The Teen Dance Club would primarily operate Friday’s, Saturday’s and Sunday’s. On Friday’s and Saturday’s, the Club would operate between the hours of 6:30p.m. to 9:30p.m. for middle school teens, and between 9:30p.m. and 1:00a.m. for high school teens. On Sunday’s, the Club would operate between the hours of 5:00p.m. until 11:00p.m.

During summer months, the Club would extend days of operation to include Monday’s, Tuesday’s and Wednesday’s. The Club would operate on a private-membership basis to students primarily attending Cary High and Green Hope High School’s.

Staff recommends approval of the site plan (with conditions) and approval of the major special use for the following reasons:

• The club provides an additional resource for teenagers for recreational purpose; and
• The placement of the club in the existing facility necessitates improvements that move the property closer into compliance with Town Ordinances.

We suggest the following conditions of approval:

• Add 2 street trees and 2 ornamental trees in the grassed area close to the intersection of Bowden Drive and East Durham Road.
• Along East Durham Road, add 3 street trees.
• Add required foundation plantings and vegetative screening for the mechanical unit.
• Add vegetative screening for the existing dumpster.

• Modify the parking lot striping plan to use 90 degree instead of angled parking near the building;
• Add a note on the plan that indicates that the parking lot lighting will be a maximum of 30 feet in height, shoebox fixtures will be used, and the bulb wattage will be 250 watts.
• Provide shields for the wall packs or remove them;
• Revise the plan to show the required 9' by 18' parking stall dimensions and minimum 23’ travel aisle dimensions; and
• Work with the railroad to close the rear access to the building.

Jim Parajon, AICP Phone:469-4029

The existing site does not comply with the Town's current landscaping and screening standards. While there is some existing vegetation for the East Durham Road streetscape, additional street trees can be added to reduce the non-compliance. The existing parking lot does not meet vehicular screening requirements since there is no vegetation in this area. The existing dumpster is not screened from view as required by Town Ordinance. Finally, no foundation plantings are provided with the exception of an evergreen tree or shrub to comply with Town requirements.

Staff recommends the following landscape improvements:

• While a 15' required streetscape along Bowden Drive can not be achieved while providing adequate on-site parking for the club, we recommend adding 2 street trees and 2 ornamental trees in the grassed area close to the intersection of Bowden Drive and East Durham Road.
• Along East Durham Road, we recommend adding 3 street trees.
• Add required foundation plantings and vegetative screening for the VUA.
• Add vegetative screening for the existing dumpster.

The building is one-story, is constructed of red-brown brick, and is currently being used as warehouse flex space. The applicant proposes to add a canvas awning over the primary entrance into the building. The applicant advises that the awning would be burgundy and would contain the Club’s logo/signage.

The only existing lights on the site are attached to the building and do not provide adequate lighting for the parking lot. The applicant has proposed to add 3 shoebox parking lot lights to the site.

The Teen Center will not be open for full operation during the morning or afternoon peak hours. Less than 100-peak hour trips.

East Durham Road is currently under contract to be widened, so no additional roadway improvements would be required other than the requirement that sidewalk be installed along Bowden Drive and East Durham Road for the length of property frontage.

In a meeting with the applicant on May 8, 2001, staff recommended that the existing drive to East Durham Road providing access to the rear of the Club be closed off. The applicant is willing to close the access if permitted by the railroad.

A parking lot striping plan has been provided with this proposal. The minimum parking stall width and length allowed by the Town’s Engineering Specifications are 9' and 18', respectively. The minimum travel aisle width allowed is 23’. The plan submittal does not show the dimensions of the restriped parking spaces or the travel aisle widths. In addition, the parking area parallel to East Durham Road closest to the building is at an angle and does not provide adequate turning radius for motorists to exit these spaces.

The site currently contains 14 parking spaces. Because the use is defined as a recreation center, one parking space is required for every 250 gross square feet in the Club, or 17 parking spaces. The applicant's plan shows 63 spaces for the club, however, some of the spaces will be eliminated when the parking layout is reconfigured to meet Town Engineering Specifications. The occupancy limit for the Club would be 500 people, although the applicant does not expect more than 200 people.

The plans propose to utilize existing utilities.

The applicant would need to show the location of existing services and demonstrate that the size of existing services are adequate to handle the utility load generated by the Club.