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17.
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| City Council Regular Meeting |
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| BACKGROUND |
The applicant is requesting approval of a Specific Use Permit for approximately 25 acres in order to allow the land use Mini-Warehouse / Public Storage by right. The property is currently developed as the Lockaway Storage mini-warehouse / public storage business located at the intersection of FM 3009 and FM 78.
In conjunction with the Specific Use Permit request, the applicant has also submitted a zone change request to rezone the 25 acres to General Business II District (GB-2). The requested zoning along with the Specific Use Permit, if approved would allow the Mini-Warehouse / Public Storage land use by right, and the site would no longer be considered non-conforming.
As shown on the Specific Use Permit exhibit the property is shown as three tracts.
- Tract 1, immediately adjacent to FM 3009 is 7.04 acres is currently zoned General Business District (GB) and is developed as mini-warehouse / public storage, which is a non-conforming land use.
- Tract 2, immediately behind tract 1, is 7.55 acres is currently zoned General Business II District (GB-2) and developed as mini-warehouse / public storage and specifically is utilized for RV storage. This portion's zoning was changed by Ordinance 13-S-47 in 2013 to the current General Business II District (GB-2). In addition to the zoning in 2013, a Specific Use Permit (Ord. No. 13-S-48) was also approved for this portion to allow RV Storage and Mini-Warehouse / Public Storage. However, this Specific Use Permit had a conditional five-year expiration, and has since expired. Due to the expiration the current land use is considered non-conforming.
- Tract 3, immediately behind tract 2 and at the rear of the property, is 10.14 acres is currently zoned General Business District (GB) and is undeveloped. The applicant desires to use this property as an expansion of the mini-warehouse / public storage land use.
In order to complete the desired expansion on the back portion of the property, the requested zone change to General Business II District (GB-2) and the requested Specific Use Permit to allow Mini-Warehouse / Public Storage would be required.
Nineteen (19) public hearing notices were mailed to surrounding property owners on February 24, 2021. At the time of this report, staff has received one response neutral to the request and no responses in favor or opposed to the request. A public hearing notice was published in the "San Antonio Express" on March 17, 2021.
A public hearing was held at the March 10, 2021 Planning and Zoning Commission meeting in which no residents spoke. |
| GOAL |
| To allow the Mini-Warehouse / Public Storage land use by right on approximately 25 acres of land. |
| COMMUNITY BENEFIT |
| It is the City's desire to promote safe, orderly, efficient development and ensure compliance with the City's vision of future growth. |
| SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDED ACTION |
IMPACT ON EXISTING ADJACENT DEVELOPMENT:
The subject property is currently developed as a mini-warehouse / public storage business, Lockaway Storage and is proposed to be expanded to the rear of the existing business. The subject property is adjacent to undeveloped land, a previous landfill, right of way, railroad and a small portion of single-family residential / agricultural property.
The Future Land Use Plan through the Comprehensive Land Use Plan designates the subject property for Parks and Open Space which is defined in the Comprehensive Land Plan as areas of public parks, outdoor recreation areas, golf courses, undeveloped reserves/greenways, and floodways. Although the requested Specific Use Permit and Zone Change request to General Business II District (GB-2) is not consistent with the current designation on the Comprehensive Land Use Plan, it is consistent with the existing business and the proposed business expansion and should have a minimal impact to the surrounding properties and public infrastructure.
The Specific Use Permit request for the approximately 25 acres if approved in conjunction with the zone change request would allow the existing business to complete a desired expansion at the rear of their property. Additionally, the requested would bring the entire property, including the existing businesses into a legal land use status, rather than the current non-conforming status that currently exists.
CONCEPTUAL SITE PLAN:
In conjunction with the requested Specific Use Permit, the subject property has gone through the Site Plan Certification process to ensure the proposed mini-warehouse / public storage expansion would be in compliance with all other Unified Development Code regulations. The site plan certification exhibits have been reviewed by the Planning Division, Public Works Department, Engineering Department, and the
Fire Department with no objections to the proposed expansion.
The proposed expansion includes two new buildings for a total of 81,079 square feet of climate controlled office and indoor mini-warehouse / public storage and additional outdoor public storage area designed for additional RV storage on site.
- Architectural Standards: The two proposed buildings comply with all architectural feature requirements (i.e. horizontal and vertical articulations) defined in Schertz Unified Development Code (UDC) Sec. 21.9.5 Exterior Construction and Design Standards.
- Parking: The proposed parking areas meet all current regulations within UDC Article 10 Parking Standards. The subject property expansion will provide twenty-eight (28) parking spaces sized at 10' wide by 20' in length. The 28 spaces was determined based on the proposed office / storage breakdown of the proposed two new buildings and the storage area based on the UDC regulations for mini-warehouse / public storage, which requires 1 space for each 300 square feet of office floor area, plus 1 space for each 3,000 square feet of storage area.
- Screening requirements: The site has satisfied the minimum screening requirements for the location. The trash receptacle will be constructed of a masonry material with metal gates that meet the minimum requirements.
- Lighting and glare standards: The applicant will be responsible for complying with UDC Sec.21.9.11 Lighting and Glare Standards through the building permit process.
- Landscaping:The proposed site plan meets all requirements outlined in UDC Sec. 21.9.7Landscaping. The site plan certification exhibit reviewed, provides 28.9% as landscaped. Additionally, there is a total of 65 trees provided (54 new and 11 existing) and preservation of all protected trees on site. The site complies with all required parking lot landscaping, by planting one tree every twelve (12) parking spaces and at the terminus of all rows of parking and vehicular use screening by utilizing a combination of shrubs and fencing. Most notable is the line of proposed trees and shrubs proposed along the Union Pacific right-of-way which will provide an aesthetically pleasing buffer and screening for the proposed outdoor storage. Additionally, noteworthy is that all proposed trees to be planed on site, a total of 54 trees are proposed to be 3 inches in caliper, which exceeds the minimum 2.5inches in caliper required. Since, the expansion is isolated to the rear of the property, no landscaping improvements to the existing developed site are proposed.
- Access and circulation: The site will be provided access through the existing entrance onto FM 3009, currently utilized for the Lockaway Storage business. The associated Site Plan and submitted Traffic Impact Analysis has been reviewed and approved by the City of Schertz Engineering Department. Additionally, since the subject property is adjacent to FM 3009, Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) has reviewed the proposed project and has provided a statement of no objection since the existing access is to remain the same. The proposed expansion at the rear of the 25 acres will have internal traffic flow through a designated 24' / 25' drive that is also the designated fire lane for the site.
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| FISCAL IMPACT |
| None. |
| RECOMMENDATION |
The proposed Specific Use Permit and associated Site Plan Certification Exhibit were reviewed and evaluated by the Engineering Department, Public Works Department, Fire Department, and Planning Division with no objections. The majority of the property currently exists as an operational mini-warehouse / public storage business. Per the Google Earth imagery available the mini-warehouse / public use land use has existed on this property since at least 2002. However, the County records indicate the buildings were constructed in 1995. The proposed expansion at the rear of the property should have a minimal impact on the adjacent land uses. By requesting the specific use permit for the entire 25 acres, minimal impact on the adjacent land uses. By requesting the specific use permit for the entire 25 acres, rather than just the back 10.14 acres which will encompass the proposed expansion, will bring the entire property into conformance and remove the non-conforming land use status that is currently on the property.
This item was heard at the March 10, 2021 Planning and Zoning Commission meeting, in which the Commission provided a unanimous recommendation of approval of the Specific Use Permit request to allow mini-warehouse / public storage by right.
Staff is recommending approval of the Specific Use Permit to allow the approximately 25 acres to be a mini-warehouse / public storage with the following conditions:
a) A building permit is approved within one year of the adoption of the SUP ordinance; and
b) The use beings operation within two years of the issuance of the necessary building permit(s). |
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