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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1.13_Gallatin Subaru_Cover Letter Planning Comment Response_5-28-2020City Review Comments Response #1 _05-21-2020 Gallatin Subaru Site Plan, Application 20086 Page 1 of 5 May 21, 2020 Danielle Garber, Assistant Planner Development Review Committee Bozeman Planning 20 East Olive Street Bozeman, MT 59771-1230 RE: Gallatin Subaru Site Plan Application 20086 Review Comments Response The following and attached are our responses to the City Planning review comments dated April 21, 2019. PLANNING COMMENTS: 1. Gateway Block Frontage Standards – BMC 38.510.030.E a. Building Entrances - At least one (publicly accessible for commercial buildings) building entrances must be visible and directly accessible from the street. The proposed pedestri- an path from the street does not provide a clear and continuous path to the publically accessible entrance facing the street. Departures are possible, if desired; provide a de- parture request and fee with a narrative responding to the following criteria from 38.510.030.C.3 - Building entrances. Block frontages with steep slopes and/or those fac- ing busy arterial streets and very limited pedestrian traffic may warrant some flexibility to this standard (particularly in residential districts); Response: The main entrance to showroom is visible from the street, and the pedestrian path from the street right-of-way has been relocated to the west providing a visible and direct access from the street to the front of the showroom, and main entrance. See revised site plan dated 5/21/2020. b. Parking Location – Provide a response to this criteria from38.510.030.C.3: The alterna- tive must include design features to successfully mitigate the visual impact of additional parking areas along designated landscaped streets. Response: All required parking spaces located directly in front of the building on the Front Road side (north) have been relocated to the west side of the building. See revised site plan dated 5/21/2020. City Review Comments Response #1 _05-21-2020 Gallatin Subaru Site Plan, Application 20086 Page 2 of 5 2. Site Design - Section 38.520.070.C.1.c – Where the inside of solid waste enclosures is visible from surrounding streets, pathways, and buildings, an opaque or semi-opaque horizontal cover or screen must be used to mitigate unsightly views. The horizontal screen/cover should be integrat- ed into the enclosure design and compatible with adjacent development. Response: An opaque horizontal cover (roof) has been added to the trash enclosure; see revised site details, sheet A102 dated 5/21/2020. 3. Parking – Section 38.540.010.A.1.a – Label uses of floor areas on the floor area determination plans to correspond with this section. Response: Room names have been added to floor area determination plans; see revised floor area determination plans, sheet A131 dated 5/21/2020. 4. Landscaping – Section 38.550.050.C.2.a(2-4) - (2) All parking lots located between a principal structure and a public street, must be screened from the public street, this applies to both the north Frontage Road, and the south Interstate-90;(3) The screening required under this subsection must be continuous and not less than four feet in width unless a different width is specified in 38.510.030; and(4) Screening must be maintained at a height of four to six feet except as otherwise restricted by fence and hedge height limits within required front setbacks and street vision triangles. Response: We have added a continuous hedge along the south property line to screen the parking area from I-90. The entirety of the north exposure to the Frontage Road is vehicle display, now since the parking has been moved to the sides of the building and if we were to screen this area it is a detriment to the vehicle display. The parking area is more than halfway to the back of the lot with as much screening as possible in the parking islands. See revised landscape plans, dated 5/21/20. 5. Landscaping – Section 38.550.050.C.2.e(1-2) - (1) The interior parking lot landscaping must be designed to facilitate, control and denote proper vehicular circulation patterns; (2) Internal parking lot landscaping provided must be proportionately dispersed so as to define aisles and limit unbroken rows of parking to a maximum of 100 feet, with landscaped areas provided in an appropriate scale to the size of the parking lot. Provide parking lot landscaping at the southeast corner of building to define the end of the aisle and denote proper vehicle circulation. Response: A landscaped end-cap has been added to the parking at the southeast corner of the building. See revised site plan, sheet A101 dated 5/21/2020. 6. Signs – Section 38.560.060 – Pole signs must be setback 15-feet from the property line to the leading edge of the sign. City Review Comments Response #1 _05-21-2020 Gallatin Subaru Site Plan, Application 20086 Page 3 of 5 Response: The proposed pole sign along Frontage Road has been relocated to 15 feet from property line, with dimensions. See revised site plan, sheet A101 dated 5/21/20. ENGINEERING COMMENTS: 1. See Attached Memo Response: Hyalite has addressed the engineering comments with City Engineering and will provide a separate response. NORTHWESTERN ENERGY COMMENTS: 1. Specify the width of the grass strip between back of curb to the westerly easement line. a. Parking lot lights. What will be the separation from light post base to the gas & power line? The area is fairly narrow to install utilities and lights. Need to allow at least 3-ft between base of light and edge of trench. Trench minimal width of 18” wide up to 24” wide depend- ing on number of utilities within the trench. Electric will be three phase with three runs of 2” conduit side by side then a gas service separated by 1-ft between electric & gas & with any other utility 1-ft separation to NWE utilities. If NWE is the only one to occupy the trench, in the grass area, a 18” trench would possibly work with lights in the same grass area. Would still need to maintain 3-ft between light base and edge of trench. Response: Since the underground utilities run underneath the parking lot, the location of the underground utilities have been relocated to the center of the existing utility easement. This will allow a 24” wide trench and 3-ft clearance between trench and site light pole bases. See revised site plan, sheet A101 dated 5/21/20. b. Specify type of landscaping along the strip between back of curb to the westerly easement line along the proposed gas service and electric Primary route? Not allowed to have trees over gas & electric mains. Small shrubs are ok. If NWE needs to excavate in the area for maintenance and/ repair the owner is responsible for the cost to replace any and all land- scape. Response: Since the underground utilities have been relocated out of the landscape ar- ea, the issue with trees located over gas and electric mains has been eliminated. Owner is aware that it’s their responsibility to repair/replace any pavement that might be dam- aged or removed if NWE needs to repair gas and/or electric mains. See revised site plan, sheet A101 dated 5/21/20. 2. Easement. Plans show a 20-ft easement with Vehicle Display parking. City Review Comments Response #1 _05-21-2020 Gallatin Subaru Site Plan, Application 20086 Page 4 of 5 a. The display area is within the utility easement & applicant should work with NWE engineer after submitting an application, and other utility providers to determine if this will be an issue. Response: Bozeman Audi/VW project next door has vehicle display parking within a utili- ty easement which was approved by NWE. Applicant will would with NWE engineers along with other utility providers after submitting an application, and address any issues. 3. Is the plan to remove the existing overhead power? a. Yes, Brian responded that if it is the only service to the Subaru building then per the City of Bozeman the line needs to come down. Owner or applicant will need to work with the NWE engineer, after submitting an application, on the removal and aban- doning of existing overhead & underground utilities. Response: Correct, all existing overhead power lines and poles within the westerly easement will be removed. The removal of power poles are noted on site demolition plan “to be removed”. General Contractor will work with NWE engineers in removal and abandoning of existing overhead and underground utilities. See added demolition site plan, sheet A100 dated 5/21/20. 4. Proposed transformer location is good. Looks to be more than 10-ft away from the build- ing which is good. Comment on the plan set says the transformer will have bollards to protect it. a. If using bollards make sure the bollards are placed in a location not to hinder open- ing the front doors of the transformer. Open a full 180 degrees. Applicant will need to work with NWE engineer, after submitting an application, on placement of the any landscaping and vegetation in and around the transformer and meter base location. 10-ft clear zone in front of the transformer. 1-ft clear zone on each side of the trans- former. 3-ft clear zone in front of the meter panels with clear access to both the me- ter and transformer. No thorny shrubs. Response: The applicant and their contractor will work with NWE engineers in coordina- tion of bollard locations, required clear zone, and landscaping adjacent to transformer. 5. Proposed Gas meter location. a. As discussed on the phone, NWE requires the gas and electric meters be installed within a 10-ft area. Sometimes this is difficult to do and NWE will work with the ap- plicant or applicant representative on any variance if needed. However, if the two meters can occupy the same area and meet the separation requirements to win- dows, doors, meter and vents then NWE will require the distance of 10- feet maxi- City Review Comments Response #1 _05-21-2020 Gallatin Subaru Site Plan, Application 20086 Page 5 of 5 mum be enforced. This process will need to be completed once an application to New has been submitted and an NWE engineer has been assigned the project. Response: The gas meter has been relocated adjacent to the electric meter, and the gas and electric mains will share the same utility easement from the existing westerly utility easement to the building. Applicant and their contractors will work with NWE engineer assigned to the project to coordinate electric and gas meter locations. 6. Where the proposed primary wire turns to the west side of the building & to the trans- former, a 3-phase junction can will most likely need to be installed here to make the turn towards the transformer. Response: The applicant and their contractors will work with NWE engineers in coordi- nation of 3-phase main to transformer, including a 3-phase junction is required. 7. My final suggestion is the Owner or owners representative submit an application for new ser- vices to northwestern Energy as soon as possible. This way it will get signed a project number and the area engineer can start working with the applicant on a design. Response: Suggestion noted. Owner intends to submit an application as soon as possible after City’s approval of site plan. Please give me a call if you have any further questions. Respectfully submitted,