2024-05-07 P & Z Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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May 7, 2024 Centerville Planning & Zoning Commission Page 4 of 12 RE: Ten Nineteen Development LLC, LaLonde Property, PUD Preliminary Development Plan LaLonde Project The apartment project consists of a single U-shaped building opening west toward the lake, three stories over a level of parking. Access into the site is at the SE corner off Westview Street at the terminus of Centerville Road. There is surface parking on the east side of the building where the main entrance is. The parking lot access drive continues through the parking lot to the north side of the building where it enters the parking under the building. There is a patio and other outdoor amenities on the west/lake side of the building and a storm pond further west located just above Main Street. Master Plan & Development Guidelines The main goal of the Master Plan is to “reinforce and guide public/private investment in a manner that will strengthen the viability of the area and recommend Downtown Centerville as a community destination of the highest quality.” The LaLonde project will be a major development project for downtown Centerville and the expectation is that it will help set the tone for future downtown projects. There are many policies, standards, and guidelines in the Master Plan, but two are key to the review of this project: “Promote interesting, animated architectural features without being thematic or artificial.” “Avoid large, unarticulated facades.” The various features of the project meet the spirit and letter of the Master Plan but we hope to improve it in terms of the two elements above. The Master Plan notes the heritage of early Centerville settlers and seeks to incorporate the character of French-Canadian architecture into downtown development. The photo examples on the next page are random street views of historic Quebec City that show the kind of architecture alluded to in the Master Plan. The details are not particularly ornate, but the window and door frame treatment lend much of that character. The proposed architecture of the façade is tastefully designed, but we believe there could be more attention to some kind of unique feature that would suggest French-Canadian heritage. The second element we suggest needs attention is the tall blank façade at the lower level facing west toward Main Street, lower left of the illustration on the next page. This wall of decorative block is 17 ft tall and unadorned except for some landscaped screen mesh panels. While the vegetation will soften the view somewhat, this treatment is not in keeping with the spirit of the Master Plan guidelines. With or without additional landscaping (see landscaping section below) we suggest the design of this part of the building needs to be reconsidered. Residential Use Residential uses between 12 and 45 units/acre are a permitted use in the M-2 district. The current proposal of 104 units on 2.89 acres is about 36 units/acre, within the density allowed.