11/13/2001 Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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7 - S i• outside, it is also a good security element. These homes rent for anywhere from just under a thousand to fifteen hundred dollars a month, the security element is going to be very important to the people living here. He thinks by having the courtyard open up onto itself rather than out to the back and side yards, you will have more of a sense of community and you will know who is coming in and out, you would know who lived there and who doesn't. The units themselves have balconies that all open out onto the courtyard over the garage spaces shown. These generally come out from the dinette kitchen area. The bedroom and the loft spaces are on the third floor. They have really tried to make this state of the art in terms of architectural design. He showed the backside of the units which would be seen from the freeway as well as from the Kennedy Ridge side, and re-iterated that they tried to keep all openings and lighting to the inside so everything from this side looks conform and has unity. He had heard that a high rise was proposed at this location a couple of years ago. There is a high rise style building next door, which is Bridlewood. They felt that a building of low-rise nature would be more appropriate here in North Olmsted. They are not asking for any density variances or to go over anything in terms of those kinds of elements that are often questioned in any development. He thinks the board will be very impressed and very happy with the quality and how it will fit into the neighborhood. Mr. Allan questioned the variance request #2. Mr. Kephart replied that is on the private street on the interior of the development. Mr. Tallon indicated that this is a pristine site, there is nothing on it right now, why did they not try to put a development in there that meets the City's code. Mr. Gilespie corrunented that to put a development in there to meet your code, basically would be a taller high rise style building. The code is written around the length and width of the building, so in effect by making the building taller and one building instead of five separate buildings, it actually allows for a decrease in the total setback, so you cari build a high rise, but that is why they are asking for the variances. They wanted to see this as low rise, multiple buildings, rather than one large building. Mr. Kephart indicated that they did try to make a building that would conform and not need setback variances. In the package there should be two examples of hand drawn site sketches attempting to develop the property within all the setbacks. Essentially in exainple "C" they could get one 20 unit building which would be three stories or the other example shows several five unit townhouse buildings which are really the same kind of units they are proposing here tonight only shorter. In that case they can get 31 living units. They still may have a variance or two in terms of the buffer strips. Essentially they could do it at less units, but they are losing the value of the property because the property is zoned for 40 units right now. Mr. Tallon indicated that at the same time when you bought the property, you knew what the property was, you know how to lay it out and you know what the zoning codes are. When you come to us, you should come to us with a development that is within the codes and zoning ordinance of the City of North Olmsted. The whole idea is; we are not here to keep passing variances on to the Board of Zoning Appeals. This is not what it is all about. You develop the land with what you have. If you want more land, then you buy more land, but you develop it within the guidelines of the City of North Olmsted. We don't want to put more on a property site than what it is zoned for. Yes, you can build a high rise, but go ahead a try to rent it. If you want to put a nice proposal in, then do it according to the codes of North Olmsted. Don't continually come here on a piece of undeveloped, pristine property and the first thing you want are 8 variances which aren't exactly small. Why would you come in here and try to stuff two pounds into a one pound bag. Mr. Gilespie indicated that he heard Mr. Tallon and he respectfully disagreed, because they are not asking for more units than the code does allow, so they aren't asking for a density variance or to come in and change the code in any way. If you like the style of buildings that are being proposed better than you like a high rise one single building such as at Bridlewood, which is his focus, and whether or not they would or wouldn't build it, they abut the property and yes they want to develop it, and yes they want to do 2