Public Hearing: YES ☒ NO ☐ Department: Planning & Sustainability
SUBJECT:
Title
COMMISSION DISTRICT(S): COMMISSION DISTICT 03 SUPER DISTRICT 07
Application of Samantha Maffey for a Special Land Use Permit (SLUP) to allow a bank with a drive through in the C-1 (Local Commercial) zoning district and Tier 1 of the I-20 Overlay District, at 2445 Wesley Chapel Road.
Body
PETITION NO: N2-2023-1427 SLUP-24-1246743
PROPOSED USE: Drive through for a bank.
LOCATION: 2445 Wesley Chapel Road, Decatur, Georgia 30035.
PARCEL NO. : 15-131-01-143
INFO. CONTACT: Andrea Folgherait, Sr. Planner
PHONE NUMBER: 404-371-2155
PURPOSE:
Application of Samantha Maffey for a Special Land Use Permit (SLUP) to allow a bank with a drive through in the C-1 (Local Commercial) zoning district and Tier 1 of the I-20 Overlay District.
RECOMMENDATION:
Recommended Action
COMMUNITY COUNCIL: Approval.
PLANNING COMMISSION: Approval with conditions.
PLANNING STAFF: Approval with Conditions.
STAFF ANALYSIS: The applicant is seeking a special land use permit (SLUP) to allow a credit union, Vystar, with a drive through in the C-1 (Local Commercial) Zoning District and Tier 1 of the I-20 Overlay District. Applicants are required to obtain a SLUP to operate drive-through facilities within the C-1 Zoning District. The subject site is an outparcel in the southwest corner of the Wesley Chapel Square Shopping Plaza. Previously, the subject site operated as a Chick-Fil-A drive through restaurant. The site is located in a Suburban (SUB) Character Area and adjacent to a Town Center (TC) Character Area, making the site a transitional parcel within the Wesley Chapel Livable Centers Initiative (LCI). The 2050 Unified Plan recognizes SUB Character Areas as areas developed with traditional suburban land use patterns which also encourage new development to increase connectivity and accessibility (pg.41). The subject site appears to be in general compliance with the SUB Character Area since there are pedestrian accessibility features on the applicants proposed site plan. The site plan, labeled “DSP 1”, proposes two (2) points of pedestrian access to the building along the northwestern corner of the site and one (1) in the northeastern corner of the site. The Wesley Chapel LCI provides more targeted recommendations. Specifically, the subject site falls within part of the area referred to as Town Green in the LCI. Town Green areas encourage mixed use and connections to the surrounding community and commercial districts via pedestrian oriented development (pg. 64). While the proposed project is not mixed-use, the proposal is consistent with the pedestrian-oriented goals of the 2050 Unified Plan and the LCI recommendations through the provision of multiple pedestrian access points. Additionally, the proposal is consistent with the policies of the SUB Character Area to preserve established residential development patterns through the provision of banking services to a financially underserved area. The applicant’s proposed development is consistent with the property’s current C-1 and I-20/ Tier 2 zoning as well as the surrounding commercial uses, which include several fast-food drive-through restaurants. The applicant has demonstrated compliance with the drive-through supplemental regulations of Section 4.2.23 of the Zoning Ordinance and provided substantial conformity with the Development Standards of the Tier 2 I-20 Overlay (Section 3.33.9) with the exception of the landscaping requirements and architectural regulations. Section 3.33.12 Architectural regulations require (A) All building façades visible from the public street shall consist of concrete, stone, brick or stucco, the applicant has included aluminum as an overhang accent. Furthermore, Subsection (E) Colors shall be nonprimary colors including darker and cooler shades of green, red such as brick, yellow including beige, and lighter shades of brown including tan. The exterior of the proposed building includes royal blue. Additionally, the applicant will need to comply with Section 3.33.13 (Landscaping Requirement (A)) which requires a row of street trees along the front yard to be selected from the list of street tree species identified in the design standards for the I-20 Corridor Overlay District. . The applicant has provided adequate ingress and egress, parking, and complies with minimum building setback, open space, building scale, and is consistent with adjacent land uses. The proposed auto-oriented drive-through use may undermine the intent of the Wesley Chapel LCI to provide a pedestrian-focused, high intensity mix of residential and commercial uses in the surrounding area. However, the subject property is located at the “edge” of the Activity Center within a SUB character area where auto-oriented uses may warrant consideration. Given the pedestrian-oriented features provided by the proposed site plan, it appears that the proposed auto-oriented drive-through land use is appropriate on the subject site, subject to documentation addressing landscaping and architectural regulations. It appears that the proposal is consistent with the policies and strategies of the SUB Character Area calling for traditional suburban land use patterns which encourage new developments with enhanced pedestrian connectivity. The proposal’s provision of banking support services to an underserved residential area serves to strengthen the SUB Character Area’s policies to preserve established residential neighborhoods. Additionally, the proposed commercial redevelopment project will enhance the appearance of the existing building and streetscape, thereby enhancing compatibility with adjacent and surrounding commercial uses. Therefore, upon review of Section 7.4.6 of the Zoning Ordinance, Staff recommends “Approval with conditions”.
PLANNING COMMISSION VOTE: Approval with conditions 8-0-0. Edward Patton moved, Vivian Moore seconded for Approval with 2 conditions, per Staff recommendation. Jana Johnson was not present for this vote.
COMMUNITY COUNCIL VOTE/RECOMMENDATION: Approval 7-0-0.