B-16 (SP-2019-0385C - 1076 Springdale Rd., District 1)_Part1.pdf

Planning Commission – May 25, 2021

B-16 (SP-2019-0385C - 1076 Springdale Rd., District 1)_Part1.pdf — original pdf

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P.C. COMMISSION DATE: May 25, 2021 SITE PLAN REVIEW SHEET ENVIRONMENTAL VARIANCE REQUEST ONLY CASE: SP-2019-0385C COUNCIL DISTRICT: District #1 PROJECT NAME: 1076 Springdale APPLICANT: WGI Engineering ADDRESS OF SITE: 1076 Springdale Rd., Austin, TX, 78721 COUNTY: Travis County WATERSHED: Tannehill Branch EXISTING ZONING: GR-NP PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT: Commercial – Two Office Buildings DESCRIPTION OF VARIANCE: The applicant requests the following: AREA: Desired Development Zone JURISDICTION: Full Purpose AGENT: Brad Lingvai & Dave Anderson 1. Request to vary from LDC 25-8-261 – to allow development inside the Critical Water Quality STAFF RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends this variance, having determined that the required findings of fact have been met. Staff recommends the following condition:  All landscape areas and any areas disturbed during construction will be planted with native species to the Central Texas region and will be selected from the City of Austin Grow Green Manual. Zone. ENVIRONMENTAL BOARD ACTION: 04/21/2021: The Environmental Board voted (8) in favor for the approval of the requested variance and (0) in denial of the requested variance. ZONING AND PLATTING COMMISSION ACTION: ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW STAFF: Hank Marley CASE MANAGER: Randy Rouda PHONE: 512-974-2067 PHONE: 512-974-3338 1 of 59B-162 of 59B-16 Development Services Department Staff Recommendations Concerning Required Findings Project Name: 1076 Springdale; SP-2019-0385C Ordinance Standard: Watershed Protection Ordinance Variance Request: To allow development inside the Critical Water Quality Zone (LDC 25-8-261). Include an explanation with each applicable finding of fact. A. Land Use Commission variance determinations from Chapter 25-8-41 of the City Code: 1. Yes The site is a corner lot located at the intersection of Oak Springs Dr. and The requirement will deprive the applicant of a privilege available to owners of similarly situated property with approximately contemporaneous development subject to similar code requirements. Springdale Rd. and proposes driveway connections to both urban roadways, which is comparable to many corner lot developments. The majority of the parcel’s frontage along Oak Springs lies with a Critical Water Quality Zone (CWQZ) (Figure 1), which coincides with the 100-year floodplain. The portion of the CWQZ that would be disturbed with the proposed driveway consists of mowed vegetation and is devoid of riparian habitat (Figure 2). The driveway connection proposes to disturb 475 square feet of CWQZ out of the 32,000-SF of CWQZ located on site. There are numerous driveways within the vicinity of this site that disturb similar square footage amounts or more within the CWQZ. 2. The variance: a) Yes Is not necessitated by the scale, layout, construction method, or other design decision made by the applicant, unless the design decision provides greater overall environmental protection than is achievable without the variance; A driveway connection to Oak Springs is a reasonable request as it would be difficult for drivers to turn left to head north onto Springdale in this area. Also, the proposed location of the driveway is the only feasible location along Oak Springs Dr. due to Subchapter E – Building Placement Requirements (corner lots and building net frontage to an urban roadway), transportation requirements for driveway location proximities to an intersection, and an existing Capital Metro bus stop. Furthermore, this location also happens to be the narrowest section of 3 of 59B-16 b) Yes c) Yes CWQZ located along the northern perimeter of the property, thus, proposing the least amount of disturbance to the CWQZ. Moreover, the natural existing drainage area that flowed into this section of CWQZ and spilled into the ROW will be captured and diverted to a bio-filtration rain garden water quality treatment pond and will ultimately provide greater overall environmental protection than is achievable without the variance. Is the minimum deviation from the code requirement necessary to allow a reasonable use of the property; The location of the proposed driveway along Oak Springs Dr. is dictated by the Subchapter E – Building Placement Requirements and transportation requirements previously mentioned. The proposal to disturb 475-SF of CWQZ out of the 32,000-SF is the minimum deviation from code requirements necessary to construct the driveway. It’s also important to note that while the driveway is not directly located in a center or corridor as identified on the growth concept map of the Imagine Austin Comprehensive Plan – which would allow the driveway in its current proposed configuration – the perimeter of the site located along Springdale Rd. is located along a corridor. Does not create a significant probability of harmful environmental consequences. The area that drains stormwater to the section of CWQZ proposed to be disturbed by the driveway connection, currently drains over the sidewalk into the roadway and then enters the nearby storm inlet that drains directly into the creek. The proposed development plans to capture this drainage area and divert it to the biofiltration rain garden water quality treatment pond. Therefore, the variance does not create a significant probability of harmful environmental consequences and will instead treat stormwater that is currently untreated. Additionally, the driveway is proposed to be constructed in a mown lawn area devoid of riparian habitat. Development with the variance will result in water quality that is at least equal to the water quality achievable without the variance. Yes The area that drains to this section of CWQZ will be captured and treated by the biofiltration rain garden water quality treatment pond, which will result in water quality that is greater than water quality achievable without the variance. B. The Land Use Commission may grant a variance from a requirement of Section 25-8-422 (Water Supply Suburban Water Quality Transition Zone), Section 25-8-452 (Water Supply Rural Water Quality Transition Zone), Section 25-8-482 (Barton Springs Zone Water Quality Transition Zone), Section 25-8-368 (Restrictions on Development Impacting Lake Austin, Lady Bird Lake, and Lake Walter E. Long), or Article 7, Division 1 ( Critical Water Quality Zone Restrictions ), after determining that:: 3. 1. The criteria for granting a variance in Subsection (A) are met; Yes The findings of fact in Subsection A are met. 4 of 59B-162. The requirement for which a variance is requested prevents a reasonable, economic use of the entire property; Yes Commercial development proposing to develop a corner lot typically require at least two driveways for traffic conveyance. Disallowing the driveway connection to Oak Springs Drive would prevent equitable access to both roadways and would concentrate all traffic to a single driveway on Springdale Road. Proposing an additional driveway along Springdale Road isn’t an option either due to Subchapter – E Building Placement Requirements (net frontage area), water quality pond location, heritage tree preservation and minimum distance requirements between two driveways servicing a single development located on a Primary Collector Roadway. Therefore, staff has determined that denying the variance request would prevent a reasonable economic use of the entire property. 3. The variance is the minimum deviation from the code requirement necessary to allow a reasonable, economic use of the entire property. Yes The variance is the minimum deviation from code when considering that the proposed driveway will only disturb 475-SF out of the approximately 32,000- SF of CWQZ located on the property. The 475-SF area in question does not contain typical characteristics of a stream buffer as described in the ECM and it will be tying into a long-established roadway that is entirely located within the CWQZ at that location. Staff Determination: Staff determines that the findings of fact have been met. Staff recommends the following conditions:  All landscape areas and any areas disturbed during construction to be planted with native species to the Central Texas region, to be selected from the City of Austin Grow Green Manual. Environmental Reviewer (DSD) _____________________________ (Hank Marley) Managing Engineer (DSD) _____________________________ (Elizabeth Robinson) Deputy Environmental Officer (WPD) _____________________________ (Liz Johnston) Hank Marley Elizabeth Robinson5 of 59B-16 Figure 1 6 of 59B-16 Figure 2 7 of 59B-168 of 59B-169 of 59B-1610 of 59B-1611 of 59B-1612 of 59B-1613 of 59B-1614 of 59B-1615 of 59B-1616 of 59B-1617 of 59B-1618 of 59B-1619 of 59B-1620 of 59B-1621 of 59B-1622 of 59B-1623 of 59B-1624 of 59B-1625 of 59B-1626 of 59B-1627 of 59B-1628 of 59B-1629 of 59B-1630 of 59B-1631 of 59B-1632 of 59B-1633 of 59B-1634 of 59B-1635 of 59B-1636 of 59B-1637 of 59B-1638 of 59B-1639 of 59B-1640 of 59B-1641 of 59B-1642 of 59B-1643 of 59B-1644 of 59B-1645 of 59B-1646 of 59B-1647 of 59B-16