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HomeMy WebLinkAbout3-26-09 BA Minutesm *MINUTES* BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT March 26, 2009 City Council Chambers A Special Meeting of the Board of Adjustment was held on March 26, 2009 and called to order at 10:00 a.m. with the following members present: Chairperson Pat Avery Vice Chairman Dana Timaeus Board Member Joey Hilliard Board Member Mary Jowers Alternate Member Kelli Maness Board Members absent: Board Member Bob Harris Also present: Adina Ward, Planner; Tyrone Cooper, City Attorney; Jill Cole, Recording Secretary APPROVAL OF MINUTES Board Member Jowers made a motion to approve the minutes of the February 5, 2009 meeting. Board Member Hilliard seconded the motion. Motion to approve carried 5:0. SWEARING IN OF WITNESSES PUBLIC HEARING 1) File 585-BA: Request for a special exception to the parking requirements from 166 spaces to 137 spaces. Location: 4180 N. Dowlen Road Applicant: CEC Entertainment, Inc. Ms. Ward presented the staff report. CEC Entertainment, Inc. (CEC) has applied for a special exception to the parking requirements from 166 spaces to 137 spaces. The property is located 4180 Dowlen Road. CEC Entertainment wishes to expand their existing Chuck E. Cheese Restaurant by an additional C2,015 sq. ft. of customer service area. This expansion will eliminate some of the existing parking. BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT March 26, 2009 The applicant states that the City's parking requirements do not reflect CEC's occupant load and usage of the store. Because much of the floor footprint is taken up by games, as much as 30-50 % of CEC's public floor area is not actually occupied. The City of Beaumont requires one parking space per 4 seats or one parking space per 50 sq. ft. of customer service area, whichever is greater. CEC staff have developed an internal design standard of 1 space per 3 seats, which they have found to adequately meet their average usage on peak weekends. Building size and parking density are less correlated than seats/space in CEC studies. CEC believes they have adequately designed appropriate parking for the needs of their patrons. Fourteen notices were mailed to property owners within 200 feet. One response in opposition and none in favor were returned. Slides of the subject property were shown. Chairperson Avery opened the public hearing and asked for the applicant's comments. Debbie Shannon with CEC Entertainment, Inc. addressed the Board. Discussion of parking followed between the Board and the applicant. Chairperson Avery asked for comments in favor or in opposition. No comments were made. The public hearing was closed. Discussion followed between the Board members. Board Member Hilliard made a motion to approve a special exception to the parking requirements from 166 spaces to 137 spaces at 4180 N. Dowlen Road as requested in File 585-BA. Board Member Jowers seconded the motion. Motion to approve carried 5:0. 2) File 586-BA: Request for a variance to the maximum permitted size of a subdivision identification sign from 20 sq. ft. to 25.5 sq. ft. Location: Entrances of Barrington Heights Addition - Barrington Avenue at Dowlen and Valmont Avenue at Delaware Applicant: Carroll and Blackman, Inc. Ms. Ward presented the staff report. Kim Carroll, president of the Barrington Heights Owners Association, has applied for a variance to the maximum permitted size of two subdivision identification sign from 20 sq, ft. to 25.5 sq. ft. The locations of the signs are at the intersections of Barrington Avenue and Dowlen and Valmont Avenue and Delaware. 2 ( BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT l March 26, 2009 There is an existing 60 sq. ft. subdivision identification sign at the intersection of Barrington and Dowlen Road. That sign is to be removed and replaced with one of the 25.5 sq. ft. signs. The signs will be made of granite and be approximately 7 feet in length and 3 feet in height. The Barrington Heights Owners Association will be responsible for all maintenance of the signs and medians at both Iocations. The applicant shall have the responsibility to demonstrate that all three conditions necessary for approval have been met. Twenty notices were mailed to property owners within. 200 feet of the subject property. Three responses in favor and none in opposition were returned. SIides of the subject property were shown. Chairperson Avery opened the public hearing and asked for the applicant's comments. Joe Pattie with Carroll and Blackman, Inc., the applicant, addressed the Board. Chairperson Avery asked for comments in favor or in opposition. No comments were made. The public hearing was closed. Discussion followed between the Board members. Vice -Chairman Timaeus made a motion to approve a variance to the maximum permitted size of a subdivision identification sign from 20 sq. ft. to 25.5 sq. ft. located at Barrington Avenue at Dowlen and Valmont Avenue at Delaware as requested in File 586-BA. Board Member Hilliard seconded the motion. Motion to approve carried 5:0. 3) File 587-BA: Request for a special exception to the parking requirements from 45 spaces to 36 spaces. Location: 2232 Gulf Avenue Applicant: Reeves Development Ms. Ward presented the staff report. Reeves Development has plans to construct a 9,014 sq. ft. Dollar General store on the subject property. Guy Richards, representing Houma Dollar Partners and Reeves Development, states that through the years of operating these stores and researching their design and processes, the following information has been learned: 1) Dollar General is a trickle in/trickle out business. There is no rush hour. Shoppers tend to go in and out of the store at all times of the day. 2) There are only two to three employees at the store at any given time. 3) Dollar General only requires 30 parking spaces for their stores. Through the years of { operating and researching, Dollar General has determined they only need thirty parking spaces to accommodate their customers. q BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT March 26, 2009 4) Dollar General caters to walk in customers. It is estimated that customers will walk up to a half mile, depending on demographic factors, to shop at Dollar General stores. Fifteen notices were mailed to property owners within 200 feet. No responses in favor or in opposition were returned. Slides of the subject property were shown. Chairperson Avery opened the public hearing and asked for the applicant's comments. Guy Richards with Reeves Development, the applicant, addressed the Board. Chairperson Avery asked for comments in favor or in opposition. Christopher Plaunty addressed the Board in favor of the request. Mr. Plaunty is the realtor representing Reeves Development. Chairperson Avery closed the public hearing. Discussion followed between the Board members. Vice -Chairman Timaeus made a motion to approve a special exception to the parking requirements from 45 spaces to 36 spaces at 2232 Gulf Avenue as requested in File 587-BA. Board Member Jowers seconded the motion. Motion to approve carried 5:0. OTHER BUSINESS THERE BEING NO FURTHER BUSINESS, THE MEETING WAS ADJOURNED AT 10:43 A.M. 2