Substitute
Public Hearing: YES ☒ NO ☐ Department: Planning & Sustainability
SUBJECT:
Title
COMMISSION DISTRICT(S): Commission District 02 Super District 06
Application of Charles F. Palmer for a Special Land Use Permit (SLUP) to allow senior housing in the O-I (Office Institutional) Zoning District and the Druid Hills Historic District; and to increase building height beyond 70 feet up to 101 feet, at 1256 Briarcliff Road.
Body
PETITION NO: SLUP-22-1245880 (2022-1907)
PROPOSED USE: Senior housing.
LOCATION: 1256 Briarcliff Road, Atlanta, Georgia 30306
PARCEL NO. : 18-055-02-020
INFO. CONTACT: Rachel Bragg, Zoning Administrator
PHONE NUMBER: 404-371-2155
PURPOSE:
Application of Charles F. Palmer for a Special Land Use Permit (SLUP) to allow senior housing in the O-I (Office Institutional) Zoning District and the Druid Hills Historic District; and to increase building height beyond 70 feet up to 101 feet, at 1256 Briarcliff Road.
RECOMMENDATION:
Recommended Action
COMMUNITY COUNCIL: Full Cycle Deferral (6-0-0).
PLANNING COMMISSION: Full Cycle Deferral (8-0-0).
PLANNING STAFF: Approval with conditions.
STAFF ANALYSIS: The applicant is seeking special land use permit approval for redevelopment of the subject property for a senior living community and for a maximum height increase from 70 feet to 101 feet (based on average finished grade). The senior living community will include a combination of 499 independent living, assisted living, and/or memory care units along with ancillary recreation, medical, social, support, and commercial uses. In addition to renovation of the historic Candler Mansion, the project will include construction of seven (7) multi-story buildings as well as single story detached units. The Emory University library facility, at the rear of the site, will continue to operate as is. The proposed use aligns with the purpose of the O-I (Office Institutional) Zoning District “to provide locations for the development of cultural, recreational, educational and health service facilities” for residents within the County and the Traditional Neighborhood (TN) future land use map designation. The supplemental plans and illustrations show a sensitivity to the Druid Hills Historic District design guidelines and a conscientious approach to infill design so as to not overwhelm surrounding single-family, detached residential properties.
The general approach includes location of multi-unit structures on the eastern portion of the site and 1-story detached units on the west-southwest portion to transition from Briarcliff Road and parallel to one and two-story single-family residential structures north and south of the subject property. Additionally, the tallest buildings are situated near the center of the site (where the topography is the lowest) to minimize scale or bulk impacts on nearby residential structures. The revised plans are the products of additional engagement with the community, staff, and district commissioners. Therefore, upon review of Section 7.4.6. of the Zoning Ordinance, staff recommends approval of the special land use permit request with the following conditions (as of 11/7/2022):
1. The project shall be constructed in conformance with the Site Plan prepared by CJMW Architecture and dated 9/27/22 and the Exhibits attached thereto.
2. A minimum of two percent of the parking spaces in parking structures shall have electric vehicle charging stations. In designing the overall electrical distribution for the development and single family residential homes, the developer will ensure the overall system can accommodate enough power, either initially or through future upgrades, for eventual conversion of ten percent of all parking spaces to have EV charging stations and shall provide room sufficient enough to allow upgrading the transformers or adding transformers for such future electrical demands associated with the additional EV charging stations.
3. With the exception of units related to single-family dwellings and the Candler Mansion, all air handling units shall be roof mounted. Said equipment shall also be screened with materials that are compatible with the surrounding building materials and architectural design.
4. Unless eliminated by a variance granted by the DeKalb County Planning Commission, the first entrance located off University Drive closest to Briarcliff Road (referred to as the “4th Entrance”) shall be used for emergency vehicle access only.
5. The second entrance located on University Drive, as depicted on the attached Site Plan, shall be limited in use to residents only.
6. Light fixtures and outdoor lighting (in general) shall comply with Section 5.6.1 of the Zoning Ordinance.
7. The open spaces, as depicted on the Site Plan (areas shaded in purple on the 9-27-2022 Site Logistics Plan), shall be open and accessible to the public 7 days a week from dawn to dusk except during private events.
8. Buildings A, C, and J, as depicted on the Site Plan, may have primary (commercial) kitchens and Buildings B, K, and M may have secondary, or ancillary, kitchens. Kitchens located in residential units and single-family dwellings will not be limited.
9. Service trucks shall use the service entrance so designated on the Site Plan.
10. Per the 9/1/2022 Height Study Diagram, Building "B2" (memory care), along the south property border, must maintain a building height of 1-story.
11. Walls, fencing, or vegetative barriers shall be installed to insulate neighbors from the taller buildings within view per 9/16/2022 Fencing Diagram.
12. A point of contact with Galerie Living must be designated for community concerns during all phases of construction.
13. Construction related vehicles shall only utilize Briarcliff Road for ingress and egress.
14. The project shall provide three percent (3%) of its units as affordable units using a maximum rent of thirty percent (30%) of the Area Median Income for the previous year based on the Invest Atlanta Workforce Housing Income Limits and Maximums. (By way of example, the 2021 Workforce Rental Housing Maximum for a one-bedroom unit at 30% AMI would be $485.) The project shall split the 3% of affordable units into sizes of approximately 600 sf and 300 sf. The 300 sf units may be located in a standalone structure including all of such 300 sf units. These rents do not include utilities, food, health care, and other amenities that the residents in such units may choose to obtain from the project or from other sources.