12-10-1992 Public Hearing and Regular Meeting ZBOA

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Special Exception Request SE92-006 This is an addendum to the Staff Report presented at the December 10, 1992, Board of Adjustment meeting. The original Staff Report and Exhibits are attached for reference. Zion Hill Baptist Church is proposing to demolish their existing sanctuary and replace it with a new building. Under Zoning Ordinance requirements, the new sanctuary, which is to be located on the same property, will require 48 parking spaces. The church has requested a Special Exception to waive on premise, off street parking requirements and allow 35 off premise spaces to serve as required parking. During the course of the December 10, 1992, Board of Adjustment meeting, a question was raised as to whether or not the requested exception was necessary. The Board then tabled this request until questions regarding parking could be resolved. It was mentioned during the meeting that under the provisions of Zoning Ordinance Section 6-600.F, up to 80% of the church's 48 required parking spaces could be provided off site without the need for a special exception. There are 35 spaces in the DeWalt School parking lot. When asked, the church's representative stated that the additional 13 required parking spaces could be provided on premise with the remaining to be located at the DeWalt School. It was at this point that the Board tabled the request. Exhibit A is a plot plan of the Zion Hill property. As noted, the proposed sanctuary is to be set 30 feet from both the North 6th Street and West Madison Street rights-of-way. These setbacks are the areas which the church felt could be used for parking. Thirty feet does not, however, provide adequate depth for parking and on site maneuvering. Zoning Ordinance Section 10-605.3 states "... except in the case of single, two family and townhouse dwellings, parking area design which requires backing into the public street shall be prohibited". This requirement has been instituted in the interest of safety. A parking lot without controlled access could result in several vehicles backing and pulling into a right-of-way simultaneously. This would cause traffic congestion and could result in hazards to both vehicles and pedestrians. Zoning Ordinance regulations have been designed to help avoid this type of problem. Figure 10-1 from the Zoning Ordinance illustrates minimum parking space and maneuvering aisle dimensions (see Exhibit B). Figure 10-2 from the Zoning Ordinance details minimum dimensions for driveways located in Residential Zones (see Exhibit C). This figure also lists minimum driveway setbacks from property lines and public intersections. The only parking arrangement shown on Exhibit B which might allow on site parking and maneuvering is the 450 configuration. However, given driveway setbacks and typical vehicle turning radii, the church would not be able to fit the required 13 spaces on the property. Additionally, the area that would be devoted to parking would substantially reduce the area available for required landscaping.