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HomeMy WebLinkAboutSP-16-14 - Decision - 0040 IDX DriveCITY OF SOUTH BURLINGTON DEPARTMENT OF PLANNING AND ZONING GE HEALTHCARE-40 IDX DR. SITE PLAN APPLICATION #SP-16-14 FINDINGS OF FACT AND DECISION Site plan application #SP-16-14 of G.E. Healthcare to amend a previously approved plan for a 233,133 sq. ft. general office building. The amendment consists of: 1) after -the -fact approval to relocate three (3) trees, 2) after -the -fact approval to remove 240 cubic yards of sediment collected in two (2) sediment ponds, and 3) expanding a parking area, 40 IDX Drive. The Development Review Board held public hearings on April 5 and April 19, 2016. The applicant was represented by Jack Myers. Based on testimony provided at the above mentioned public hearings and the plans and supporting materials contained in the document file for this application, the Development Review Board finds, concludes, and decides the following: FINDINGS OF FACT 1. The applicant, GE Healthcare, is seeking approval for site plan application #SP-16-14 to amend a previously approved plan for a 233,133 sq. ft. general office building. The amendment consists of: 1) after -the -fact approval to relocate three (3) trees, 2) after -the -fact approval to remove 240 cubic yards of sediment collected in two (2) sediment ponds, and 3) expanding a parking area, 40 IDX Drive. 2. The owner of record is IDX Systems Corporation. 3. The subject property is located within the Commercial 2 Zoning District. 4. The application was received March 4, 2016. 5. The second page of the submitted plan is titled "Overall Existing Conditions Plan," prepared by Stantec Consulting Services Inc., and received 4/8/2016. Site Plan Review Standards A. Relationship of Proposed Development to the City of South Burlington Comprehensive Plan. Due attention by the applicant should be given to the goals and objectives and the stated land use policies for the City of South Burlington as set forth in the Comprehensive Plan. The expansion of parking at 40 IDX Drive is the result of the office space within the existing buildings being used at greater intensity than in recent years. This efficient use of already existing office space within the Commercial 2 zoning district supports the goals of the Comprehensive Plan by prioritizing development into the higher intensity areas identified within the Plan. Furthermore, Comprehensive Plan Map 11: Future Land Use identifies areas of the city where differing intensity levels of development should occur and 40 IDX Drive is within an area marked as medium -higher intensity. The Board finds this criterion to be met. B. Relationship of Proposed Structures to the Site. 1) The site shall be planned to accomplish a desirable transition from structure to site, from structure to structure, and to provide for adequate planting, safe pedestrian movement and adequate parking areas. 3.5 parking spaces per 1,000 sq. ft. of gross floor area are required for general office use, which results in this site requiring 816 parking spaces ((233,133 sq. ft. /1,000 sq. ft.) x 3.5=815.9655 rounded up to the nearest whole number). Currently there are 727 parking spaces. The additional proposed parking will result in a total of 851 parking spaces. On the west side of the parking lot there will be two walkways each with stairs on both ends which will connect the new parking area to an existing lot. 2) Parking: (a) Parking shall be located to the rear or sides of buildings. Any side of a building facing a public street shall be considered a front side of a building for the purposes of this subsection. (b) The Development Review Board may approve parking between a public street and one or more buildings if the Board finds that one or more of the following criteria are met. The Board shall approve only the minimum necessary to overcome the conditions below. (i) ... (ii) ... (iii) The lot has unique site conditions, such as a utility easement or unstable soils, that allow for parking, but not a building, to be located adjacent to the public street, (iv) The lot contains one or more existing buildings that are to be re -used and parking needs cannot be accommodated to the rear and sides of the existing building(s); (v) ... NO ... (c) ... (d) For through lots, parking shall be located to the side of the building(s) or to the front of the building adjacent to the public street with the lowest average daily volume of traffic... This parcel is bound on three sides by public roads. The parking spaces being added will be located in the southeast corner of the lot which is closest to Green Mountain Drive and the side lot line which borders 40 Green Mountain Drive. While this parking area will occur between a public street and a building, that street —Green Mountain Drive —has a lower traffic volume than Shelburne Road, which this parcel also lies along. The Board finds this parking area meets the criterion listed above to be permitted by the Development Review Board. According to Section 13.01(G) there are certain design requirements for parking lots: 1) Design requirements for off-street parking and loading are provided in Table 13-8 and Figure 13-1 within Section 13.01, Off -Street Parking and Loading, Section 13.06, Landscaping, Screening, and Street Trees, and Section 13.07, Exterior Lighting. All paved parking spaces shall be striped or otherwise physically delimited. The plans show that all parking spaces will be delimited by four inch white lines and that parking spaces will be 18 feet deep by nine feet wide (curb length). There are three circulation aisles running north/south each of which is 24 feet wide. 2) The location of parking areas and loading docks shall prevent conflicts with entering and exiting traffic onto a public street and prevent conflicts between vehicles and pedestrians. The distance between access points and parking areas shall be adequate to minimize blockage and prevent back-ups onto the public street. 3) ... 4) ... 5) Bicycle parking or storage facility. At least one (1) bicycle parking or storage facility shall be provided for all uses subject to site plan or Planned Unit Development review to serve persons employed or residing on the premises as well as the visiting public. Additional such facilities may be required as deemed necessary by the Development Review Board or as required within the City Center FBC District. The proposed parking area has 127 parking spaces arranged around the outer perimeter and down center aisles. From some areas of the lot a person could travel over 170 feet from their car before arriving at one of the connecting walkways to the next parking lot. Plans show striped walkways painted onto the parking lot surface to aid this pedestrian travel. In a letter dated April 8, 2016 the applicant stated "GE Healthcare already has bicycle parking on the campus". According to the applicant the site will be serving an additional 400 office employees in the near future. The Board finds this change in the number of people using the site on a regular basis to be relevant when considering the importance and necessity of providing onsite bicycle parking/storage. 6) Stormwater management strategies that facilitate infiltration including but not limited to recessed planting islands, bioretention facilities, and pervious parking spaces are encouraged in the design of any off-street parking or loading area. See the discussion below under Landscaping and Screening Requirements. Handicap accessible spaces and aisles are to be provided for all non-residential uses. In a letter dated April 8, 2016 the applicant stated there are 21 handicap accessible parking spaces currently on the site and that 21 spaces would be the required number under the proposed parking lot expansion. C. Relationship of Structure and Site to Adjoining Area 1) The Development Review Board shall encourage the use of a combination of common materials and architectural characteristics (e.g. rhythm, color, texture, form or detailing), landscaping, buffers, screens, and visual interruptions to create attractive transitions between buildings of different architectural styles. No new buildings are proposed on the site. There is a large stand of trees along Green Mountain Drive which buffer the site from that road and additional trees are proposed on the borders of the parking area. In a letter dated April 8, 2016 the applicant confirmed that a number of existing trees along Green 3 Mountain Drive will be removed; however, the Board finds that the addition of new trees along the eastern edge of the parking lot will provide sufficient buffering and that this criteria is met. Specific Review Standards A. Access to abutting properties. The reservation of land maybe required on any lot for provision of access to abutting properties whenever such access is deemed necessary to reduce curb cuts onto an arterial or collector street, to provide additional access for emergency or other purposes, or to improve general access and circulation in the area. No reservation of land is necessary. B. Utility Services. Electric, telephone and other wire -served utility lines and service connections shall be underground insofar as feasible and subject to state public utilities regulations. Any utility installations remaining above ground shall be located so as to have a harmonious relation to neighboring properties and to the site. The plan indicates utilities will be underground. The Board considers this criterion to be met. C. Disposal of Wastes. All dumpsters and other facilities to handle solid waste, including compliance with any recycling or other requirements, shall be accessible, secure and properly screened with opaque fencing to ensure that trash and debris do not escape the enclosure(s). Small receptacles intended for use by households or the public (i.e., non-dumpster, non -large drum) shall not be required to be fenced or screened. No new dumpsters, recycling, or composting areas are proposed. D. Landscaping and Screening Requirements. See Article 13, Section 13.06 Landscaping, Screening, and Street Trees. Twenty-six deciduous trees are shown planted around the edge of the new parking area, which is delineated by curbing. The Landscaping and Screening Requirements reads in part: At least one (1) major deciduous shade tree shall be provided within or near the perimeter of each parking area, for everyfive (5) parking spaces. The trees shall be placed evenly throughout the parking lot to provide shade and reduce glare. Trees shall be placed a minimum of thirty (30) feet apart. Section 13.06(B)(1) requires 10% of the interior of a parking lot with 28 or more contiguous parking spaces to have landscaped islands planted with trees, shrubs, and other plants. There are over 28 contiguous parking spaces and landscaped islands are shown which account for 10% of the parking area. Section 13.01(G)(6) mentioned earlier in these findings states that "stormwater management strategies that facilitate infiltration including but not limited to recessed planting islands, bioretention facilities, and pervious parking spaces are encouraged in the design of any off-street parking or loading area." In a letter dated April 8, 2016 the applicant confirmed that the landscaped islands include bioretention areas for stormwater management. E. Modification of Standards n No modifications have been requested. Exterior Lighting Section 13.07 of the Land Development Regulations discusses exterior lighting and states that: A. General Requirements. A11 exterior lighting for all uses in all districts except for one family and two-family uses shall be of such a type and location and shall have such shielding as will direct the light downward and will prevent the source of light from being visible from any adjacent residential property or street. Light fixtures that are generally acceptable are illustrated in Appendix D. "Source of light" shall be deemed to include any transparent or translucent lighting that is an integral part of the lighting fixture(s). Site illumination for uncovered areas shall be evenly distributed. Where feasible, energy efficient lighting is encouraged. B. Specific Requirements for Parking Areas. Light sources shall comply with the following: 1) The number and spacing of required light pole standards in a parking area or lot shall be determined based on the type of fixture, height of pole, number of fixtures on the pole, and the desired lighting level. Unless the applicant can demonstrate a reasonable alternative, lighting shall be considered evenly distributed if the light fixtures are placed at intervals that equal four times the mounting height. 2) Pole placement, mounting height, and fixture design shall serve to minimize lighting from becoming a nuisance. All light sources shall be arranged so as to reflect away from adjacent properties. All light sources shall be shielded or positioned so as to prevent glare from becoming a hazard or a nuisance, or having a negative impact on site users, adjacent properties, or the traveling public. Excessive spillover of light to nearby properties shall be avoided. Glare shall be minimized to drivers on adjacent streets. 3) Poles shall be rustproof metal, cast iron, fiberglass, finished wood or similar structural material, with a decorative surface or finish. 4) Poles in pedestrian areas shall not be greater than 30 feet in height and shall utilize underground wiring. 5) Poles in all other areas shall not exceed thirty (30) feet in height, and shall utilize underground wiring. 6) Light sources on structures shall not exceed thirty (30) feet, or the height of the structure, whichever is less. Exterior lighting for parking garages and structures shall be mounted no higher than the roof of the structure. The applicant has submitted information about the light fixtures to be used which shows they are shielded to cast light downward, will not be cast light onto adjacent properties, use LED bulbs, and are approved by the International Dark Sky Association. Along the north -south axis the light fixtures are 70 to 80 feet apart from one another, which is less than four times the mounting height (25 ft.). The Board finds this arrangement to be sensible given the size of the parking area. The specifications for the light fixtures show a polyester powder coating that is intended to be durable. 7) Safe pole locations: Breakaway poles shall not be used in parking lots. Poles shall not be erected along the outside of roadway and ramp curves or where vehicles must make sharp turns. Poles should not be located where they might be susceptible to collision strikes. Poles located behind longitudinal traffic barriers should be offset sufficiently to allow for barrier deflection under impact. 5 8) Pole location in parking lots: Pole locations shall be coordinated with stall and aisle layouts. Where practical, poles should be near the end of parking rows or around the perimeter of the lot. When located at parking stall boundaries, light poles should be mounted on concrete pedestals. Where raised medians or islands are used to separate adjacent stalls, light poles should be placed in these areas unless pedestrian traffic will be inconvenienced. Where light poles are placed between parking rows in the interior of the lot, the poles should be located on the center line of double rows of parking stalls and on the center line of two opposing stalls and should not be placed on the stall line between cars where fender damage might occur. The Board finds these criteria to be met. Stormwater Management Standards The plans were reviewed using the Stormwater Management Standards found in Section 12.03 of the LDRs. In an email dated April 15, 2016 from the Stormwater Section of the Department of Public Works, they stated they had no further comments and the additional materials submitted since the hearing on April 51h had sufficiently addressed their original concerns. Traffic Generation Expanding the parking lot does not generate additional traffic. Alteration of Existing Grade A permit is needed to remove land when the amount is equal to or greater than 20 cubic yards except when incidental to or in connection with the construction of a structure on the same lot. When the grade is being altered site plans must show the area to be filled or removed and the existing grade and the proposed grade created by removal or addition of material. The applicant submitted the document "Pre & Post Excavation Pond Bottom Elevations" that was part of a previous application, #MS-14-11, for the same type of sediment removal on the site. #MS-14-11 has since expired due to the applicant not obtaining a Zoning Permit within six months. The Board finds this criterion to be met. DECISION Motion by John Wilking, seconded by Matt Cota, to approve site plan application #SP-16-14 of GE Healthcare subject to the following conditions: All previous approvals and stipulations which are not changed by this decision, will remain in full effect. 2. This project must be completed as shown on the plans submitted by the applicant, and on file in the South Burlington Department of Planning and Zoning. The plans must be revised to show the changes below and will require approval of the Administrative Officer. Three (3) copies of the approved revised plans must be submitted to the Administrative Officer prior to permit issuance. X a. Continuation of stripped walks across the western aisle of the proposed parking lot. 4. Prior to permit issuance, the applicant must post a $28,208.25 landscaping bond. This bond must remain in full effect for three (3) years to assure that the landscaping has taken root and has a good chance of survival. 5. A digital PDF version of the full set of approved final plans must be delivered to the Administrative Officer before any zoning permit will be issued for the subject property. 6. The applicant must obtain a Zoning Permit within six (6) months pursuant to Section 17.04 of the Land Development Regulations or this approval is null and void. 7. The applicant must obtain a Certificate of Occupancy from the Administrative Officer prior to use of the new parking lot. 8. All changes to the plan will require approval of the South Burlington Development Review Board or Administrative Officer. Mark Behr Yea Nay Abstain Not Present Matt Cota Yea Nay Abstain Not Present Frank Kochman Yea Nay Abstain Not Present Bill Miller Yea Nay Abstain Not Present David Parsons Yea Nay Abstain Not Present Jennifer Smith Yea Nay Abstain Not Present John Wilking Yea Nay Abstain Not Present Motion carried by a vote of 5— 0 — 1. Signed this 5 day of May f ij Bill Miller, Vice -Chair 2016, by Please note: An appeal of this decision may be taken by filing, within 30 days of the date of this decision, a notice of appeal and the required fee by certified mail to the Superior Court, Environmental Division. See V.R.E.C.P. 5(b). A copy of the notice of appeal must also be mailed to the City of South Burlington Planning and Zoning Department at 575 Dorset Street, South Burlington, VT 05403. See V.R.E.C.P. 5(b) (4)(A). Please contact the Environmental Division at 802-828-1660 or http://vermontjudiciary.org/GTC/environmental/default.aspx for more information on filing requirements, deadlines, fees and mailing address. The applicant or permittee retains the obligation to identify, apply for, and obtain relevant state permits for this project. Call 802.879.5676 to speak with the regional Permit Specialist. 7