01/03/2006 Meeting Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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Council Minutes of 1/3/2006 members Barker, Orlowski and Gazeau; Assistant Building Commissioner Rymarczyk and Planning Director Wenger. There was one agenda item: • GFS Marketplace at 24001 Lorain Road. The plans call for demolishing the current Red Lobster restaurant and constructing a new building along with site improvements. The proposed building will be a split face block and fluted block of two neutral colors of brown. Red the accent banding is proposed to match a red canopy over the store front. GFS is a food distributor and their market is bulk sales of various food items. The Planning Commission recommended the following design features which were incorporated into the design: (1) painting the man doors brown to match the building; (2) modifying the coping from red to bronze; (3) modifying the sign base to be masonry which matches the building. A major improvement to the site will be the inclusion of green space and landscaping. Anyone familiaz with the building, which was built around 1973, knows that there are almost no azeas of green space around the perimeter of the site. This proposal provides for improved landscaping around all sides of the lot, with emphasis on screening the adjacent apartment complex and other views towards residential properties. Landscape improvements include: (1) removal of the existing dilapidated chain link fence on the site, filling in the gaps with arborvitae; (2) diversification of the landscaping on the east side including maples and/or honey locusts every 20 feet; (3) adding evergreens around the detention area. The detention area is a dry basin above ground consistent with our city code. Planning Director Wenger noted that, through the review process, the Planning Commission made a number of requests of the applicant, including eliminating one of the two proposed curb cuts, minimizing parking spaces as much as possible, reducing light pole heights, and resolving drainage concerns. The applicant has addressed each of the concerns of the boazds and commissions. The lighting will be an improvement over the current scheme. Additionally, they have added some extra green space to the perimeter of the site in order to comply with EPA storm water regulations. The Engineering Department has reported that the proposed storm water above-ground detention system is much lazger than the existing storage system and is designed to adequately handle a 100-yeaz flood. This proposal complies completely with the city's Zoning Code requirements. No variances were requested for any part of the development. Mr. Orlowski raised the issue of potential for drainage issues to the current property to the south. Subsequent discussions with the Law Department led to the following recommendation which will be included in the approval motion: To the extent that any portion of a currently existing storm water drainage plan is included in the redevelopment (including swales), the project engineer will certify in writing that the existing components to be reincorporated are installed as originally approved and in good and proper working order. The committee unanimously recommended that the project be approved subject to the recommendations of the boards and commissions and further subject to the drainage requirements as stated above and the additional requirement that a vinyl, 6 foot fence of a color to match the earth tone building materials would run along the property line where it meets with the multi-family property to the south. Councilman Gareau moved for 5 ~~