APPLICANT

OWNER

Thompson and Associates, P.A.

Tanas Hair Salon, Inc.

Location:

Map:

The site would be located approximately 200' south of the intersection of Baines Court and SE Cary Parkway at 107 Baines Court, just west of an existing municipal water tower and north of the Troon development.

Planning & Zoning Board Recommendation:

The Planning and Zoning Board unanimously recommended approval of the plan. The recommendation included:

• Reducing the eastern 15' "B" type buffer, located east of the proposed drive location, to a 2' buffer strip.
• Reducing the western 15' "B" type buffer to a 3' buffer strip.
• Reducing the amount of required parking from 30 spaces to 27 spaces.

Staff Recommendation:

Staff Recommends approval of the plan. The recommendation includes:

• Reducing the eastern 15' "B" type buffer, located east of the proposed drive location, to a 2' buffer strip.
• Reducing the western 15' "B" type buffer to a 3' buffer strip.
• Reducing the amount of required parking from 30 spaces to 27 spaces.

PROPOSED SCHEDULE OF MEETINGS

PLANNING & ZONING BOARD:

April 21, 2003

TOWN COUNCIL:

May 8, 2003

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

The plans propose a two-story combination commercial/office building containing 6,444 square feet on 0.71 acres. The Tanas Hair Salon would utilize approximately 4,453 square feet of building area, and the office component would utilize the remaining 1,991 square feet. The site would be accessed by one drive from Baines Court, extending southward to proposed parking located south and west of the building location. The plans propose to reduce a 15' "B" type buffer to a 3' buffer strip long the western property line, and to reduce a 15' "B" type buffer to a 2' buffer strip along the eastern side of the proposed drive. The plans also propose to reduce the required amount of parking from 30 spaces to 27 spaces.

Located in an office and commercial subdivision created in December 1984, the lot of Tanas Hair Salon is a "flag lot". By today's standards, this lot could not be created in its current configuration, because flag lots are generally considered non-conforming and would not be allowed. The area of the lot accessing Baines Court is not wide enough to allow for both safe access and the required buffer widths from adjoining properties. Therefore, the plans include a request to allow substantial reductions in the buffers.

In order to encourage development of non-conforming properties and the redevelopment of existing properties, Cary's zoning regulations provide the Town Council with the flexibility to allow streetscapes and buffers that normally would not comply with minimum buffer standards.

A minor reduction in parking, from 30 spaces to 27 spaces, is also requested and should not adversely impact the use of the property.

PARCEL INFORMATION

Parcel #

Realid #

Area

0763.19-50-0495

0132210

0.71 acres

ZONING AND LAND USE PLAN COMPLIANCE

Current Zoning: The property is zoned Residential-12 Planned Unit Development (R-12 PUD). The property is within the Kildaire Farm PUD and is reserved for office and commercial development on the PUD Master Plan.

Overlay District: N/A

Town Limits: The property is within Cary's Town limits.

Land Use Compliance: The Land Use Plan designates this area for office development.

LANDSCAPE

The plans would provide required intermittent buffering along the eastern property line, adjacent to the water tank tower site, and adjacent to the existing northern office building. A required semi-opaque buffer would be provided along the southern property line adjacent to the Troon retirement community. For the length of the property along the western side of the proposed drive, existing landscaping would remain and would be supplemented to create an opaque screen. Along the eastern side of the proposed drive, a vehicular use area evergreen screen is proposed to screen the proposed drive from off-site views.

Staff supports the request to reduce buffers associated with the proposed drive for the following reasons:

• The lot’s flag lot configuration makes it non-conforming.

• There is insufficient property on either side of the drive to support the required 20' buffer widths.
• The proposed western buffer landscape supplementation would create an opaque screen that exceeds semi-opaque buffer requirements. (Supplemental plantings of trees and evergreen shrubs would be installed in an area previously landscaped by the Troon development.)
• The eastern side of the drive would adjoin an existing office building and parking area and would not be visible from other sites in the area. To offset the eastern buffer reduction, a vehicle use area evergreen screen would be installed along the common property line.
• Based on the building’s size, the considerable amount of residential character proposed for the building, and the exterior materials and colors that would be utilized, the proposed building would blend in well with existing adjoining developments thereby reducing the practical need for buffers that would create visual separation between sites.

• The Buffer and Parking Reductions Are Justified to More Effectively Use This Non-conforming Lot Site.

BUILDING ELEVATION

Building Height: 35' (two-story)

Building Size: 6,444 square feet.

Building Materials and colors: Red-brown brick, buff color cast stone trim and driftwood color asphalt shingles similar to the Troon development: white coping, downspouts, gutters, eave and soffit trim: clear anodized aluminum storefront: and, forest green canvas awnings.

ROADWAY DESIGN

No new roads/streets are proposed as part of this project. There is no road/thoroughfare widening required as part of this project.

Staff Contact: Tammy Spivey, 462-3933, Email: tspivey@ci.cary.nc.us

UTILITIES

Water & Sewer: The site would utilize existing public water and gravity sewer services. No new water or sewer connections are required.

Staff Contact: Shuyan Tian, 469-4381, Email: stian@ci.cary.nc.us

STORM WATER

The proposed project would meet all requirements of the Stormwater section of the Town of Cary.

Staff Contact: Tom Horstman, 469-4347, Email: thorstma@ci.cary.nc.us

PROPERTY OWNER NOTIFICATION AND CONCERNS

The adjoining property owners were notified of the proposed development during staff's first review of the plan. Staff has received no inquiries from adjoining property owners regarding this development plan.