Title
Conduct a Public Hearing to Consider/Discuss/Act on a Design Exception for a Site Plan for an Office Development (Playful Corporation), Located at the Southwest Corner of East Davis Street and State Highway 5 (McDonald Street)
Summary
COUNCIL GOAL: Direction for Strategic and Economic Growth
(1C: Provide a strong city economy by facilitating a balance
between industrial, commercial, residential, and open space)
MEETING DATE: October 27, 2020
DEPARTMENT: Development services - Planning Department
CONTACT: Kaitlin Gibbon, Planner II
Jennifer Arnold, AICP, Director of Planning
APPROVAL PROCESS: The action of the Planning and Zoning Commission for the proposed site plan may be appealed to the City Council.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends approval of the proposed site plan with the following conditions:
1. The applicant receive approval of a design exception to exceed the Build-To Zone of 0-10 feet required along East Davis Street, and have a Build-To Zone of 0-20 feet.
APPLICATION SUBMITTAL DATE: June 8, 2017 (Original Application)
June 27, 2017 (Revised Submittal)
July 10, 2017 (Revised Submittal)
July 18, 2017 (Revised Submittal)
July 21, 2017 (Revised Submittal)
September 25, 2017 (Revised Submittal)
September 28, 2017 (Revised Submittal)
October 17, 2017 (Revised Submittal)
October 26, 2017 (Revised Submittal)
ITEM SUMMARY: The subject property contains an existing 3-story 58,800 square foot office building on approximately 2.1 acres, located at the southwest corner of East Davis Street and State Highway 5 (McDonald Street). A site plan within the “MTC” - McKinney Town Center Zoning District can be approved administratively by Staff; however, the applicant has requested a Design Exception to exceed the Build-To Zone of 0-10 feet required along East Davis Street, and have a Build-To Zone of 0-20 feet, as further discussed below. No changes to the existing building are being requested from the previously approved site plan. In order for the site to be brought into full compliance with the zoning regulations, the applicant has requested that a design exception be granted.
PLATTING STATUS: The subject property is currently platted as Lot 1R, Block C of the Downtown McKinney Mixed Use Addition.
ZONING:
|
Location |
Zoning District (Permitted Land Uses) |
Existing Land Use |
|
Subject Property |
“MTC” - McKinney Town Center District (Downtown Core) |
Playful Corporation |
|
North |
“MTC” - McKinney Town Center District (Downtown Core) |
City of McKinney Building Operations |
|
South |
“MTC” - McKinney Town Center District (Downtown Core) |
Chestnut Square Historic Village |
|
East |
“MTC” - McKinney Town Center District (Transit Village Core) |
Collin Square, Delta Bail Bonds, and McDonald Office Park |
|
West |
“MTC” - McKinney Town Center District (Downtown Core) |
Davis at the Square |
ACCESS/CIRCULATION:
|
Adjacent Streets: |
East Davis Street, 50’ Right-of-Way, Pedestrian Priority “B” |
|
|
South Chestnut Street, 45’ Right-of-Way, Service Street |
|
|
State Highway 5 (McDonald Street), 100’ Right-of-Way, Pedestrian Priority “B” |
DESIGN EXCEPTION: A Design Exception is a requested deviation from any Building Form and Site Development Standards, Building Design Standards, or Open Space Standards, beyond minor deviations specified in the Minor Modifications section of the “MTC” - McKinney Town Center Zoning District. All requests for a Design Exception are forwarded to the Planning and Zoning Commission for discretionary approval.
In reviewing any site plan applications or Design Exception requests, the Planning and Zoning Commission shall use the following criteria:
1) The goals, intent, and vision of the adopted McKinney Town Center Master Plan;
2) The extent to which the proposal fits the adjoining design context by providing appropriate building scale and use transitions;
3) The extent to which the proposal provides public benefits such as usable civic and open spaces, livable streets, structured and/or shared parking, and linkages to transit;
4) The extent to which the proposal hinders future opportunities for higher intensity Town Center development; and
5) Considerations of health and welfare of the general public.
Within the Downtown Core Character District of the “MTC” - McKinney Town Center Zoning District, a 0-10-foot Build-to Zone is required for building frontage along any street designated as a Priority “B” Street. It has been determined that the approved site plan allowed for the existing building to be constructed approximately 18.5 feet away from the right-of-way, which did not conform to the Build-to Zone requirement for building frontage along East Davis Street. Although the existing building was approved as close to the right-of-way as possible (while still maintaining an accessible walkway between the building and parking spaces to the north of the building that were constructed previously with the adjacent development to the west), a design exception to accommodate the additional setback was not approved with the site plan. In order for the site to be brought into full compliance with the zoning regulations, the applicant has requested that a design exception be granted.
Staff feels that the existing building maintains a consistent building frontage with the Davis at the Square development to the west (which also received a design exception for an increased Build-to Zone of 0-24 feet along Davis Street), while providing an accessible walkway between existing parking and the building. As such, Staff recommends approval of the proposed request.
OPPOSITION TO OR SUPPORT OF REQUEST: Staff has received no comments in support of or in opposition to this request.