ACTION REQUESTED:
Title
Communication from the City Manager and the Community Development Director with a Request to Concur with the Recommendation from the Planning Commission and Staff for the Following:
A. To Approve a RESOLUTION Approving the FIRST AMENDMENT TO ANNEXATION AGREEMENT with Site Plan (2/3 or at least 8 affirmative votes needed to pass);
B. To Approve a RESOLUTION to Amend the OFFICIAL COMPREHENSIVE PLAN for the City Of Peoria to Change the Future Land Use Designation of Property Currently Designated Low Density Residential and Office to Commercial and High Density Residential (simple majority vote); and
C. To Approve a RESOLUTION Approving the PRELIMINARY PLAT of Peoria Sports Center Subdivision for the Property Generally Located North of Parcel Identification Number 13-02-351-005, South of Parcel Identification Number 13-02-100-005, East of Orange Prairie Road Extended, and West of IL Route 91 (simple majority vote).
AND
To Concur with the Recommendation from Zoning Commission and Staff for the Following:
D. To Adopt an ORDINANCE Amending APPENDIX B, the Zoning Ordinance of the City of Peoria, Rezoning Property from the Present Class R-2 (Single Family Residential) District to a Class R-7 (Multi-Family Residential) District and C-2 (Large Scale Commercial) District (2/3 of voting, but not less than 6 affirmative votes needed to pass); and
E. To Adopt an ORDINANCE Approving a SPECIAL USE in a Class C-2 (Large Scale Commercial) District for an Arena and Sports Fields (simple majority vote).
All for the Property Identified as Part of Parcel Identification Number 13-02-300-004, Located within Peoria, IL
Body
BACKGROUND:
PROPERTY CHARACTERISTICS
The subject property contains 50.55 acres and is currently undeveloped land located along the east side of Orange Prairie Road extended. The property is zoned Class R-2 (Single Family Residential) and surrounded by R-2 (Single Family Residential) zoning to the north, south and east, and County-zoned Agricultural2 to the west. The 50.55 acre development site is part of a larger 132 acre parcel, from which it will be subdivided.
HISTORY
The subject property was annexed to the City in 1999 and rezoned to R-2 Single Family Residential. The annexation agreement approved in 1999 had a term of 20 years and shall expire in the year 2019.
TERMS OF THE ANNEXATION AGREEMENT:
Rezoning
The petitioner is requesting to rezone the northwest 10.44 acres and southeast 12.31 acres of the property to R-7 (Multi-Family Residential) and the northeast 15.25 acres and southwest 12.55 acres to C-2 (Large Scale Commercial). These zoning districts are illustrated on Exhibit C Rezoning Plat.
Special Use
The petitioner is proposing to operate an athletic campus and sports complex comprised of a sports dome and 10 baseball/softball fields. A Special Use for an Arena and Sports Fields is required in the C-2 (Large Scale Commercial) zoning district. The attached site plan (Exhibit B-1) illustrates the location of the sports dome on Lot 2 and ballfields on Lots 1, 3 and 4. The Special Use will encompass Lots 2 and 4 as they are zoned C-2 Large Scale Commercial. Lots 1 and 3 are zoned R-7 Multi-Family Residential and will be designated as Park - Active Recreation on the subdivision final plat, which allows for ballfields as a permitted use in this zoning district. Lot 5 of the site plan, although zoned C-2 Large Scale Commercial is not part of the Special Use designation and will be developed as any permitted use allowed in the C-1 General Commercial zoning classification and/or a use as a hotel/motel (per the Annexation Agreement).
· Buildings & Yards
The proposed development includes an 85-foot tall, 124,800 sq. ft. dome and single story, 12,000 sq. ft entry/concessions/office building on Lot 2 and fields with concession/press box buildings each on Lots 1, 3, and 4. Lot 5 is not proposed for development at this time.
Lot 1 with frontage on Orange Prairie Road provides a setback of 44 feet from the property line to the outfield fence. A 25-foot setback is also provided along the north and south property lines of the development site. The easternmost portion of the property is subject to the Stream Buffer protection area and must remain undisturbed.
· Parking & Access
Access to the site is provided from Orange Prairie Road through a private street designated as Outlot A on the site plan. This intersection will be signalized with a north bound right turn deceleration lane and a south bound left turn lane. The proposed site plan includes 981 parking spaces of which 29 are handicap accessible.
· Landscaping, Lighting, and Screening
Landscaping is included with the proposed site plan for the front yard along Orange Prairie Road and within the parking lots only. This is not intended to be the complete landscape plan as an Alternative Landscape Plan may be submitted for administrative review with application for building permits. A photometric lighting plan has also been submitted and in compliance with the Zoning Ordinance. The site plan indicates that screening of all rooftop and ground mechanical units and garbage dumpsters will be in compliance with the Zoning Ordinance.
· Signage
A 25-foot tall, 440 sq. ft. freestanding sign is located at the entrance to the sports complex on Lot 1. Lots 2 - 5 each include a freestanding sign not to exceed 15 feet in height and 70 sq. ft. in area. A waiver has been requested for the freestanding sign on Lot 1 to exceed 70 sq. ft. in size and for the placement of a freestanding sign on Lots 1 and 3 which are residentially zoned. See Exhibit E and E-1 Signage Plan.
Special Service Area
The City will create Special Services Areas (SSA) in two areas to assist with the financing of this development. In each area, three separate SSAs will be created in order to levy additional property taxes, hotel taxes and sales taxes (for a total of six SSAs). One set of SSAs, referred to as the "Peoria Sports Center" SSAs, includes the sports complex, Wingate Inn, Candlewood Suite, Country Inn, and Hampton Inn. The other set of SSAs, referred to as the "Holiday Inn" SSAs, only includes site of the Holiday Inn and Suites. More information on SSAs is included in a separate agenda item.
The City will issue bonds in the amount of $7,600,000 for the Peoria Sports Center SSA and $2,000,000 for the Holiday Inn SSA with repayment being assured as a general obligation.
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN AMENDMENT:
The current future land use designation for the subject property is Low Density Residential and Office. The Petitioner is requesting to amend the Future Land Use map of the Comprehensive Plan to the designations of Commercial and High Density Residential, which is consistent with the proposed zoning of the property.
PRELIMINARY SUBDIVISION PLAT:
A subdivision plat is proposed to subdivide the 50.55 acre development site from the 132 acre parent parcel. The plat further subdivides the 50.55 acres into five lots ranging in size from 4.42 acres to15.25 acres. Lots 1 and 3 are designated as Park - Active Recreation, which allows for a permitted use when indicated at the time of platting. See Exhibit D Preliminary Plat.
REQUESTED WAIVERS:
1) Increase the maximum building height from 45 feet to 85 feet for the dome building only.
2) Administrative approval of any landscaping requirements which may be inconsistent with an Alternative Landscape Plan.
3) Landscape requirements along the westerly boundary of Lot 5 are not required until Lot 5 is developed.
4) Eliminate any setback, yard or landscaping requirement along the boundary line of any lot and Outlot A.
5) Increase the size of the entrance sign from 70 sq. ft. to 440 sq. ft. and allow the placement of a freestanding sign not to exceed 15 feet in height and 70 sq. ft. in area located on each lot.
6) Allow banners on all light standards.
7) Allow the entry/concessions/office building on Lot 2 and connected to the dome to be treated as a separate building structure even though connected by a covered and enclosed pathway.
8) Allow special events and/or sales within areas of the lots.
PLANNING COMMISSION ACTION:
The Planning Commission found that the request met the Findings of Fact requirements and VOTED 4 TO 1, with 1 Abstention, TO APPROVE including the requested waivers and with the following conditions:
1) Substantial screening running from the entrance to the facility north to the property line and then east to the far point of the parking lot adjacent to the dome to include trees that are a minimum of eight-foot tall or greater and a berm or similar.
2) No activity on Field 2 (far northwest field) after 10:00 PM.
3) Incorporate sustainable design within neutral cost impact.
ZONING COMMISSION ACTION:
The Zoning Commission found that the request met the Findings of Fact requirements and VOTED 6 TO 0 TO APPROVE the Rezoning and Special Use.
FINANCIAL IMPACT: The City will issue bonds in the amount of $7,600,000 for the Peoria Sports Center SSA and $2,000,000 for the Holiday Inn SSA with repayment being assured as a general obligation.
NEIGHBORHOOD CONCERNS (at the Planning Commission and Zoning Commission meetings): Neighbors living in the Timberbrook Subdivision expressed concern for excessive noise, light pollution, safety issues due to possible alcohol license, decreased property values, and overall reduced quality of life. A neighbor suggested moving the entire facility to the south, to the area immediately north of the Grand Prairie Apartments. In response, the Petitioner agreed to provide a landscape buffer area at the northwest corner of the site and cease all activity on Field 2, which is closest to the residential neighborhood, at 10:00 PM. The Petitioner stated that the parking lot lighting will be turned off when the facility is not in use. The Petitioner also stated that the governing bodies of the youth sports organizations prohibit the sale of alcohol at youth events.
IMPACT IF APPROVED: The annexation agreement will be amended to allow for the development of sports complex and athletic facility. The Future Land Use Map of the Comprehensive Plan will be amended from low density residential and office designations to high density residential and commercial designations. The subject property will also be subdivided into 5 lots and rezoned from R-2 Single Family Residential to R-7 High Density Residential and C-2 Large Scale Commercial. A Special Use for an Arena and Sports Fields will be granted for the dome and baseball/softball fields located on the lots zoned commercial. The baseball/softball fields located on the lots zoned residential will be designated as Park-Active Recreation, which allows this as a permitted use.
Traffic as a result of the proposed development will increase from June through August but will be managed by a signalized intersection at the entrance to the facility and by the existing infrastructure design of Orange Prairie Road and surrounding roadway system, which is designed to handle the peak traffic counts.
Noise and lighting from the facility will be mitigated by landscaping, a controlled audio system, and downlit/shielded light poles.
IMPACT IF DENIED: The annexation agreement will not be amended and the property will not be developed as proposed. The Future Land Use Map of the Comprehensive Plan will be not amended and the subject property will not be rezoned to R-7 Multi-Family Residential or C-2 Large Scale Commercial.
ALTERNATIVES: N/A
EEO CERTIFICATION NUMBER: NA
WHICH OF THE GOALS IDENTIFIED IN THE COUNCIL'S 2014 - 2029 STRATEGIC PLAN DOES THIS RECOMMENDATION ADVANCE?
1. Grow Peoria: Businesses, Jobs, and Population
WHICH CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTOR(S) FROM THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN DOES THIS RECOMMENDATION IMPLEMENT?
1. Grow employers and jobs.
DEPARTMENT: Community Development