Town of Cary, North Carolina
Development Plan Staff Report
10-SP-012 – Stalls Medical
Town Council Meeting
January 11, 2011

The applicant, Danny Howell, on behalf of the property owners, Jerry and Deborah Stalls, has requested approval of a site plan to develop approximately 22,520 square-feet of office, retail, warehousing, and potential handicap-accessible vehicular sales on several parcels of land within the Town Center Area Plan.

Site Layout
Landscaping Plan
Grading Plan
Elevation View

Streams: According to both the documents submitted for review and the Town’s GIS maps, no streams impact the subject property.
Floodplain: According to both the documents submitted for review and the Town’s GIS maps, no floodplains or floodways impact the subject property.
Wetlands: According to the documents submitted for review, there are no wetlands located on the subject property.
Topography: The property slopes downward from the intersection toward the northeastern corner of the property. The elevation change is approximately 20 feet from one corner to the other.
Surrounding Land Uses:
North – Single-family Detached Dwelling located on non-residentially-zoned property
South – Heavy Vehicle Repair (Wingfoot) and Heavy Equipment Sales/Rental (IEC)
East – Single-family Detached Dwelling located on non-residentially-zoned property
West – Religious Assembly (North Cary Baptist Church)

The property owner proposes to construct a 22,520-square-foot building consisting of 12,333 square feet (54%) of office; 3,344 square feet (16%) retail; and 6,843 square feet (30%) of warehousing uses. The proposed building would be located in the center of the site and be surrounded by parking. The applicant has proposed 87 parking spaces, 18 more than the 69 spaces required by the LDO. The additional parking spaces would serve as parking for vehicles being sold in association with the Stalls Medical business. All parking areas would be screened from off site views by an evergreen hedge.

The plans propose to utilize a wet pond to collect stormwater runoff. The wet pond would be located along the eastern property line, and would be screened from view by an opaque buffer.

Plan Set

Pre-application Conference
The applicant attended a pre-application conference with the Town of Cary Development Review Committee on January 6, 2010.

Mailing
On July 23, 2010, the Planning Department mailed notification of the site plan application to property owners within 400 feet of the subject property.

TCRC Meeting
The Town Center Review Commission considered this application at their December 8, 2010 meeting. The commission’s discussion involved the stormwater devices and their off-site impacts; landscaping and buffering; and the aesthetics of the building. The commission voted unanimously to forward the application to Town Council with a recommendation for approval.

A. Land Use Plan
The subject property is located in the Town Center Area Plan and is designated for both Office and Institutional uses. The proposed office use, with no more than 20% of the floor area devoted to retail use, is consistent with this land use designation.

B. Parks & Greenways Master Plan
The Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Resources Facilities Master Plan identifies a future multi-use trail along the northern side of Chapel Hill Road. The proposed plan includes the construction of the multi-use trail along the property’s frontage. Additionally, the applicant is proposing to provide short links of sidewalk across the corner parcel, which is not part of the application.

C. Growth Management Plan
The proposed development is consistent with the guiding principles of the Growth Management Plan based on its location at the intersection of two thoroughfares. Remaining principles in the Plan are not applicable to the proposed development.

D. Affordable Housing Plan
The proposed development has no residential component; therefore, the Affordable Housing Plan does not apply to this development.

E. Comprehensive Transportation Plan
Chapel Hill Road is designated as a 4-lane, median-divided thoroughfare
Existing Section: 2-lane, undivided within a 150-foot (approximate) right-of-way
Sidewalks: Existing on north side to be replaced by a multi-use trail
Bicycle Lanes: Marked bike lane
Transit: The proposed development is not located on a fixed C-Tran route. The closest stop is located near the intersection of Chapel Hill Road and Northeast Maynard Road.

Reedy Creek Road is designated as a 2-lane, undivided thoroughfare

Existing Section: 2-lane, undivided within a 40-foot (approximate) right-of-way
Sidewalks: Existing on west side; sidewalk to be added along east side
Bicycle Lanes: None required
Transit: The proposed development is not located on a fixed C-Tran route.

F. Open Space and Historic Resources Plan
The Open Space and Historic Resources Plan identifies no significant resources on the subject properties.

Traffic
The proposed use, based on local traffic data for the existing location, would not generate more than 50 peak-hour trips per day. Therefore, no Traffic Impact Analysis was required by the Land Development Ordinance.

Buffers and Streetscapes
Section 7.2.3 of the LDO exempts properties located within the Town Center (TC) zoning district from the strict application of the perimeter buffer requirements found in the majority of the Town. Since it is still desirable, in most cases, to provide a buffer between different but compatible land uses, the installation of a perimeter buffer that meets the performance criteria of the LDO is often provided.

The applicant has proposed a 10-foot buffer along the northern and the eastern property lines consisting of Tulip Poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera) and Loblolly Pine (Pinus taeda) upper-story trees, Yoshino Cryptomeria (Cryptomeria japonica ‘Yoshino’) for an evergreen tree component, and Osmanthus (Osmanthus fortunei) as the shrub component. The mixture of plant material would mature to a Type A buffer standard.

The applicant has proposed streetscapes along both Chapel Hill Road and Reedy Creek Road consisting of Ironwood (Carpinus caroliniana) and Redbud (Cercis candensis), with Shamrock holly (Ilex glabra ‘Shamrock’) for vehicular-use screening. In addition, the stand of trees located at the corner would be retained, including both the 36-inch and the 24-inch oak and a 16-inch cedar.

Architectural
The proposed building would be a single-story structure with a parapet roof. The office portion of the building would be approximately 16 feet in height, with the Stalls Medical portion of the building being approximately 21 feet in height. The façade would be predominantly red brick with both light grey brick and concrete accents. The loading/service portion of the building would be located on the northern façade, opposite the Chapel Hill Road frontage.

Based on both the information and the analysis presented within this report, staff feels that the proposed development is consistent with the Comprehensive Plan and with applicable development regulations and, therefore, recommends approval of the proposed site plan.