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CONSIDERATION OF ORDINANCE O-1718-19 UPON SECOND AND FINAL READING: AN ORDINANCE OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NORMAN, OKLAHOMA, AMENDING SECTION 460 OF CHAPTER 22 OF THE CODE OF THE CITY OF NORMAN SO AS TO GRANT SPECIAL USE FOR A CHURCH, TEMPLE OR OTHER PLACE OF WORSHIP IN THE R-3, MULTI-FAMILY DWELLING DISTRICT FOR PART OF THE NORTHEAST QUARTER (NE/4) OF SECTION SIX (6), TOWNSHIP EIGHT (8) NORTH, RANGE TWO (2) WEST OF THE INDIAN MERIDIAN, CLEVELAND COUNTY, OKLAHOMA; AND PROVIDING FOR THE SEVERABILITY THEREOF. (SOUTHEAST CORNER OF ELM AVENUE AND ELMWOOD DRIVE)
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SYNOPSIS: The applicant is requesting a Special Use for a Church, Temple or Other Place of Worship, the parcel is zoned R-3, Multi-Family Dwelling District, and a Special Use may be granted for a church by City Council in this zoning designation. The applicant is requesting a variance to the R-3 standards for building setbacks, the signage, and the parking. The Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma is proposing a two story multi-use facility that will include: a sanctuary, student ministry activity space, offices, a kitchen and dining facilities, and two apartments.
ANALYSIS: This site is currently used as a parking lot. The site is directly adjacent to OU campus student housing, many of the OU sororities and fraternities and is a walkable site for the surrounding student population. This facility will provide services for students attending OU as well as the general public.
ALTERNATIVES/ISSUES:
IMPACTS This site is currently an at grade parking lot. Utilizing this space for a campus ministry facility will not create any negative impacts to the surrounding area. This facility will provide services to the college students directly adjacent to OU and is walkable for most of the OU students that live on campus.
The Special Use and site plan will regulate the following conditions for this site:
The building setbacks are proposed at 15’ for the front setback, 10’ for the side setbacks, and the rear setback at 10’; the R-3 underlying zoning requires a 25’ front setback, 5’ for the side setbacks and a 20’ rear setback.
• Per the Sign Code, under Medium Density Residential Sign Standards, which includes the R-3 zoning designation, all signs must meet a 25’ setback. The proposed signage is an 8’x20’ one-sided monument sign which is a total of 160 square feet, at the northwest corner of this parcel with a 10’ minimum setback and out of any sight triangle, and a 225 square foot wall sign, with the name of the church and address on the front of the building at a 15’ setback. This request is for a variance of 15’ to the setback for the ground sign and a 10’ variance for the wall sign because of the placement of the building.
• For the allowed square footage, per the sign code for this zoning designation, “Churches, schools and other institutional uses may erect one free-standing, internally illuminated, ground sign on their property. Such sign shall not exceed 17 feet in height nor 48 square feet per face. For properties which have frontage on more than one street and additional sign may be erected on each such frontage, but all such signage may not exceed 96 square feet for all faces. In addition to the name or address of the facility, one-half of the sign area may contain a changeable copy portion for public announcements. Such sign shall substitute for any ground sign allowed by other sections of this chapter, but shall not count against allowable wall signage. Wall signage denoting the name or address of the facility may not exceed 55 square feet for each separate use.” Therefore, the applicant is requesting a 64 square foot variance for the ground sign and 170 square foot variance for the wall sign.
• The OU Board of Regents is leasing the south parcel, which currently is a parking lot, to the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma to accommodate parking for this facility. The lease is binding for 60 years with the option to renew the lease as part of the contract. The required parking for the multi-use church facility is 115 parking spaces; there are 109 parking spaces provided between the two lots. The applicant is requesting a variance of 6 parking spaces.
Approval of the Special Use and site plan will allow these requested conditions as the regulations for this site. Staff supports these conditions as part of the Special Use request.
OTHER AGENCY COMMENTS:
PREDEVELOPMENT - PD 17-22 - October 26, 2017
No neighbors attended the meeting.
PARK BOARD: Not required for commercial development.
PUBLIC WORKS: The applicant will be required to Plat this parcel if the Special Use is granted by City Council; additional public improvements and infrastructure required will be addressed through this process.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION: Staff supports the applicant’s request for a Special Use for a Church, Temple or Other Place of Worship for a new college ministry facility and the requested variances. Staff recommends approval of Ordinance O-1718-19.
Planning Commission, at their November 9, 2017 meeting, recommended adoption of Ordinance O-1718-19 by a vote of 5-2.