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Home My WebLink AboutVI (C1 & 2) West Oaks Towne Center, Project No. LS-99-013: Preliminary/Final Subdivision Plan; Preliminary/ Final Site Plan Agenda 12-21-99 "CENTER OF GOOD LIVING-PRIDE OF WEST ORANGE" Item VI COMMISSIONER NER Ocoee S.scar I'VANDERGRIPF ° o CITY OF OCOEE COMMISSIONERS HOWELL •� p 150 N. LAKESHDRE DRIVE DANNYNDERSO OCOEE,FLORIDA 34761-2258 SCOTT ANDERSON r. RUSTY JOHNSON �y (407)656-2322 NANCY 1 PARKER Jf*CfGni,`, CITY MA6A4E0. ELLIS SHAPIRO STAFF REPORT DATE: December 15, 1999 TO: The Honorable Mayor and City Commissioners FROM; Russ Wagner, AICP, Director of Planning 11,1 SUBJECT: West Oaks Towne Center Preliminary/Final Subdivision Plan Preliminary/Final Site Plan Project# LS-99-013 ISSUE Should the Mayor and City Commissioners approve the Preliminary / Final Subdivision Plan and Site Plan for West Oaks Towne Center? BACKGROUND: The West Oaks Towne Center is a proposed 13.086 acre commercial / retail shopping center project located at the northeast corner of State Road 50 and Clarke Road. The property is zoned C-2, Community Commercial District, which allows a wide range of retail, office, restaurant and service uses. Main anchors proposed for the 113,712 sq. ft. center include Best Buy, Michael's, and Petsmart together with a variety of other retail and restaurant uses. The development is subject to conditions contained within a prior Development Agreement which limits the uses and square footage for the property to a retail shopping center configuration as proposed. The property is adjoined by Don Pablo's Restaurant, the West Oaks Mall and Toys-R-Us, and is situated at the Clarke Road/East-West Expressway "gateway"to Ocoee. Additionally, the subject property is located within the Ocoee State Road 50 Activity Center. As a result, the project is required to conform to the Special Development Plan and Private Area Special Regulations that are incorporated within the Activity Center. POINt Protect Or. ee's Wairr Resources rya December 15, 1999 Honorable Mayor and City Commissioners Page 2 DISCUSSION: The developer of the West Oaks Towne Center has done an excellent job of integrating this project with surrounding development and meeting all of the standards established for the State Road 50 Activity Center. This has not been an easy or inexpensive task; however, the developer has worked extensively with City staff to design a project that is of high quality and consistent with the vision created for the State Road 50 corridor. The following attributes of the development are summarized below to more fully explain the design approach: Architecture The elevations for the proposed center are predominately Mediterranean in character with significant roofline articulation and extensive façade detailing incorporating barrel tile roofing, extended pilasters, and awnings. The main building incorporates a continuous covered arcade with a lineal landscape buffer. All rooftop equipment is screened from view from surrounding properties, and architectural detailing extends around the sides and rear portions of the building where visible from surrounding development. Landscaping/Site Amenities The developer has preserved a significant number of existing trees within the project complemented by an extensive array of supplementary landscaping adjoining the parking areas and buildings. The Plan meets all aspects of the Land Development Code as to number and size of plant materials and the amount of green space within the parking lots. The Plan incorporates extensive use of linear landscape islands within the parking areas to break up large expanses of paving. An extensive system of landscaped berms, curvilinear sidewalks, and open space buffers extend along both street frontages. Additionally, a water feature with fountain is located at the intersection of Clarke Road and State Road 50 so as to enhance the attractiveness of the project. Numerous sitting areas are also located throughout the site to benefit patrons of the center. December 15, 1999 Honorable Mayor and City Commissioners Page 3 Access Two main access points to the site are provided, one from State Road 50 and the other from Clarke Road. The Clarke Road entry is situated at an existing full access opening providing entering and exiting left turns. Even though this project is vested and exempt from concurrency, traffic operational impacts created by the development stipulated the need for an additional right turn lane along Clarke Road which will be built as part of the project. Access from State Road 50 is to be located at the existing median opening for Citrus Oaks Drive. Based upon FDOT requirements, this access point will be limited to a directional left due to its proximity to the East-West Expressway, Clarke Road and State Road 50 intersection. Cross access from Don Pablo's and Toys-R-Us is also provided within the Plan per Code requirements. This access is designed to permit indirect vehicular access throughout the area without creating a cut-through situation. A direct access to the West Oaks Mall ring road is being sought by the developer; however, West Oaks Mall has withheld approval for this driveway connection. Entry roads and driveways within the site are configured in a manner which will create free-flowing traffic movements with a minimum of conflicts. Speed tables at pedestrian crossings are also incorporated into the Plan to slow down traffic at the front of the main shopping center building. Pedestrian amenities throughout the site are extensive and incorporate many internal walkways and crosswalks to promote pedestrian access in a safe and efficient manner. The extensive sidewalk system integrates the parking, landscaping, and seating areas with the various structures on site to minimize internal vehicular conflicts for shoppers utilizing the center. The sidewalks will also tie into the adjoining Toys-R-Us and the West Oaks Mall. Miscellaneous Site Features The stormwater management system for the site utilizes structured rock-wall retention ponds which incorporate decorative rails and perimeter screening landscaping as well as an extensive use of vines. Site lighting has been designed to meet the requirements of the updated lighting standards proposed for adoption consistent with national standards. Service areas at the rear of the main commercial building predominately adjoin a large retention pond associated with the West Oaks Mall. Nevertheless, an extensive landscape buffer and decorative fence with vines will be placed to screen all loading activity from view. December 15, 1999 Honorable Mayor and City Commissioners Page 4 Additional Considerations The Plan as presented incorporates undeveloped rights-of-way situated on the north and east property boundaries. A companion petition to vacate these "paper" streets has been submitted by the developer and is scheduled before the City Commission (Resolution No.99-21) at the same meeting at which it considers approval of the Plan. Staff is recommending approval of this petition subject to providing utility easements over the vacated roadways. A number of technical waivers are also being proposed as part of the project approval per the procedures established for the Activity Center. These waivers, which are summarized below, are logical for the overall character of the development and consistent with similar waivers granted to other projects in the past. The first two waivers listed permit reduction of side setbacks and buffers where Best Buy (Lot 2) adjoins Lot 1. This simply allows the structures to be built in an integrated architectural fashion. The third waiver allows a minor front setback reduction to preserve a large oak tree, and the fourth waiver computes parking based upon gross leasable space vs. gross square footage. This allows more green area on site to remain. Waiver five allows site lighting to conform to upgraded standards which meet national standards, and the last waiver provides for the center identification name on the structural portion of the sign to be exempt from the 15 foot height requirement. The actual lighted advertising portions of the sign still meet the Code. DEVELOPMENT REVIEW COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION: On November 17, 1999, the Development Review Committee (DRC) met to review the proposed project. At that meeting, it was determined that there were still a number of technical items that needed to be resolved prior to the Plan being placed on the Planning and Zoning Commission agenda. Based upon this, the DRC voted unanimously to recommend approval of the Plan, together with all proposed waivers, subject to the Plan being revised prior to the Planning and Zoning Commission Meeting. (During the interim,the developer has conformed the Plan to satisfy all staff comments.) December 15, 1999 Honorable Mayor and City Commissioners Page 5 PLANNING & ZONING COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION: On December 14, 1999, the Planning and Zoning Commission held a public hearing regarding the Preliminary / Final Subdivision Plan and Site Plan for West Oaks Towne Center. Staff answered several questions from the Commission regarding various elements of the plan and the Developer was available for questions if necessary. During the hearing, Mayor Vandergrift expressed his opinion on some of the issues, but there were no other speakers from the audience. When the discussion was finished, the Planning and Zoning Commission voted unanimously to recommend approval of the Preliminary / Final Subdivision Plan and Site Plan for West Oaks Towne Center, date stamped received by the City on December 10, 1999, in accordance with the Staff recommendation. STAFF RECOMMENDATION: Based upon the recommendations of the DRC and the Planning and Zoning Commission, Staff recommends that the Mayor and City Commission approve the I) Preliminary / Final Subdivision Plan and 2) Preliminary/ Final Site Plan for West Oaks Towne Center, including all waivers specified thereon, in accordance with Plan date stamped received by the City on December 10, 1999, subject to City Commission approval of Resolution No. 99-21. RBW/csa Attachments: Copy of Public Hearing Advertisement Preliminary/Final Site and Subdivision Plan,date stamped December 10, 1999 O:\CALEXANDER\ALL_I)ATA\CAPOFILE\Staff Reports\CC SR\5R99079.doc The Orlando Sentinel,Thursday, December 2, 1999 NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARINGS CITY OF OCOEE WEST OAKS TOWNE CENTER NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN,that the O ONING COEE • SSIONPLANNING hold a AND ZPUBLIC HEARING on Tuesday, December 14iar session at 7;30 ,1099 or at Shah rethereafter re eatter as passible, and the OCOEE CITY COMMISSION day,will se hDece'December 2old a 1199999aatNPeG anrn eg� after s possible,7:15 in thr e Commission Chambers,Ocoee City Hall,150 North Lakeshore Drive,Ocoee.Florida to con- S.de'• asbdis o n owns WEST OAKS TOWNE CENTER. The of Statlocated Road Sonland northeast corner, The complete a not theIsap including o a le- galTact ay be inspected at the Ocoee Plan- ning Department, tso Nosh Lakeshore Drive. 80 arm exc5'00 p m Monday throughFriday ept legal holidays The Ocoee Planning and Zoning Com- or Ocoee City Commissionto may co omino the public hearings ether brryy.My interestedd paM shdalll be 'I. advised that the dates,times and plat, of any npublic continuation shall bec no an- nounced during the hearing and that no i ther notices regarding these matters be published. Interested hea parties • hearings an may heard rwith re- spect to the appl.CatiOn, Any person who desires to ppeal any decision made during the public hearing may font is purpose• d a record t the neeCdB tot rig ire Pat a verbatim record of the proceed- ings is made which includes the testi- mony and evidence upon which the RP- peal is based.Persons with disabilities needing assistance to participate in any O we proceedingsP should contact e Cler office lie hours inadvance of the meeting at f607f 656-2322. CITYJEAN GRAFTON.OF OCOEE CITY CLERK, December 2 tSW OL53037040 DE02.1559