Title
Resolution to Approve The Moravian PUD Site Plan and Development Agreement (CPC Recommendation: Approval - 7 Ayes and 1 Nay)
Memorandum
Attached is a resolution to approve the Moravian PUD Site Plan and Development Agreement; 201, 211, and 215 East Madison Street, 554 and 558 South Fifth Avenue, and 547, 551 and 553 South Fourth Avenue. Approval of this resolution will allow for the development of a four-story multiple-family building containing 62 units over a one level parking garage.
The City Planning Commission recommended approval of this request at its meeting of January 5, 2010, subject to adoption of modernized flood insurance rate maps that remove the site from the floodway. Since then, the proposed site plan has been slightly modified to provide additional landscaping at the northeast corner and detailed labeling of the building materials and colors. Updated attachments are provided that reflect these changes as well as the citizen participation report and the street elevation renderings that were presented to the Planning Commission at their January 5 meeting.
Petition Summary:
· The site consists of 8 parcels, each containing an existing structure. Seven of the parcels contain houses that have been converted to single- and multiple-unit rentals. One parcel contains an industrial building that has been converted to an apartment building. Half of the parcels are currently zoned R4C Multiple-Family Dwelling and half are zoned M1 Limited Industrial. All existing buildings are proposed to be demolished.
· The site slopes toward the southwest and has a 16-foot difference between its highest point at the northeast corner and its lowest point at the southwest corner. The northeast corner of the site is about 10 feet lower in elevation than the midpoint of South Fifth Avenue and about 20 feet lower than the intersection of Fifth and Packard. The northwest corner is also about 10 feet lower than the midpoint of South Fourth Avenue and about 25 feet lower than the intersection of Fourth and Packard.
· Currently the western half of the site (cut on the diagonal) is in the 100-year floodplain and the western quarter of the site (also cut on the diagonal) is in the 100-year floodway of Allen Creek overland flow. FEMA (the Federal Emergency Management Agency) is in the process of revising the Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRM) as part of a map modernization project. Preliminary FIRMs were issued in July, 2007 that shift the 100-year floodway boundary off of the subject site, leaving the 100-year floodplain boundary unchanged. The preliminary FIRMs are expected to become official in mid- to late-2010.
· A five-story, uneven U-shaped building is proposed. The lowest story is a partially underground parking garage. The four upper stories contain 62 efficiency, one-, two-, or three-bedroom apartments. All efficiency and one-bedroom apartments (12 in total) are affordable housing for lower income households. Many of the two- and three-bedroom apartments contain a flex room that could be used as an additional bedroom or nursery or as a home office, den or formal dining room. The development provides a total of 150 rooms that could be used as bedrooms.
· Three small Live/Work Spaces are proposed on the ground level of the building at the southwest corner. These spaces are accessible from the sidewalk on East Madison Street or through the parking garage but are not connected to any dwelling unit. They are intended to provide live/work opportunities for tenants of the building and are suitable for small business owners, artists, sole practitioners, and entrepreneurs.
· An outdoor patio and seating area is proposed adjacent to the S. Fourth Avenue sidewalk and will be available for public use. Terraces are also proposed on the northwest and southwest corners of the fourth story (not counting the parking garage). The terraces provide additional active open space opportunities for the residents as well as providing a step-down effect for building height, otherwise the tallest points of the building.
· The development will seek LEED certification for new construction and will use renewable energy sources for either its HVAC system or its power, or both.
· The exterior of the building has been designed with traditional architectural principles and includes a base-middle-cap composition. The mass of the building has been broken into several modules and is complimentary of the existing character of the surrounding neighborhood. Traditional building materials in a limited variety of colors are proposed to further break down the scale of the building and fit with the neighborhood character.
Attachments: Revised PUD Site Plan (layout)
Revised PUD Site Plan (landscape plan)
Citizen Participation Report (December 23, 2008 and February 26, 2009)
Street Elevation Rendering (bird's eye toward northeast)
Street Elevation Rendering (Fifth streetview)
Street Elevation Rendering (Madison streetview)
2/19/10 Draft Development Agreement
1/5/10 Planning Staff Report
1/5/10 Planning Commission Minutes
10/6/09 Planning Commission Minutes
Staff
Prepared by: Alexis DiLeo, City Planner
Reviewed by: Wendy L. Rampson, Planning Manager
Sumedh Bahl, Interim Community Services Administrator
Body
Whereas, The Moravian Companies/MDC Acquisitions, LLC has requested PUD site plan approval in order to develop a 62-unit multiple-family development with partially underground parking and live/work spaces on East Madison Street between South Fourth and Fifth Avenues;
Whereas, Twelve affordable housing units for lower-income households are proposed as part of the development;
Whereas, The architectural design of the building contains vertical and horizontal articulated elements, including a traditional base-middle-cap composition and traditional materials in a limited variety of colors, that break down the mass of the development and compliment the character of the existing surrounding neighborhood;
Whereas, Three Live/Work Spaces are proposed to provide an opportunity for residents to work in very close proximity to where they live, and to enliven the streetscape along East Madison Street;
Whereas, Modernized flood insurance rate maps have been prepared and are scheduled to become official which remove the site from the 100-year floodway of Allen Creek;
Whereas, A development agreement has been prepared to address public and private utilities, on-site storm water management, sanitary sewer mitigation, conveyance of easements for public use of the outdoor patio area, impacts to the floodplain, leasing of the live/work spaces, architectural design, and affordable housing;
Whereas, The Ann Arbor City Planning Commission, on January 5, 2010, recommended approval of the petition subject to adoption of modernized flood insurance rate maps;
Whereas, The development would comply with the PUD zoning established pursuant to the requirements of Chapter 55, and with all applicable local, state, or federal laws, ordinances, standards and regulations;
Whereas, The development would limit the disturbance of natural features to the minimum necessary to allow a reasonable use of the land, applying criteria for reviewing a natural features statement of impact set forth in Chapter 57; and
Whereas, The development would not cause a public or private nuisance and would not have a detrimental effect on the public health, safety and welfare;
RESOLVED, That City Council approve the Development Agreement, substantially in the form of that attached, dated February 19, 2010;
RESOLVED, That the Mayor and City Clerk be authorized and directed to sign the Development Agreement after approval as to substance by the City Administrator and approval as to form by the City Attorney; and
RESOLVED, That City Council approve the Moravian PUD Site Plan dated February 23, 2010 upon the condition that 1) the Development Agreement is signed by all parties, 2) all terms of the Development Agreement are satisfied, 3) City adoption of modernized flood insurance rate maps that remove the site from the floodway, and 4) the individual development parcels are combined into one parcel.