MEMORANDUM

 

TO:	Roger L. Stancil, Town Manager
FROM:	J. B. Culpepper, Planning Director Gene Poveromo, Development Manager
SUBJECT:	Residences at Grove Park, 425 Hillsborough Street: Zoning Atlas Amendment and Special Use Permit Applications
DATE:	June 9, 2008

 

INTRODUCTION

 

Tonight’s meeting is a continuation of the April 21 Public Hearings for a proposal by RAM Development Company for the Residences at Grove Park Zoning Atlas Amendment and Special Use Permit applications.    The applicant has requested that consideration of the Zoning Atlas Amendment and Special Use Permit applications be delayed to the fall. 

 

BACKGROUND

 

Summer/Fall 2006	The Community Design Commission and Town Council reviewed the Residences at Grove Park Concept Plan proposal.  The proposal included the demolition of the 111 unit Townhouse Apartment and construction of 300-plus unit multi-family development.
February 20, 2007	RAM Development Company submitted three applications: Text Amendment application to amend the Land Use Management Ordinance to create a higher density residential zoning district; Rezoning application to rezone the Townhouse Apartment site to the proposed higher density residential zoning district; and Special Use Permit application for the demolition and redevelopment of the Townhouse Apartment site.
March 10, 2008	The Council opened a Public Hearing to consider the applicant’s text amendments to create the higher density residential zoning district.   The Public Hearing for the text amendments was continued to May 5.  The Council also opened a Public Hearing to consider the Residences at Grove Park rezoning and Special Use Permit applications.  The Public Hearing for the rezoning and Special Use Permit applications was deferred to April 21.  The April 21 public hearing was continued to June 9.
May 5, 2008	The Council denied the application to amend the Land Use Management Text Ordinance to create higher density residential zoning districts.

 

DISCUSSION

 

In April, the Council held Public Hearings to consider a package of applications regarding the Residences at Grove Park development proposal:

 

• An application to create higher density residential zoning districts;
• An application to rezone the property to a new higher density residential zoning district; and
• An application for a Special Use Permit to redevelop the property for a higher density residential zoning district.

 

On May 5, the Council denied the proposal to create higher density residential zoning districts that accompanied the rezoning and Special Use Permit applications.  Because a higher density residential zoning district does not exist to accommodate the proposed higher density residential development proposal, the applicant has requested time to consider revising their rezoning application.  As we have reviewed the alternatives with the applicant, we believe a suitable alternative would be to revise the applicant’s rezoning application to the existing Residential Special Standards Conditional zoning district.

 

Town staff is working with the applicant to re-evaluate their revised proposal.  We believe that a revised Zoning Atlas Amendment application, proposing to rezone the Townhouse Apartment site to the existing Residential-Special Standards-Conditional district, may be a reasonable approach.  Based on preliminary discussions with the applicant, it would be necessary for the Council to also consider amending the intent and the floor area ratios of the Residential-Special Standards-Conditional zoning district.  The current floor area ratio of .4 would not accommodate the proposed development.

 

The applicant has requested that the Council continue the public hearing to September (see attached letter). The additional time will allow the applicant and staff an opportunity to develop an alternate zoning for the Residences at Grove Park proposal.

 

RECOMMENDATION

 

We recommend that the public hearing for a Zoning Atlas Amendment be continued to September 15 and that the public hearing for the Special Use Permit be continued to October 13, 2008 as requested by the applicant. 

 

Adoption of the attached Resolution would:

• Continue the hearing on the Residences at Grove Park Zoning Atlas Amendment application to September 15, 2008; and
• Continue the hearing on the Residences at Grove Park Special Use Permit application to October 13, 2008.

 

Adoption of the attached Resolution would also:

• Call a public hearing for September 15, 2008 to consider a text amendment application from RAM Development Company to amend the intent and the floor area ratios of the Residential-Special Standards-Conditional district; and

 

• Call a public hearing for September 15, 2008 to consider a revised rezoning application from RAM Development Company to rezone the Townhouse Apartment site from Residential-6 and Residential-4 to amend the Residential-Special Standards-Conditional district.

 

The public hearing to consider a revised rezoning application from RAM Development will require publishing a legal advertisement in the newspaper, as well as notification of surrounding all property owners of the proposed development.  The revised rezoning application will also provide another opportunity for the submission of a protest petition.

 

ATTACHMENTS

 

1.      Letter from Applicant requesting delay (p. 5).