Town of Cary, North Carolina

Development Plan Staff Report to the Town Council

07-SP-090, JM Thompson Flex Building

Bob Benfield, Case Manager

REQUEST

The applicant, Gontram Architecture, Inc., representing JM Thompson Company, has requested approval of a development plan to construct a one-story office building on property located at 221 Travis Park Drive.  The plan also includes a request to reduce the width of the 100’ Thoroughfare Overlay District Buffer to 30’.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Public Notification:  In accordance with Town policy, on November 15, 2007, staff mailed notification to all adjoining property owners within 400’ of the subject property.  Staff has received no inquiries pertaining to this development plan.

Project Summary:

The applicant, Gontram Architecture, Inc., representing JM Thompson Company, has requested approval of a development plan to construct a one-story office/flex space building containing approximately 6,400 square feet on approximately 2.74 acres located at 221 Travis Park Drive.  The plan also includes a request to reduce the width of the 100’ Thoroughfare Overlay District Buffer to a 30’ on the subject property.

With regard to the applicant’s request to reduce the Thoroughfare Overlay District Buffer on the subject site, LDO Section 4.4.4(D)(3) states:

“The Town Council may reduce the required width of this buffer strip as part of its approval of the site and/or subdivision plan, taking into consideration: the topography of the area; surrounding land uses, particularly residential uses; the actual location of the corridor; the size and shape of land parcels affected by the buffer; and whether the buffer requirement would render the entire property unusable.  In reducing the width of the buffer strip, the Town Council shall ensure that the applicant will provide appropriate landscaping meeting the requirements of paragraph (4) below.  In no event, however, shall the Town Council reduce the required width of the buffer strip to less than 30 feet.”

Paragraph 4 (referenced above) states: 

“Within the required buffer strip, all existing vegetation shall be maintained in a natural, undisturbed state and, unless the existing natural vegetation provides such a buffer, the applicant shall install and maintain an Opaque Type A buffer meeting the requirements of Section 7.2.3 of this Ordinance.”

Applicant’s Justification for Thoroughfare Overlay District Buffer Reduction:

The following statements (shown below offset in italics) are provided by the applicant in response to the criteria listed in the LDO to be considered by Town Council when reviewing a request for a reduction to the Thoroughfare Overlay buffer at an individual location.  These statements do not necessarily represent the views or opinions of the Town of Cary.  Any statements as to the type, quality or physical features are at the discretion of the applicant:

We began development in 1971 prior to Interstate-40 being constructed with one office building containing 14,000 square feet located in the southeast corner of East Chatham Street and Travis Park Drive.   As a result, our initial office building is directly on the right-of-way of Interstate-40 and our remaining area for future development was reduced to a long, narrow parcel.  Since that time, we have developed the property into the Travis Industrial Park.  No additional buildings were added to the Park until June 1985 when another one-story office/warehouse building containing approximately 6,400 square feet was built adjacent to 1-40 and south of the original building.  Given the narrowness of the property (approximately 225’), it was necessary to reduce the width of the TCBD to the minimum allowed of 30’; and we also acknowledged in 1985 that future building construction would need consideration of a significant reduction to the TCBD.  Travis Industrial Park is located at a higher elevation than Interstate-40 and does not, therefore, pose any direct visual contact from Interstate-40, which is approximately 20’ below the elevation of our adjoining property.

We would like to request that the width of the 100’ Thoroughfare Corridor Buffer be reduced to 30’ to allow for construction of another building to be located between the two existing buildings already within the 100’ setback.  We feel that adequate screening would be provided in the remaining 30’ buffer through a combination of supplemental evergreen screening mixed with the existing forest area and with the difference in elevation from the proposed building site to Interstate-40.

CONSISTENCY WITH THE LAND DEVELOPMENT ORDINANCE AND DESIGN STANDARDS

A.      Transportation:

This site fronts onto Travis Park Drive, a private roadway.  No roadway improvements are required as part of this development plan proposal.

B.     Parks & Greenways: Greenways Map

There are no public greenway or park land impacts associated with this plan.

C.     Environmental:

The plan complies with Cary’s stormwater and erosion control requirements.

D.     Buffers:

According to LDO Section 4.4.4(D)(1), a 100’ wide buffer is required along certain controlled access roadways, including I-40.  The applicant has requested a reduction of this buffer, as further described above in this report (“Project Summary” and “Applicant’s Justification” sections).

The Thoroughfare Overlay District Buffer on the subject site contains existing evergreen and deciduous trees with little or no under-story screening.  The existing forest area also extends into the roadway right-of-way area of I-40.  The plans propose to retain all existing trees within the remaining 30’ buffer and provide landscape supplementation consisting of deciduous and evergreen trees adjacent to the buffer.  The plan complies with LDO Sections 4.4.4(D)(4) and 7.2.3 requiring preservation of existing vegetation and landscape supplementation creating an opaque screen.

E.     Streetscape:

Both sides of Travis Park Drive would be landscaped to include upper-story and ornamental trees, and all vehicular use areas will be screened from off-site views in accordance with the requirements of the LDO.

ADDITIONAL REFERENCE INFORMATION

Staff Recommendation:

Staff recommends approval of the plan.  The recommendation includes approval of a reduction to the width of the 100’ Thoroughfare Overlay District Buffer to 30’ as requested by the applicant.

Planning and Zoning Board Action

Date:  December 13, 2007

Action:  The Planning and Zoning Board recommend approved the plan as submitted by the applicant.  The recommendation includes reducing the width of the 100’ Thoroughfare Overlay District Buffer to a 30’ wide buffer.  The vote to recommend approval was unanimous.

Town Council Action

Date:  January 10, 2008

Action: