Town of Cary, North Carolina

Development Plan Staff Report to the Town Council

07-SP-115, McDonald’s

Greg Barnes, Case Manager

REQUEST

The applicant, McDonald’s USA, LLC, represented by Commercial Site Design, PLLC, has requested approval of a development plan to demolish and rebuild a restaurant with drive-through services at 1299 Kildaire Farm Road.  The plans propose to reduce the required amount of parking from 42 to 35 parking spaces, representing a 17% reduction in the required parking.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Site Plan Layout

Landscaping Plan

Front Building Elevations

Public Notification:  In accordance with Town policy, on May 12, 2008, staff mailed notification of the proposed development to all property owners within 400 feet of the subject property.  At the time of this report, staff has received no inquiries from adjoining property owners pertaining to this development plan.

Project Summary:  The applicant, McDonald’s USA, LLC, represented by Commercial Site Design, PLLC, has requested approval to replace the existing restaurant with drive-through, originally approved and constructed in 1985, with a new restaurant with drive-through on approximately 0.96 acres.  The new restaurant would contain 4,026 square feet (approximately 100 square feet less than the existing restaurant building) and is located at the northeast corner of the intersection of High Meadow Drive and Kildaire Farm Road.  The new building would be certified as a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) building.

The plans propose to reduce the required amount of parking from 42 spaces to 35 parking spaces, resulting in a 16% reduction in required parking.  Plans proposing to reduce the required amount of parking by more than 10% must be reviewed by the Planning and Zoning Board and must be approved by the Town Council.

Applicant’s Justification for Approval:

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 in parking.  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:

McDonald’s USA, LLC hereby requests that the Town of Cary consider and accept the proposed buffer width reductions for the above noted proposed redevelopment. Configuring the redevelopment plan of this site was a challenge, as the existing site is non-conforming with many current code requirements, including the buffer widths.  The proposed site redesign, however, provides for the required plantings in the buffer yards and is requesting a reduction only in the required widths.  The proposed redevelopment increases the total amount of landscape buffering, while preserving a large amount of the existing mature trees.  Therefore, we believe this reduction would provide for the intent of the buffers while also allowing for a successful redevelopment of a dated property.

The following is a listing of items that this redevelopment project provides, thus requiring the need for the requested buffer allowances:

1)    The parking along Kildaire Farm Road has been eliminated and the building has been positioned closer to the road to provide for more street presence.  This generates an increased width of the buffer yard in this area by approximately four feet.

2)    The existing dumpster facility has been relocated to the interior of the site and away from its current location at the entrance to High Meadow Drive.  This provides increased buffering of the service facilities and affords better access.  The buffer yard along High Meadows Drive near the rear access drive has been increased by approximately 10’.

3)    The foundation planting around and within the interior of the site has been increased.  This allows for additional landscaping and for shading of the parking lot and the drive-thru facilities.

4)    The existing 13 mature maple, oak and crepe myrtle trees ranging from 12 inches in caliber to 25 inches in caliber have been preserved around the project. In most instances, the landscape areas around these trees have been increased. Additional plantings have been added to all buffer yards to comply with the quantities necessary for the Type “C” buffer yards.

5)     In addition to the above, McDonald’s, LLC is requesting a 7 space or 17% reduction to the required parking.  Considering the size of the existing site and the zoning requirements, it is not possible to provide for the required parking. In fact, some of the same items noted in the buffer request could not be provided if the full parking quantity had to be reached. The property is an out-parcel of Saltbox Village. With this use and with the close proximity of compatible uses it can be expected that there will be shared trips between the properties thus reducing the need for the full amount of code-required parking. The redesign of pedestrian access and the availability of bicycle parking encourage customers to visit the business without a vehicle. Additionally, the LEED design and theme would attract customers that would consider alternative travel modules. The current use of the property provides for quick service, thus reducing the amount of time cars occupy the parking spaces. A large part of the business is to service customers while they remain in their vehicles, thus reducing the need for parking spaces.

CONSISTENCY WITH THE LAND DEVELOPMENT ORDINANCE AND DESIGN STANDARDS

A.    Transportation:

      Existing Section:  5-lane undivided major thoroughfare, approximately 90 feet of R/W

      Future Section:  4-lane divided landscaped median, 100 feet R/W

      Road Improvements:  None scheduled by the Town

      Sidewalks Requirements: Sidewalks required on both sides

      Bicycle Requirements: 14-foot wide outside lanes

      Transit Requirements: None

Traffic Analysis:  A traffic study was not required since the square footage and land use remained essentially the same and does not generate in excess of 20 peak hour trips.  Twenty trips was the ordinance threshold at the time of the original site plan submittal.  Though the number has since increased to 50 peak hour trips, no study would be required under the new threshold.

B.    Parks & Greenways:  Greenways Map

According to the Parks, Recreation & Cultural Resources Facilities Master Plan, no issues are related to this site.

C.    Environmental:

No issues.

D.    Buffers:

The original approved plans provided a 10-foot wide intermittent buffer along the northern side of the site and a variable width buffer 6-foot to 10-foot wide along the eastern side of the site.  The overall buffer width provided between the proposed site and the adjoining Saltbox Village Shopping Center varies from 15 feet to 20 feet along the northern side of the site and would vary from 10 feet to 15 feet along the eastern side of the site.  The proposed plan would maintain similar buffer widths by providing 10-foot wide buffers along the northern and eastern sides of the site, as generally provided for in the plan as originally approved.  The resulting buffers would be enhanced with additional landscaping exceeding the typical intermittent buffer standard.

Based on current LDO requirements, a 20-foot wide buffer would be required between two adjoining commercial developments.  However, LDO Section 4.2.3(D)(6)(a) states:  “Landscaping shall comply with the standards of Section 7.2, except that variations from these standards may be permitted where it is demonstrated that the proposed landscaping sufficiently buffers uses from each other, ensures compatibility with land uses on surrounding properties, creates attractive streetscapes and parking areas, and is consistent with the urban design objectives and/or character of the area.”

The proposed northern and eastern 10-foot wide buffers would sufficiently buffer the adjoining commercial development and is consistent with urban design objectives and with enhancing the overall character of the area.

E.    Streetscape:

The plans, as originally approved, provided a streetscape that varied in width from eight feet to 22 feet along Kildaire Farm Road and High Meadows Drive.  The proposed plan would provide a 10-foot wide streetscape along both Kildaire Farm Road and High Meadow Drive.  The new streetscape would contain a combination of street trees, ornamental trees, and a parking area with screening hedge.  The proposed streetscapes exceed Cary’s streetscape planting requirements.

Based on current LDO requirements, the streetscape along Kildaire Farm Road would be 30-foot wide and would be 15-foot wide along High Meadow Drive.  However, as mentioned in the previous Buffer Section of this report, LDO Section 4.2.3(D)(6)(a) states:  “Landscaping shall comply with the standards of Section 7.2, except that variations from these standards may be permitted where it is demonstrated that the proposed landscaping sufficiently buffers uses from each other, ensures compatibility with land uses on surrounding properties, creates attractive streetscapes and parking areas, and is consistent with the urban design objectives and/or character of the area.”

The reduced streetscape width is preferred in urban areas if it allows buildings to be located closer to adjoining roadways, thus encouraging pedestrian interaction.  Therefore, the reduced streetscape width would be sufficiently landscaped creating an attractive streetscape, and is consistent with urban design objectives.

F.    Additional Landscape Observations:

Through corresponding with the applicant during the site plan review process, staff advised the applicant that foundation plantings would be required along the side of the building containing the drive-through.  The drive-through window should be designed to project out from the building’s façade a distance sufficient to allow for the installation of foundation plantings for at least 50% of the length of the building.

Staff has also advised the applicant that additional screening would be required at areas along both adjoining streetscapes where no vehicular use area screen is proposed.  Staff further advised the applicant that the plantings used to screen the vehicular use area needed to be of a size and/or variety that could obtain a height of three feet in three years.

As of this report, staff has received no confirmation from the applicant that the above requirements would be addressed in the plan.  The following LDO Sections support the above statements:

a)      LDO Section 7.2.6(D) requires a semi-opaque barrier between an adjoining roadway right-of-way and a proposed vehicular use area and requires landscape screening material be at least two feet high at the time of installation.

b)      LDO Section 7.2.6(A) states that all vehicular use areas utilized for parking be screened from off site views by evergreen plantings that will attain a height of three feet within three years of planting.

c)      LDO Section 7.2.9(B) states that foundation plantings are required on all non-loading and non-service sides of non-residential buildings.

G.    Parking:

Cary’s LDO requires one parking space for every 150 square feet, or per three occupants (whichever is greater), for a restaurant use.  The existing restaurant provides 45 parking spaces.  The new restaurant would require 42 parking spaces.  The plans propose 35 parking spaces, which is a 17% reduction in the amount of parking required by the LDO.

LDO Section 7.8.2(H) allows the Town Council to consider reductions of up to 25 percent in the number of designated parking spaces upon finding that such a reduced number would be sufficient to satisfy the demand for parking expected for the use based on:  the nature of the use; the number of trips generated; the times of day when the use generates the most trips; and the extent to which other establishments are located on the same property, thereby reducing the number of vehicle trips required between different establishments.

It is anticipated that some patrons from adjoining shopping centers would walk to the restaurant thus compensating for the proposed reduction in parking by seven parking spaces.  Based on the availability of parking in the area and the need to preserve the proposed 10-foot buffers along the northern and eastern sides of the site, staff supports the proposed 17% reduction in parking

H.     Architecture:

The proposed building would utilize the same exterior color and the same brick as currently used on the Saltbox Village Shopping Center.  The proposed building would also utilize yellow standing seam metal roof components, as well as metal awnings.  Following the Planning and Zoning Board meeting, the awning color was agreed to be changed from two-tone yellow to a green color consistent with the green awnings currently in use in the shopping center.

ADDITIONAL REFERENCE INFORMATION

Staff Recommendation:

The new building design and the enhanced landscaped areas represent significant improvements over the current site and building design.  Staff recommends approval of the plan with the following conditions:

a)    That 10-foot wide buffers be provided along the northern and eastern sides of the site;

b)    That 10-foot wide streetscapes be provided along both adjoining roadways;

c)    That the amount of parking be reduced from 42 parking spaces to 35 parking spaces.

d)    That foundation plantings be installed along all sides of the building;

e)    That the vehicular use area screen located in the streetscape be continuous and utilize a variety of plant materials capable of obtaining a height of three feet in three years; and,

f)      That the proposed metal awnings be a shade of green to match the existing awning color found in the Saltbox Village Shopping Center.

g)    That the high-intensity yellow roof color be changed to a color that has similar levels of lightness as the colors found in the Saltbox Village Shopping Center.

Planning and Zoning Board Action

Date:  July 21, 2008

Action:  The Planning & Zoning Board unanimously (9-0) recommended approval of the proposed site plan as presented by staff.

Following the Planning and Zoning Board meeting the applicant revised the plan to address the vehicular screen requirement (item e above) and agreed to change the awning color from two-tone yellow to green as currently used in the shopping center and install foundation plantings on all sides of the building (items d and f above).

Town Council Action

Date:  August 14, 2008

Action: