AGENDA City of Brookhaven Planning Commission

Wednesday, May 1, 2013 – 7:00 PM Brookhaven Municipal Court – 2 Corporate Square, Suite 125, Atlanta, Georgia 30329

A. Call to Order / Roll Call

B. Approval of minutes - None C. Organizational and Procedural Items

1. Review of Rules and Procedures 2. Nomination and Election of a Vice-Chair

D. Unfinished Business - None

E. New Business

1. RZ13-01: Brad Hughes, of Rockhaven Homes, LLC, located at 11 Lumpkin St., Suite 200, Lawrenceville, GA 30046, seeks the following: Rezoning of a 3.9 acre parcel located at 1475 North Druid Hills Road, NE, Atlanta, Georgia 30319, from R-75 to RM-75 to allow for the construction of a 40-unit townhome project. The tax parcel number of the subject property is 18 200 04 042.

F. Adjourn

Rezoning Petition: RZ13-01

Date of Staff Recommendation Preparation: April 24, 2013 Planning Commission Public Hearing Date: May 1, 2013

Mayor and City Council Public Hearing Date: May 28, 2013

Project Name /Applicant: Brad Hughes, Rockhaven Homes

Property Location: 1475 North Druid Hills Road

Acreage: 3.909

Existing Zoning: R-75 (Single-Family Residential)

Proposed Zoning: RM-75 (Multi-Family Residential)

Owner/Petitioner: North Atlanta Gospel Chapel Owner/Petitioner’s Intent: Development of 40-unit townhome complex

Community Development Department Recommendation

Approval (Subject to Recommended Conditions) _____X______ Denial ____________

Location Map

Page 2 of 5

BACKGROUND The site is currently a house of worship, the North Atlanta Gospel Chapel, consisting of 3.909 acres with one structure, a paved parking lot on the southwest side of the building and an additional, larger paved parking lot on the north side of the building. Currently zoned R-75 (Single family Residential District), the lot is located on the west side of North Druid Hills Road, approximately halfway between the intersections of Colonial Drive and Brookshire Lane. The subject property is surrounded by single-family detached homes immediately adjacent, with the exception of a 7-unit townhome property to the south. The lot is considerably higher in elevation than the grade elevation at the centerline of the adjacent street, and has limited sight distance to the north due to its location inside a curve in the road. There are no trees on the interior portion of the lot, yet the lot’s boundary is effectively completely wooded with a mature canopy of mixed hardwoods and pine trees. The applicant, Rockhaven Homes, is seeking to rezone the site from R-75 (single-family residential) to RM-75 (Multi-family Residential District) to construct a 40 unit townhome project with a final development density of 10.23 dwelling units per acre.

SITE PLAN ANALYSIS The submitted site plan indicates the demolition of the existing structure and parking lots on the site, to allow for the construction of 40 townhome units divided into six individual structures. If rezoned in accordance with the submitted site plan, the building setbacks for the structures proposed on the east and west sides of the lot will require zoning variances from the City’s Zoning Board of Appeals. The east building is proposed to be built 15 feet from the right of way (the district standard is 35 feet), and the building proposed for the west side is indicated to be built 25 feet from the property line (the district standard is 40 feet). Although the buildings adjacent to the north and south property lines are compliant with the district standard 20-foot side yard building setback, there is a requirement for a 50-foot, non-disturbed buffer between two dissimilar zoning districts. The applicant will need to secure a variance to permit the indicated 20-foot buffer, 10 feet of which is to be left as non-disturbed. A new, 24-foot wide private driveway will access the site at the southeast corner of the lot, and route its way west, along the southern property border to the interior of the property, before turning toward the northwest corner to provide access to the homes on the western side of the lot. Two storm water ponds are proposed, one in the far southwest corner of the lot, the other centered adjacent to the northern property boundary. A large, landscaped traffic island is proposed just west of the lot’s center, to be used as a park area, constructed as a focal point for the four townhome buildings which face it. Although the private street that serves the project is proposed to be 24 feet wide, there are two stubbed alleyways which are 16 feet wide, and one more that is 18 feet wide.

LANDSCAPE PLAN ANALYSIS The landscape plan submitted is not a construction drawing, but appears to indicate the removal of the lot’s existing trees which border the property. The existing canopy on the site is located along the property lines to the south, west and north, and is less than 30 feet in depth in most places. The tree replacement plan provided in the applicant’s submittal documents indicates a 20 foot landscape buffer on the north and south property lines, a 25 foot buffer on the western property line and a 15 foot buffer on the east side, adjacent to North Druid Hills Road. In these buffers, the applicant plans to install replacement trees to

Page 3 of 5

repopulate a landscape buffer yard between the new townhomes and the existing land uses adjacent.

ADJACENT LANDS ANALYSIS

Direction Zoning Current Land Use Current Density Future Land Use

North R-75/R-A8

Single family residential, detached 3.5 DU/Acre

Traditional Neighborhood

East R-75

Single family residential, detached 3.9 DU/Acre Suburban

South R-A5

Single family residential, attached 3.2 DU/Acre Suburban

West R-A8

Single family residential, detached 5.8 DU/Acre

Traditional Neighborhood/

Suburban

REVIEW STANDARDS AND FACTORS

1. Whether the zoning proposal is in conformity with the policy and intent of the Comprehensive Plan. This property is listed on the future land use map in DeKalb County’s Comprehensive Plan 2005-2025 as ‘Suburban Character’ and is within close proximity to ‘Traditional Neighborhood’ and ‘Town Center’ character areas. The Comprehensive Plan describes the Suburban Character Area as an area where typical types of suburban residential subdivision development have occurred and where pressures for the typical types of suburban residential subdivision development are greatest. The Plan indicates that the intent of the Suburban Character Area is to recognize those areas of the county that have developed in traditional suburban land use patterns while encouraging new development to have increased connectivity and accessibility. The proposed density for areas of this type is up to 8 dwelling units per acre as described in the Plan policy.

2. Whether the zoning proposal will permit a use that is suitable in view of the use and

development of adjacent and nearby properties? It appears that the townhome use may be consistent with the policy intent of the Plan; however, the proposal does indicate a development density of slightly over ten (10) units per acre, and the Comprehensive Plan limits the density of this character area to eight units per acre.

3. Whether the property to be affected by the zoning proposal has a reasonable economic use as currently zoned? It appears that the subject property may have a reasonable economic use as presently zoned based on the church use and potential development of single family homes.

4. Whether the zoning proposal will adversely affect the existing use or usability of

adjacent or nearby property? It appears that mitigating measures may be needed to alleviate adverse affects that may result from additional impact to the area from the development. It shall be noted that the impact on the area may have a more dispersed traffic pattern than the existing church use.

5. Whether there are other existing or changing conditions affecting the use and

development of the property which gives supporting grounds for either approval or disapproval of the zoning proposal? DeKalb County’s 2005 – 2025 Comprehensive Land

Page 4 of 5

Use Plan indicates this property, and all the property within proximity to this as an “Area Requiring Special Attention – Rapid Development/Land Use Change”, which may provide support to the requested change.

6. Whether the zoning proposal will adversely affect historic buildings, sites, districts, or

archaeological resources? There are no such known historic buildings, sites, districts or archaeological resources identified, or known by staff, to be on or near this property.

7. Whether the proposal will result in a use which will or could cause an excessive or burdensome use of existing streets, transportation facilities, utilities or schools? North Druid Hills Road is a well-traveled arterial through this part of the city. The Brookhaven Public Works director has requested a traffic study to determine if there are suitable traffic warrants to compel the developer to install either a right turn deceleration lane at the front of the lot, or widen this section of North Druid Hills Road to provide a dedicated left turn lane into the project.

To date, the City of Brookhaven has not received data from the DeKalb County Offices or the DeKalb County School System. The City of Brookhaven Police Department has indicated that the development will increase public safety demands, but not to any significant level.

Community Development Department Recommendation Approval (Subject to Recommended Conditions) _____X______ Denial ____________ Should this application be approved, the staff recommends the following conditions:

RECOMMENDED CONDITIONS

1. The development shall be limited to a maximum of eight (8) dwelling units per acre.

2. The site shall be developed in substantial accordance with the site plan entitled “A

Master Planned Townhome Community for Rockhaven Homes” received February 27,

2013. Any variances required, if authorized by the Zoning Board of Appeals, may

result in altering the site plan to the degree necessary to incorporate revisions.

3. The owner/developer shall dedicate sufficient right-of-way to the City of Brookhaven

along the total property frontage along North Druid Hills Road to provide for a right-

of-way width of fifty (50) from the existing centerline of the roadway or to provide

for twelve (12) from the back of the curb, whichever is greater. The dedication of

right-of-way shall be submitted to the City of Brookhaven prior to the issuance of a

development permit.

4. The owner/developer shall provide a traffic analysis prepared by a registered

engineer to determine the needs for a left turn lane and right turn lane along North

Druid Hill Road.

5. The owner/developer shall install a left turn lane and right turn lane along the

property frontage along North Druid Hills Road, if warranted by the required traffic

analysis.

6. The owner/developer shall develop the subject property to allow for adequate

intersection sight distance from both directions at the project’s entrance onto North

Page 5 of 5

Druid Hills Road. Landscaping, fencing/walls, and signage shall not obstruct sight

distance.

7. The developer shall install a five (5) foot wide sidewalk with a minimum two (2) foot

grass “beauty” strip between the back of the curb and proposed sidewalk along the

total property frontage along North Druid Hills Road.

8. The site development shall preclude encroachment onto utility easements.

9. The owner/developer shall provide access drives in accordance with DeKalb County

Fire Rescue requirements. The DeKalb County Fire Department shall provide a

complete plan review prior to the issuance of any permits.

10. The owner/developer shall provide access drives in accordance with DeKalb County

Sanitation Service requirements.

11. The owner/developer shall install five (5) foot wide sidewalks along the private

streets within the development.

12. The owner/developer shall install an entry wall along the total property frontage

similar to the property to the South.

13. All exterior architectural treatment shall prohibit vinyl siding.

14. Exterior façade treatment may include brick, stone, stucco, wood-cement based

siding or similar materials.

15. Each grouping of attached buildings shall provide for variation and visual relief

between units.