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CONSIDERATION OF ORDINANCE NO. O-1314-50 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 REMOVE PART OF THE NORTHEAST QUARTER OF SECTION 16, TOWNSHIP 8 NORTH, RANGE 2 WEST OF THE INDIAN MERIDIAN, NORMAN, CLEVELAND COUNTY, OKLAHOMA, FROM THE I-1, LIGHT INDUSTRIAL DISTRICT, AND PLACE THE SAME IN THE C-2, GENERAL COMMERCIAL DISTRICT, OF SAID CITY; AND PROVIDING FOR THE SEVERABILITY THEREOF. (SOUTHEAST CORNER OF EAST CEDAR LANE ROAD AND CLASSEN BOULEVARD/U.S. HIGHWAY 77)
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SYNOPSIS: The applicant’s representative submitted an application to rezone property located at the southeast corner of Classen Boulevard (Highway 77) and East Cedar Lane Road extending east to 24th Avenue S.E. This property was zoned I-1, Light Industrial District in 1967 and 1968. This rezoning request is to go from I-1, Light Industrial District to C-2, General Commercial District. The proposed uses for the site are general retail, those uses allowed under C-2, General Commercial District; there is a fueling station proposed adjacent to Classen Boulevard (Highway 77).
ANALYSIS: This specific area of southeast Norman was originally set aside under the zoning designation for industrially related uses. However, as time has passed and development has continued in southeast Norman this area is no longer suitable for industrial uses. The industrially zoned area was set aside in 1967, at a time when this area was not developed with the vast number of residential units that now exist. At the time the industrially zoned area was established it was anticipated a major industrial user was coming to Norman that would generate additional industrial uses. However, that development was never established in this area.
To the east of this proposal there are two apartment complexes, The Links and The Greens. The apartment complexes share a golf course, used by the residents and the general public. There are several single-family neighborhoods surrounding the area of this proposal. To the north are Southlake Addition, St. James Park Addition and Cedar Lake Estates; all three are single-family additions. There are two apartment complexes, Renaissance and Chapel Ridge north of the single-family additions. Renaissance Apartments has 228 units, with one, two and three bedrooms. Chapel Ridge Apartments has 144 units, with one, two and three bedrooms. Southlake Addition has 132 single-family lots, currently St. James Park Addition has 176 lots platted and Cedar Lake Estates has sixteen large lot single-family homes. St. James Park still has the southern portion, adjacent to East Cedar Lane Road, to develop so there is a possibility of approximately 489 lots to be platted in the future.
To the west, across Classen Boulevard, there is a mix of residential and industrial uses. Several of the lots to the west have expanded with soft industrial uses, such as a mini-storage facility and an assembly business for medical gel-packs.
Further west, across the railroad tracks there are numerous single-family developments that are existing and some proposed. The Eagle Cliff Addition final platted 496 single-family lots. The Eagle Cliff South Addition final platted 167 single-family lots, with 101 remaining in the preliminary plat. The Cedar Lane Addition preliminarily platted 692 single-family lots. Monterey Addition preliminarily platted 157 single-family lots. Independence Valley final platted 43 single-family lots. There are two student based multi-family developments on the east side of 12th Avenue S.E., north and west of this development proposal, The Grove and The Avenue. The Grove consists of 224 units with 600 beds. The Avenue, currently under construction consists of 197 units with 704 beds. Both of these facilities are leased by the bed not the unit.
It is anticipated additional single-family development will continue to be added to the area. With all the added roof tops, there is a need for commercial activity to provide services to this area of Norman. The location of this proposed development will create access from neighboring communities south of Norman, not to mention traffic along Classen Boulevard, a Major Arterial Road.
ALTERNATIVES/ISSUES:
USE: This development will consist of six lots. The uses permitted in this area will be those allowed uses within C-2, General Commercial District. The C-2 zoning district is intended for the conduct of personal business services and the general retail business of the community. Persons living in the community and in the surrounding trade territory require direct and frequent access. Traffic generated by the uses will be primarily passenger vehicles and only those trucks and commercial vehicles required for stocking and delivery of retails goods.
ACCESS: There will be access points from Classen Boulevard, East Cedar Lane Road and 24th Avenue S.E. City of Norman Traffic Engineer reviewed the plan, commented and returned to the applicant for revisions. The applicant has submitted a revised, compliant site plan.
SITE PLAN: There are four lots proposed along the west side of the development, parallel to Classen Boulevard. The main anchor store will be set back off Classen Boulevard. The lot on the east side of the plat, south of East Cedar Lane Road and parallel to 24th Avenue SE is also designated for commercial use.
PARKING: The applicant stated the large/anchor store will be applying for a variance to the parking requirements. National studies show that some of the larger commercial developments have over parked their sites, creating a sea of pavement. This issue of large paved areas creates problems for storm water run-off and environmental concerns. The large, over-parked areas leave the businesses with an underutilized parking area, only being fully utilized a few times per year. If the variance is not granted, the applicant will need to make modifications to the site to accommodate the additional parking
IMPACTS: Immediately north of this project are two residential, single-family developments, Southlake Addition and St. James Park. The Southlake Addition is at full build-out. The St. James Addition has not reached East Cedar Lane Road yet, however, there have been two preliminary plats submitted which are adjacent to East Cedar Lane Road. Both of these subdivisions have or will have houses that back-up to East Cedar Lane Road. These houses are or will be buffered from the new development by their back fences and the depth of their backyards. Also, a contract has been let for the construction of East Cedar Lane Road with four to five lanes of vehicular traffic plus bicycle lanes. As a result, the proposed commercial structures are physically a good distance from the existing and proposed single-family houses to the north.
Per the Commercial Outdoor Lighting Standards, the parking lot pole lighting for this entire development is not permitted to create lighting spill over greater than 0.2 foot-candles at the property line of single-family properties.
There are two new access points for the residential development on the north side of East Cedar Lane Road, adjacent to this commercial proposal. The proposed access points for this development will line up with those proposed on the north side of East Cedar Lane Road; therefore, the access points proposed for this development do not negatively impact the access points for adjacent properties.
OTHER AGENCY COMMENTS:
GREENBELT COMMISSION - GBC NO. 14-08: At the meeting of April 21, 2014, the Greenbelt Commission approved the Greenbelt Enhancement Statement unanimously, with no additional comments or references to the Greenbelt Ordinance criteria.
PRE-DEVELOPMENT MEETING: On April 24, 2014, a handful of neighbors attended the Pre-Development meeting. All in attendance were in support of the commercial development in the area. A property owner across Classen Boulevard expressed concern for his drive location in relation to the proposed drives but was in support of the proposal.
PARK BOARD: This is a commercially zoned development. There are no parkland decisions or fees associated with this proposal.
PUBLIC WORKS/ENGINEERING & UTILITIES: There will be an installation of a twelve inch water main adjacent to Classen Boulevard. There is an existing twelve inch water main adjacent to East Cedar Lane Road and 24th Avenue S.E. Detention facilities will be provided for the storm water run-off. Sanitary sewer main will be installed to provide gravity lines for the development.
Sidewalks will be constructed on both the north and south sides of East Cedar Lane Road. These sidewalks will be completed under a City project. The applicant/developer will be responsible for sidewalks along the west side of 24th Avenue S.E. and the east side of Classen Boulevard.
There will be two five-foot wide bicycle lanes running east/west along East Cedar Lane Road, plus two east/west traffic lanes, four traffic lanes total. These bicycle and traffic lanes equate out to approximately fifty-eight feet in width between the edges of the commercial development and the residential development north of East Cedar Lane Road. The fifty-eight feet does not include any additional turn lanes located at the corner of Classen Boulevard and East Cedar Lane Road.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION: Although this proposal deviates from the industrially designated zoning district originally envisioned for this area, this proposal is appropriate for the area. With the large number of residential developments in close vicinity, industrial uses are no longer appropriate for this location. Commercial development is appropriate to serve the large number of residential uses in the area. Staff supports this rezoning request and recommends approval of Ordinance No. O-1314-50.
Planning Commission, at their June 12, 2014 meeting, unanimously recommended adoption of this ordinance by a vote of 9-0.