AGENDA #4L
MEMORANDUM
TO: Mayor and Town Council
FROM: W. Calvin Horton, Town Manager
SUBJECT: Response for Concept Plan Review Request: Westminster Office Building
DATE: March 27, 2006
PURPOSE
This memorandum responds to a request from Ms. Sherry Rucker, asking for Town Council review of a Concept Plan proposal for property located at the southeast corner of Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard and Westminster Road. A copy of the petition is attached.
We recommend that the Council grant the request for Concept Plan review. Adoption of the attached resolution would permit the Westminster Office Building Concept Plan to be scheduled on a future Public Hearing agenda.
BACKGROUND
On February 27, 2006, the Council received a petition from Ms. Rucker requesting review of a Concept Plan proposal by the Town Council. The proposal does not meet the threshold that would require Town Council consideration.
The 1.7-acre site is located at the southeast corner of Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard and Westminster Road. The Land Use Management Ordinance requires Community Design Commission review of the Concept Plan proposal. The applicant is tentatively scheduled to present a Concept Plan proposal to the Community Design Commission at the Commission’s May 17, 2006 meeting.
DISCUSSION
The Land Use Management Ordinance requires that all Special Use Permit, Master Land Use Plan, or Major Subdivision proposals be subject to a Concept Plan review by the Community Design Commission. The ordinance also requires that any Concept Plan proposal, meeting minimum thresholds as specified in the table below, requires Town Council review, in addition to Community Design review:
|
Thresholds (minimum) |
TC-1, TC-2 Zoning Districts |
All Other Zoning Districts |
|
Land Area |
15,000 square feet |
5 acres |
|
Floor Area |
20,000 square feet |
100,000 |
|
Dwelling Units |
35 dwelling units |
50 dwelling units |
Since the proposed Westminster Office Building project does not meet the minimum land area, floor area, or dwelling unit thresholds, review of the Concept Plan by the Town Council is not required.
If an application does not meet the minimum thresholds requiring Council review, the Land Use Management Ordinance provides a process for an applicant to request review by the Town Council. The ordinance specifies that: (1) a request by an applicant must be filed at least fifteen (15) days in advance of a regular meeting of the Town Council; and (2) that the Town Council’s decision on whether or not to review the Concept Plan proposal is to be rendered at its next regular meeting after receiving a completed request for Town Council review.
In this particular case, we believe that the Council could conduct a Concept Plan review of the proposed project at an upcoming Public Hearing. The earliest Public Hearing date available for review of the proposed Concept Plan is September 18, 2006.
RECOMMENDATION
We recommend that the Council grant the request for Town Council review of the Concept Plan proposal for the Westminster Office Building and schedule the item for an upcoming Public Hearing date. Adoption of the attached resolution would permit the Westminster Office Building Concept Plan to be scheduled on a future Public Hearing agenda.
Alternatively, the Council could chose to take no action.
ATTACHMENTS
