07/16/2003 Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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three posts, double headed, facing down and toward the building. Mr. Yager asked how many people typically go through an AutoZone in an hour. Mr. Berneburg said the peak average is around 30 people. Mr. Yager asked if the two drives are both ingress and egress. Mr. Bernelburg confirmed that and said they will stay the same. Mr. Yager asked if there is a need for two curb cuts given the flow of customers. 1!'Ir. Conway pointed out the fire department comments were based on the plans they saw with two drives. Mr. Yager suggested moving on to the landscaping. Mr. Berneburg said they are proposing to use 3 green ash trees, 4 snow crabs, and burning bushes around the monument sign, at the front of the site. Ms. Schulz said it is nice to see the additional grass area but it still seems sparse on plantings around the entire site. Mr. Yager said behind the site there is a drop down so he doesn't know if a lot of planting is needed there. On the west side, there is a small buffer by the other building. On the east, it is actually already nicely landscaped. He said on the street front, there is the beginning of a landscape plan. Ms. Schulz asked if Mr. Berneburg has any photos of the site. Mr. Berneburg indicated he does not. Mr. Yager said it is a very simple landscaping program and it starts to define something. He would prefer to defer to Mr. Zergott on the landscaping. Ms. Schulz agreed and said the color rendering she received shows more green than is shown in the landscaping plan. Mr. Yager asked for a review of the elevations. Mr. Berneburg said they typically have striping around the whole building. It was removed in this instance. Ms. Schulz coinmented that the building looks like a prison wall. Mr. Yager commented that the block samples are painted block. Ms. Schulz asked for the materials list and said it was not included in the packets. Mr. Yager asked about roof top units. Mr. Berneburg said there are units, and in the front, there is a 2-3 foot drop parapet for water run-off. Mr. Yager said they are building a gray box with a white top. The benefit is that they are putting in new grass but the drawback is the Ground Round is not a bad looking building, even in its dilapidated state. It is better looking than what AutoZone is bringing in. Mrs. Nader said she is trying to recall the last design that AutoZone brought in a few years back. She said this proposed building does not stand out at all. Mr. Yager said it is the board's responsibility to look at the site, look at the building, the mechanical systems and the lighting and offer suggestions. 1VIrs. Nader said she suggests they get more color in the design. Ms. Schulz indicated that is why she asked about the landscaping. She said although the rear of the building faces the shopping center, it will still face people and if all you are looking at is this gray wall with no landscaping, that does not do it. Mr. Yager indicated he went out to the site on the way to the meeting and he saw a pretty big drop off at the back of the site. He said there may even be a retaining wall. Mrs. Nader confirmed there is a retaining wall. Mr. Yager said this is a new building and looking at the landscaping program will help. He is personally disappointed. He said he thinks about Suburban Collision, it is a simple automotive repair store, and yet they came in and did something more dynamic than a basic box. He hopes that is the attitude that prevails in every building that comes before the board. He said they can do something with a dynamic canopy, or maybe the glass having some life to it. He said when AutoZone came to the board before, it was a much stronger proposal and over the course of two years, it has gotten weaker. He said there is nothing wrong with the proposal but there is nothing right with the proposal. He suggested that the applicant go back to look at other AutoZones and look at the architectural treatments being done today to enhance a simple box, particularly the entrance. He said the back fagade is fine and the sides are fine but the front needs to be stronger. It can be simple but it needs more. The parapet is not high enough and they need to know where the mechanical units are and how they will be shielded. He said he would like him to come back with existing photos, which will assist them in determining if the landscape program is effective. He said they should also come back with photos of an existing AutoZone. 1VIrs. Nader suggested getting a photo from the parking lot below to get a sense of the elevation change. Mr. Yager said his recommendation to the board is to table this so the applicant can go back and study these things, and come back to the next meeting. Mr. Berneburg asked what specifically the board would recommend around the building. Mr. Yager suggested that he go to their architect and inform him that North Olmsted has requested they create a more dynamic front to the building and ask for suggestions to improve on proportions, material, and the canopy. Mr. Berneburg asked if the board is looking for more structural changes. Ii'Ir. Yager said they may propose fabric awnings, they may propose a couple of changes on windows, so it is not structural in nature, it is design in nature. Ms. Schulz said it is more of a concept and there are so many ways that they can approach what Mr. Yager is trying to 3