor is rapidly improving and is, due to recent and pending developments, poised to increase in population as well as demand for commercial services. Parking along this corridor will continue to be important for both new residents as well as customers from the broader, market capture area. That said, the development of the corridor is intended to reflect civic organizations’ support toward making the area mixed use and more walkable by, in relation to this application, adhering to the existing Parking Exempt Overlay which eliminates some of the requirements for parking according to certain uses but also applies, however, only toward existing buildings.
FISCAL IMPACT / COST: The Department of Planning and Development Review does not anticipate any impact to the City’s budget for this or future fiscal years.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS: Staff time for processing the request; preparation of draft ordinance; and publishing, mailing and posting of public notices.
BUDGET AMENDMENT NECESSARY: No
REVENUE TO CITY: $1,800 application fee
DESIRED EFFECTIVE DATE: Upon Adoption
REQUESTED INTRODUCTION DATE: January 22, 2018
CITY COUNCIL PUBLIC HEARING DATE: February 26, 2018
REQUESTED AGENDA: Consent
RECOMMENDED COUNCIL COMMITTEE: None.
CONSIDERATION BY OTHER GOVERNMENTAL ENTITIES: City Planning Commission, February 20, 2018
AFFECTED AGENCIES: Office of Chief Administrative Officer
Law Department (for review of draft ordinance)
City Assessor (for preparation of mailing labels for public notice)
RELATIONSHIP TO EXISTING ORD. OR RES.: None.
REQUIRED CHANGES TO WORK PROGRAM(S): None.
ATTACHMENTS: Draft Ordinance, Application Form, Applicant’s Report, Plans, Survey, Map
STAFF: Jonathan Brown, Senior Planner
Land Use Administration (Room 511) 646-5734
PDR O&R No. 17-47
Recommended Action
Key Issues:
Retain on Consent Agenda
Move to Regular Agenda
Refer Back to Committee
Remove from Council Agenda
Strike Withdrawn ---- Continue to: