Overview of Applicant’s Request:
The applicant is seeking to amend the Wolf Lakes Village PUD to provide additional flexibility as the project moves from conceptual planning and entitlements to site design.
These proposed amendments are just some of a handful described in the applicant’s letter of intent (Exhibit 5). The whole list of requested amendments are being considered in two actions. The first group of amendments, referred to as Amendment No. 1, received approval in February 2021. It included changes to the driveway spacing standards along Wolf Lakes Drive internal to the development, and it relocated the Wolf Lakes Circle roundabout from the intersection of Wolf Lakes Drive and Memorial Drive to the intersection of Wolf Lakes Drive and Bella Lago (a future street).
The amendments now under consideration, Amendment No. 2, are intended to provide some design flexibility for a big-box building typology, and to clarify where there is flexibility in the PUD standards via explicit recommendation in the development standards or by further defining what may be administratively considered as a Minor Amendment by the Planning Director. These changes, outlined in the staff report, include:
- Changes to the design standards for Architectural Design and Street Character Zones,
- Additional flexibility in the alignment of the planned trail,
- Additional language on the screening of parking lots and utility boxes,
- Increase in the number of Low-Profile Monument signs permitted and placement of a sign on Exhibit C.11 Perimeter Signage Plan,
- Clarification on what changes can be requested under the provisions for a Minor Amendment,
- And an addition of a process and set of criteria that must be considered when a request to remove a planned street is made.
Staff’s Analysis:
Staff has reviewed the request in accordance with the Unified Development Code (UDC) and other applicable codes. Staff has determined that the proposed request meets 5 of the 5 the criteria established in UDC Section 3.06.030 for a Zoning Map Amendment and 6 of the 6 criteria established in UDC 3.06.040 for Planned Unit Development, as outlined in the attached Staff Report.
Public Comments:
As required by the Unified Development Code (UDC), all property owners and registered neighborhood associations within 300 feet of the subject property were notified of the request (94 notices mailed), a legal notice advertising the public hearing was placed in the Sun Newspaper (April 4, 2021) and signs were posted on-site. As of the publication date of this report, staff has received 2 written comments in favor and 0 in opposition of the request.
Planning and Zoning Commission Recommendation:
At their May 4, 2021 meeting, the Planning and Zoning Commission recommended approval (5-0) of the request.