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HomeMy WebLinkAbout422-BADATE: December 3,1998 TO: Board of Adjustment FROM: Stephen C. Richardson, Planning Director SUBJECT: Request for a variance to build within 1.5' of external side yards in a GC -MD (General Commercial -Multiple Family Dwelling) District where a 10' setback is required. FILE: 422-BA STAFF REPORT Air Comfort, Inc. wishes to build a 50'x 100'addition to the rear of the existing company structure at 625 N. Main Street. The existing building, constructed sometime during the I 940's, was built 18 " from the side property lines along the North Street and Magazine Street sides of the site. Setbacks for commercial and industrial districts were adopted in 1981. The owners wish to continue the existing building lines. The existing 17 V x 100' building fronts to the east on N, Main Street. The distance from the rear of the proposed building extension to the rear or west property line is 25 feet. The remaining 150' extending west to N. Pearl Street is developed with a paved parking lot used by St. Marks Church, There is a DD#6 underground ditch enclosed in concrete lying diagonally across the parking lot. No structures will be permitted over the drainage casement. The surrounding land uses are industrial, commercial, institutional and vacant tracts. The applicant has the burden of proof to demonstrate that all three of the conditions necessary for a variance have been met. Exhibits are attached. PUBLIC NOTIFICATION Notices mailed to property owners 12 , Responses in Favor . Responses in Opposition LEGAL DESCRIPTION Being the east half of Lot 3 and all of Lots 4, 5, 6 and 7, Block 8, Kirby Addition to the City of Beaumont, Jefferson County, Texas. MARINE COMMERCIAL INDUSTRIAL RESIDENTIAL November 12, 1998 Planning Division, City Hall Board of Adjustment 801 Main Street, Room 210 Beaumont, Texas 77701 Dear Board Members, 625 N. Main P.U. Box 1549 Beaumont, Texas 77704 (409) 833-5665 Fax (409) 833-3001 We have submitted a request for a variance of the addition onto our existing building. I hope that you will grant our request, as it is vital to our continued growth and the improvement of the appearance of our building. The improvements that we are making are to provide our employees a better workplace and present a more professional appearance to our customers. Just to give you a brief history of Air Comfort: I purchased the company from the Cornell family in 1988. At that time there were 10 employees and the company was on the verge of closing the doors. From day one, we set out to change the direction of this well known company by expanding its existing market and introducing new markets to insure our stability. The markets that we are in are local residential, commercial, industrial, and marine. Today, ten years later, we are very active in all these markets, with a workforce of 48 people. We are recognized as a qualified air conditioning contractor in the local and surrounding communities. In the marine offshore market, we are known all along the gulf coast and internationally. Our profitability in the past few years has allowed us to put money aside for this needed expansion and facelift. This will help to reassure our customers that we are a stable, organized company that has been in Beaumont since 1954. This expansion will satisfy our present needs and allow us room for continued growth, which could mean an increase in our workforce. We think the variance should be granted because we would be keeping with the easement guidelines of the surrounding buildings, It should be noted that the zoning to the north and east of our building is "heavy commercial" and one block over to the south (Calder and Main St.) is the "City Building District." The variance we are requesting would put us within the same guidelines as the zoning in all the areas around us. Please review the enclosed drawings and pictures that we are submitting. We respectfully request that you grant our variance. Sincerely, Danny Babine x President Eric. VARIANCE SUPPLEMENTAL APPLICATION FORM BEAUMONT, TEXAS (CODES SECTION 30-37 E.3) The Board of Adjustment has the power to grant variances where the following listed conditions have been met. Indicate how your application meets each of these conditions in the space following each condition. (The applicant has the burden of proof to deinonstrate that all three of the conditions necessary for a variance have been met). Except as otherwise prohibited, the Board is empowered to authorize a variance from a requirement of the Zoning Ordinance when the Board finds that all of the following conditions have been met: CONDITION A: That the granting of the variance will not be contrary to the public interest. The existing building was built within approximately 18 inches of the property line sometime in the 1940's. It is the only building on the entire block, and will remain so because of the storm drainage that runs through the parking lot directly behind our building. The drainage district will not allow any structure to build on that property. The Air Comfort building will always be the only building on the block., CONDITION B: That literal enforcement of the ordinance will result in unnecessary hardship because of exceptional narrowness, shallowness, shape topography or other extraordinary or exceptional physical situation or physical condition unique to the specific piece of property in question, "Unnecessary hardship" shall mean physical hardship relating to the property itself as distinguished from a hardship relating to convenience, financial considerations or caprice, and the hardship must not result from the applicant or owner's own actions. The addition to the existing building will change the physical shape of the west side of the building. It is unsightly in it's shape, physical condition, and is not asthetically - -pleasing to visitors coming into the downtown area from the-IH-10 exit. Changing the width of the addition to meet present codes would not allow us to hide the unsightly shape of the west side of the building. It would still be visible, as it will be an extension of the existing building, which is very close to the property line. It would look distorted and cheap, which is exactly the opposite of what we are trying to achieve by making these improvements. CONDITION C: That by granting the variance, the spirit of the ordinance will be observed and substantial justice will be done. The addition to the existing building will greatly enhance the appearance of both Air Comfort, Inc. and the surrounding area. It is in keeping with the improvement of downtown Beaumont and the standards of surrounding buildings. It should be very impressive to visitors coming into the downtown area, as,lit.ig quite visible from the IH-10 exit and entrances. This addition will also allow the expansion of Air Comfort, which will in turn provide business for the Beaumont economy and workforce. It will allow us the room needed to fulfill existing and future contracts. I HEREBY ATTEST THAT, TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE, MY REQUEST MEETS THE CONDITIONS STATED ABOVE. Applicant's signature: November 2, 1998 -�O 0 1 - FILE 422-BA: Variance request for the external side yard setback in an GC-Nff) (Cieneral I — AdS !1 Commercial - Multiple Family Dwelling.) Distfict. Location: 625 N. Main SCALE Applicant: Air Comfort, Inc. lot 144-L NMI, HAZEL AVE: POO , n!, 1124 1 - — I0 IV Is a n5 ol A 7 5 - "06 'I b e66 d AVE Ku AVE jb. eco rx ?4; --IOF It t$ 71W aff-UP11 'MAGAZJNE . .io �11211 ELIZABETH .T12;: nr 32 --- goolif no 30 to CALDER ris z s tsxOw .0 0 $15 h rN Q, NULB Ar -0 vo 0 MULBERRY. ;eO 400" ij, 51 \4 SW 6" to 40 0, \CP lei GENERAL INFORMATION/PUBLIC UTILITIES APPLICANT: Air Comfort, Inc. PROPERTY OWNER: Danny Babineaux STATUS OF APPLICANT: President of Air Comfort, Inc. LOCATION: 625 N. Main, abutting North Street and Magazine. EXISTING ZONING: GC -MD (General Commercial -Multiple Family Dwelling) District PROPERTY SIZE: EXISTING LAND USES: FLOOD HAZARD ZONE: SURROUNDING LAND USES: NORTH: Vacant area, AT & T Building EAST: Church in commercial building SOUTH: St. Mark's church parking lot WEST: St. Mark's church parking COMPREHENSIVE PLAN: OTHER PHYSICAL FEATURES: 0.60 acres, more or less Air condition and heating contractor, marine, industrial, commercial and residential. "C" - Minimal flood hazard zone SURROUNDING ZONING: LI (Light Industrial) and GC -MD (General Commercial - Multiple Family Dwelling) District HI GC -MD GC -MD Conservation and Revitalization on the edge of the Central Business District. The platted Block 8, Kirby Addition is only two lots wide north to south. STREETS: N. Main, North, Magazine DRAINAGE: Storm sewers in the streets and inside casement. WATER: Water lines are in the streets. SANITARY SEWER SERVICE: Sanitary sewers are in the streets. GENERAL INFORMATION/PUBLIC UTILITIES continued FIRE PROTECTION: Station #1, 747 College Street ADEQUACY OF SERVICE: Existing services and utilities are adequate.