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CONSIDERATION OF ORDINANCE O-1415-41 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 SOUTHEAST QUARTER OF SECTION TWENTY-NINE, TOWNSHIP NINE NORTH, RANGE TWO WEST OF THE INDIAN MERIDIAN, CLEVELAND COUNTY, OKLAHOMA, FROM UNCLASSIFIED, AND PLACE THE SAME IN THE PUD, PLANNED UNIT DEVELOPMENT DISTRICT; AND PROVIDING FOR THE SEVERABILITY THEREOF. (EAST SIDE OF REED AVENUE APPROXIMATELY 481’ SOUTH OF MAIN STREET)
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SYNOPSIS: The Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (ODMHSAS) is planning to sell off some of what they consider to be surplus lands located in Norman. The general area north of Alameda Street, south of Robinson Street and situated between 12th Avenue NE and Reed Avenue and Carter Avenue has long been an area utilized for and by State Services to provide assistance to the citizens of Oklahoma. Food and Shelter, Inc. is in the process of purchasing a three acre tract of land from ODMHSAS, adjacent to Reed Avenue south of Main Street. Food and Shelter is currently located in the downtown area, south of Main Street and west of the railroad tracks. The current facility has the ability to serve meals and temporarily house 6 people. However, to adequately serve the needs of those in Norman they need a larger facility and additional housing on-site for both individuals and families.
UPDATED STAFF REPORT: The applicant submitted changes on this proposal after the Planning Commission meeting of June 11, 2015. The applicant has increased the number of parking spaces, slightly reducing the area of open space, increased the living unit count for the Addition by one, and slightly increased the living area of the units. The applicant added clarification on the signage requested for this Addition as directional signage is needed within the interior of the Addition and a wall sign is proposed for the main facility.
ANALYSIS: In 1983, homelessness, hunger concerns and overall well-being of families triggered the establishment of Food and Shelter. Food and Shelter originally started with a once-a-week lunch program for people who were simply hungry. Since that time the organization has grown to provide food as well as shelter on a daily basis for those in need.
The general area of the proposed development is owned and operated by ODMHSAS to meet the needs of Oklahomans who are living with and recovering from a mental illness. Services that historically have been provided by Griffin Hospital include crisis treatment, long term inpatient treatment and community based outpatient mental health treatment. In addition multiple other public and private entities currently provide ancillary services on the hospital site. In 1990, East Main Place was opened at 1100 East Main Street as a Transitional Housing Shelter. East Main Place occupied one wing with seventeen single unit rooms and four family rooms until 2014 when it closed.
The current Food and Shelter site is a similar facility but also includes, in addition to the temporary housing, a community soup kitchen which currently serves over 250 breakfast and lunch meals daily. In addition to the services provided at the Food and Shelter facility, clients also obtain additional services from agencies located in the Community Services Building and at Griffin Memorial Hospital located within the ODMHSAS owned property. The relocation of Food and Shelter to this site will have public transportation nearby on Main Street, as well as be in closer proximity to the additional services needed by the clients.
The area of this proposal has been vacant for many years and while the Sanborn Fire Insurance Map series indicates multiple buildings on the current Griffin Memorial Hospital site beginning in the early 1900’s; these maps do not indicate any historical structures in this specific area proposed for Food and Shelter.
The particulars of this PUD include:
USE: This is a social service facility, assisting residents of Norman in a time of need. There will be office staff/case workers and volunteers on-site providing meals, assisting those needing direction or help processing claims for assistance. The main facility will serve breakfast and lunch 7 days a week to any individual needing a meal and provide bathrooms and showers, a laundry area and other needed amenities. This site will provide housing to those needing shelter via detached cottages or in a warming shelter in the main facility.
OPEN SPACE: The applicants have revised the site plan, changing the open space area. The site is still 3 acres but now the open space shown is 1.21 acres, instead of 1.37; and now the open space for the residents and guests is 40%, instead of 46%.
PARKING: The Standards of Development as written in the PUD Ordinance specifically states that the parking and landscaping requirements shall not vary from those minimum requirements of the Code. However, due to the nature of this facility, the only parking requirements applicable are that of the office use, as all other uses associated with this facility are more of a transient nature and parking requirements for transient uses are not specified in the Code. The parking requirement for the office space in Phase I is 8 off-street parking spaces. The applicants revised the parking area adjacent to the main/office building from 20 to 25.
FENCING: No fencing is proposed for this development. The parking lot located on the south side of the main building, directed away from the residential neighborhood across Reed Avenue.
LANDSCAPING: Landscaping for the site will be completed as shown on Exhibit D, attached to the PUD Narrative.
PHASES: The area proposed as Phase I is an office/cafeteria, a pet area, play area, pavilion, an animal/medical storage building and 32 cottages; these will be efficiency/one bedroom units, two-bedroom units and family/residential units. The breakdown of the cottages has changed in Phase 1; the cottages will consist of 17 efficiency/one-bedroom (previously set at 16), 13 two-bedroom cottages (previously set at 16) and 2 family/residential units (not previously included in this area).
The area proposed for Phase II is planned for 11 family/residential cottages (previously set at 10) for extended stay residents. These cottages will have their own parking area, approximately two per cottage.
ALTERNATIVES/ISSUES:
IMPACTS: The property has gone through the review process for preliminary plat, utilities, public works/engineering, building code for minimum square feet required for living area and site plan review.
SITE PLAN: Access for this site will be from Reed Avenue. There are two access points; one for Phase I and one for Phase II. The site plan depicts the location of the main facility/office located directly adjacent to Reed Avenue with a setback of 3 feet. Through the request for PUD zoning, the applicant has requested a 3 foot setback for the main facility. The setbacks shown on the Preliminary Site Development Plan are appropriate for the cottages.
OTHER AGENCY COMMENTS
Greenbelt Commission Meeting - 15-12 - Meeting of May 18, 2015
The Greenbelt Commission sends the project forward with no comments.
PRE-DEVELOPMENT MEETING - 15-14 - Meeting of May 28, 2015
Neighbors Comments:
• Concerned with the loss of trees, flowers and green space
• Project does not fit in the existing neighborhood
• Concern with the occupants and their actions; drugs and alcohol
• Neighbors prefer the project relocate to the old East Main Place site
• Where will the people park when coming for lunch and breakfast
• A full-time staff person is needed on-site
• Impacts from runoff, where will the detention be located
• Decline in adjacent property values is a concern
• Concerned adequate screening of residents is not in place
Applicants Response:
• No drugs, violent behavior and no violent felony convictions are allowed
• Parking is not a concern as the majority don’t drive
• The development will be open and a great deal of green space will still exist
• Building the main facility with a residential element to help it fit with the existing neighborhood
BOARD OF PARKS: This proposal is considered an institutional use; there is no requirement for parkland dedication.
PUBLIC WORKS: The applicant has submitted everything needed to adequately address the platting requirements. The platting process will bring City water into the site for private use and fire protection. Platting will also bring in the required sanitary sewer to the site. Street and sidewalk improvements will be required as part of the platting process.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION: Due to the adjacent State Facilities and Services available for this type of office, social services and transient housing use, this facility is appropriately located. Staff recommends approval of Ordinance O-1415-41. Protests were received prior to the Planning Commission meeting resulting in a 14.7% protest.
Planning Commission, at their meeting of June 11, 2015, recommended adoption of this ordinance by a vote of 5-2.