AGENDA #5b

 

MEMORANDUM

 

TO:                  Mayor and Town Council

 

FROM:            W. Calvin Horton, Town Manager

 

SUBJECT:       Response to Petition:  Report on Marriott Residence Inn Proposed Parking Lot

 

DATE:             May 28, 2003

INTRODUCTION

 

This report provides a response to a petition received on April 28, 2003, from Dr. Harvey Krasny requesting that the Town ask the Marriott Residence Inn applicant to implement new parking restrictions, in addition to the Marriott Special Use Permit stipulations adopted by the Council on March 24, 2003.  Dr. Krasny’s petition is included as Attachment #1.

 

BACKGROUND

 

On November 18, 2002, January 22, 2003, and March 3, 2003, the Council held Public Hearings on the Special Use Permit application for the Marriott Residence Inn Hotel Special Use Permit, Planned Development - Mixed Use.  The site is located on the northwest corner of Dobbins Drive and Erwin Road.

 

During the March 3 Public Hearing, Dr. Krasny, a nearby neighbor, recommended that the Council, in addition to the Manager’s recommend resolution of approval, impose several additional stipulations on the Marriott applicant.  One recommendation presented by Dr. Krasny concerned the proposed northwest parking lot. 

 

After closing the Public Hearing the Council directed the Town Manager to return on March 24 with a revised resolution incorporating the additional recommendations requested by Dr. Krasny during the Public Hearing.

 

On March 24 the Council received the Town Manager’s revised resolution of approval.  The resolution incorporated all of the recommendations requested by Dr. Krasny.  One of those recommendations involved the proposed northern parking lot.  In the text of the March 24 Council memorandum, the requested recommendation, as stated by Dr. Krasny during the March 3 Public Hearing was restated as follows:      

 

Addition of a stipulation regarding reduction or relocation of the larger parking lot proposed to be located on the northern side of the site so that there is no potential for stormwater run-off into the stream-like area that comes from the pond. 

 

The March 24 memorandum notes that in response to this recommendation, the Town Manager’s revised resolution includes the following stipulation:

 

Parking Lot on Northern Portion of Site:  That the parking lot proposed to be located on the northern portion of the development be reduced in size or relocated, subject to Town Manager approval, and that the stormwater management plan include special attention to the stormwater run-off from this portion of the site to protect the northern swale in the vicinity.

 

The Public Hearing was subsequently closed and the Marriott Residence Inn Special Use Permit Resolution adopted by the Town Council on March 24.

 

On April 28, Dr. Krasny presented the Town Council with a petition requesting that the Town ask the Marriott Residence Inn applicant to impose additional parking lot restrictions.  Specifically, the petition seeks to prohibit buses, trucks, mobile homes, trailers and other similar vehicles from parking in the hotel’s proposed northern parking lot.  We transmitted a copy of the petitioner’s request to the Marriott Residence Inn applicant and requested a formal response.  

 

DISCUSSION

 

As requested, the Marriott Residence Inn applicant received Dr. Krasny’s petition and submitted a response.  That response is included as Attachment 2 to this memorandum.    Attachment 2 also includes a copy of the adopted Marriott Residence Inn Special Use Permit.

 

In summary, the response states that the applicant agrees to modify the parking lot design in an attempt to address the petitioners concerns.  Proposed modifications to the northern parking lot include: 1) Reducing the overall size of the parking lot; 2) Reducing the number of parking spaces; 3) Reducing the solid waste enclosure; and 4) Installing a landscape island.  These design elements are discussed in greater detail in Attachment 2.  The attachment also includes illustrative maps of the parking lot presented to Council on March 24 and a design incorporating the above modifications.

 

We believe that the parking lot modifications as proposed by the applicant are reasonable and consistent with the Marriott Special Use Permit as adopted by the Council on March 24.

 

CONCLUSION

 

Unless the applicant voluntarily agrees to self impose parking restrictions, as requested in Dr. Kransy’s petition, or submits an application to modify the approved Special Use Permit, we do not believe the Council can impose additional conditions upon the Marriott applicant at this point in the process.  We recommend no action at this time.

 

ATTACHMENT

 

1.         Petition from Dr. Harvey Krasny (p. 3).

2.         Response from Marriott Residence Inn applicant (p. 5).