Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutAttachmt 5 SDR Pkg - Project Description Lowe's at Grafton Station - Dublin Ranch Area H . Mav 2006 Project Description for LOWE'S HOME IMPROVEMENT WAREHOUSE STORE GRAFTON STATION AT DUBLIN RANCH AREA H SITE DEVELOPMENT REVIEW The following findings relate directly to the specific questions listed under the Written Statement section of the City's application submittal requirements for Site Development Review (SDR). This SDR covers the site plan as well as the architectural, streetscape, landscape and signage design elements for the Lowe's Home Improvement Warehouse store within the Grafton Station project at Dublin Ranch - Area H. For additional information on the Project Site described in the following narrative, refer to the SDR drawing reductions in this submittal package. A. What type of business, activity or use are you proposing? On March 24,2000, the City of Dublin approved a Stage I PD Rezone for Area H of Dublin Ranch, which included the proposed Project Site. In conjunction with the PD approval, the Project Site was designated for General Commercial and Campus Office uses. Specific commercial uses such as discount centers, factory stores, fumiture outlets, home improvement centers and other regionally oriented, high volume retail uses were identified as permitted uses under these land use designations in the Stage I PD. The Development Plan for the Project site covered by this Site Development Review proposes an approximately 139,410 square foot Lowe's Home Improvement Warehouse store with Garden Center on approximately 12.2 acres. Additional outdoor display and sales areas are proposed for short term, seasonal activities as shown on the exhibits included with this submittal package. Specific approvals requested from the City of Dublin for this project include a Stage 2 PD Rezone, Development Agreement, and Site Development Review Application. B. How many employees will you have or propose to have? Employee count varies from store to store depending on sales volume. Total store employment at Lowe's Home Improvement Warehouse store in Dublin is projected to range between 150 and 200 employees, of which 70% to 80% will be full time employees. The maximum employees per shift will range between 30 to 50 employees, which would typically be on a Saturday afternoon. Site Development Review. Project Description . Page I Lowe's at Grafton Station - Dublin Ranch Area H . Mav 2006 C. What are the proposed hours and days of operation? The Lowe's Home Improvement Warehouse store will tentatively be open from 6 AM to 10 PM Monday through Saturday and from 7 AM to 8 PM on Sundays. D. Are there any ways in which your business, activity or use have a negative effect on the health or safety of persons residing or working in the vicinity, or be detrimental to the public health, safety or general welfare. There are no planned activities or uses that will have a negative effect on the health or safety of persons residing or working in the vicinity, nor which are detrimental to the public health, safety or general welfare. The design of the project and its improvements will comply with all applicable City codes and ordinances pertaining to its design, construction and operation. It is not anticipated that the development will create public health problems, as no land uses or activities requiring the use or manufacturing of toxic materials are planned to occur on the site. E. Describe how the design of the project including site layout, structures, vehicular access, circulation and parking, etc. will provide a desirable environment for the future development. Site Layout/Structures: The Lowe's Home Improvement Warehouse store will be located at the western edge of the property and will be entered by customers from the east. The primary parking area is located to the east of the Lowe's Home Improvement Warehouse building with parking bays aligned perpendicular to the building entry. Additional parking spaces are located to the south of the building adjacent to the Garden Center. The south side of the building, which will contain the Garden Center, will be directly visible from 1-580. The northern portion of the warehouse will contain an indoor lumber yard and will include an overhead canopy extending from the building for customer loading. Loading and staging areas as well as building utility and maintenance facilities are located at the rear of the building adjacent to the western property line. A pylon identification sign for Lowe's and other project occupants is proposed to be located southwest of the Lowe's building between the parking lot and the property line. A portion of the stormwater runoff from the site is required to be treated in accordance with the Conditions of the current Water Quality Certification issued by the California Regional Water Quality Control Board in 2003. Runoff to be treated will drain into a linear bioswale south of the parking lot. After passing through the bioswale, runoff will be piped to the regional water quality treatment basin to the east and then discharged into the G-3 Channel south ofI-580. Site Development Review. Project Description. Page 2 Lowe's at Grafton Station - Dublin Ranch Area H . Mav 2006 The following table provides a specific breakdown of parking spaces by type proposed for this project: Standard Undesignated Spaces Contractor Designated Spaces Compact Spaces (35% Max.) Handicap Accessible Spaces Spaces Required/Allowed (@ I /300 S.F.) 247 24 Spaces Provided Difference 11 325 24 183 (33.0%) 12 +78 +1 465 544 (l space/255 sf) +79 Total A portion of the handicap accessible parking spaces will be designated and designed for van accessible parking in accordance with State and Federal requirements. Cart return corrals will also be provided at strategic locations within the parking lot. More detailed representations of the proposed locations and type of spaces are included on the Parking Plan in the site development review exhibit package. F. Is the site physically suitable for the type and intensity of development proposed? The Project site is physically suitable for the type of commercial development proposed. The site is generally level (I % average slope) and without tree cover and is thus well suited to a variety of commercial uses. This project's proposed land use plan is consistent with the land use designations found in the Dublin General Plan and Eastern Dublin Specific Plan. The Army Corps of Engineers wetland fill permit (issued May 23, 2003) and the Water Quality Certification from the California Water Quality Control Board (issued April 22, 2003) for the balance of the Dublin Ranch holdings and their associated mitigation requirements cover the Project Site. The permits specifically address mitigation for all existing on-site environmental features and allow the proposed development to proceed. No major faults are located under the Project Site. Based on the letter from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (dated August 27, 2004), the Project Site is no longer within the 100-year floodplain, as the site has been raised to at least one foot above the I % Annual Chance Flood Elevation. Water, sewer and joint trench infrastructure lines are currently available within the Dublin Boulevard right of way and have adequate capacity to serve the proposed project. These facilities will be extended south to the Project Site through the commercial property to the north and also via the extension of Grafton Street. Drainage from roof and ground surface areas will be collected Site Development Review. Project Description. Page 4 Lowe's at Grafton Station - Dublin Ranch Area H . Mav 2006 and piped to an open swale at the south side of the Project Site. Drainage will then be piped to the water quality treatment basin located to the east ofthe Project Site and eventually discharged to the G-3 channel south of 1-580. Additional details regarding proposed utility systems for this project are included on the Utility Plan. G. Describe how the proposed development may impact views. The site will be visible from Interstate 580 to the south and Tassajara Road to the west and is subject to the requirements of the Eastern Dublin Scenic Corridor Policies and Standards. The views of the site from the west will be diminished upon development of the lands of the Dublin Land Company presently designated as General Commercial. Because much of the project site falls within Zone I as defined in the Scenic Corridor Policies and Standards document, 50% of the frontage along 1-580 (extending up to 700' back from the 1-580 right-of-way) must be left unobstructed to allow views of the scenic ridge lands to the north as designated in the Specific Plan. The Lowe's building has been sited so that a maximum of 48% of the applicable frontage is obstructed as viewed from 1-580. The remainder of the frontage view shed contains a parking lot, walkways and associated landscape areas, which will allow unobstructed views across the site to the north. H. Describe the physical characteristics of the site including existing slopes and topographic features. The Project Site currently has very little variation in topography and gently slopes upward from the south (adjacent to 1-580) to Dublin Blvd. The lowest elevation within the Project site is at approximately 345 feet above sea level, while the highest elevation is at approximately 350 feet. Drainage currently flows generally in a north to south direction towards the freeway and the G-3 Channel. The site is without any existing tree cover and various non-native grasses cover the majority of the area. The Project site has predominantly been used historically for dry land farming and cattle grazing, however, these activities are not currently occurring on the property. Current land uses surrounding the project are Dublin Blvd. and High Density Residential neighborhoods of Area G to the north; vacant land (zoned General Commercial) to the west; vacant land (zoned Campus Office) and a future stormwater quality treatment basin to the east; and Northside Drive and Interstate 580 to the south. Site Development Review. Project Description. Page 5 Lowe's at Grafton Station - Dublin Ranch Area H . Mav 2006 1. Describe the architectural design/theme of the development including character, scale and quality of the design, and explain how the project will relate to and be compatible with the existing site and the character of adjacent buildings, neighborhoods and uses. The architecture of the proposed Lowe's of Dublin has been designed to be compatible with the "Main Street Character" of the Grafton Street retail buildings. The design goal of this project is to create a neighborly feeling between the east and west components of the project. Common design elements of this project will be utilized throughout the complex, providing unity to the overall development. Elements of the "Main Street Character" which are incorporated into the project include building fayade forms and massing, entrances and storefront details, walkways, and landscape elements. The building fayade will primarily exhibit earth tone color wall surfaces and accents with rustic stone features above stained concrete bases. Details such as simple formal elements include auburn colored accents and bronze colored metal awnings and trellises. The combination of these elements will create an interesting fayade in a human scale. Massing along the front fayade is broken up with varying wall and parapet heights, materials, and horizontal elements. Each separate horizontal variation in the massing creates the feeling of smaller storefronts as would be seen walking along a downtown street. The elements minimize the mass of the front fayade, yet are kept unified through repeating materials and similar colors. The front fayade, in keeping with the Main Street character, is divided into three separate components, the Garden Center, the Main Entrance and Exit, and the Lumber Canopy. Each of these components direct customers towards a store entrance from the parking lot. The Garden Center is denoted with a tall entrance, flanked on each side with accent stone around the openings and columns. The entrance is covered with a steel awning and signage above. The Garden Center is enclosed with a painted tubular steel fence, which allows visibility of the gardening products inside. In the peak gardening season, seasonal flowers and plants are displayed on the sidewalk at the exterior of the enclosure. These displays are beautiful showcases of colorful flowers and landscaping ideas, stirring the imagination of the home gardener and increasing pedestrian interest. The Main Entrance and Exit portion of the fayade are articulated by the tallest building mass with the largest area of accent stone and decorative elements that denote its importance. Walkways adjacent to the main entrance and exit are covered with awnings, creating shade and weather protection for pedestrians. A smooth faced, scored masonry wainscot is provided to create texture and interest at the pedestrian level along the walkway. This wainscot is accented with tubular steel trellis sections. The trellises mimic storefront windows of the Main Street character, yet do not interfere with the interior layout of the store. The Lumber Canopy provides extensive weather protection for customer loading of large items directly into their vehicles. This canopy features steel awnings similar to the pedestrian areas but on a larger vehicular scale. A tubular steel trellis ties in with the storefront scheme at the entrance. Site Development Review. Project Description. Page 6 Lowe's at Grafton Station - Dublin Ranch Area H . Mav 2006 amenities include bike racks and unit pavers in the areas serving handicapped patrons. A portion of the stormwater runoff will be collected from the Grafton Station site and directed to a linear water quality treatment bioswale on the southern edge of the site that abuts Northside Drive. The bioswale works to reintroduce runoff to the ground water table and will be planted with rushes, sedges and grasses that provide a higher level of water quality treatment before stormwater flows are piped to the adjacent water quality treatment basin. Banks within the bioswale will be planted with riparian and native trees, shrubs, vines and ground covers. A masonry retaining wall that varies in height from two feet to six feet will extend along the length of the bioswale. The wall is comprised of 4" high concrete blocks that will generally match the color of the CMU units on the building and will have a slight batter, stepping back slightly as it rises from the ground. Poured colored concrete columns spaced 18' on center will articulate the wall. The columns will taper as the wall rises and provide further articulation to create shadows and visual relief. An ornamental metal railing on top of the wall will be painted to match other site furnishings such as light poles within Grafton Station. Views from 1-580 are further softened with riparian plantings on the banks of the bioswale. At the southwest corner of the site, trees and shrubs will be densely planted to screen the rear facade of the Lowe's building and its loading dock from the 1-580 freeway and the adjacent property to the west. K. Is the proposed project located on a hazardous waste and substances site? (A list is of these sites is available in the Planning Department). A Phase I and 2 Environmental Assessment of the Project Site and surrounding areas has been conducted by Berlogar Geotechnical Consultants (dated 9/25/97) to determine the presence of any hazardous waste and substance sites. The findings of this study indicated that no problems were found. In addition, an environmental records search was conducted by Berlogar Geotechnical Consultants for Dublin Ranch-Phase I to determine if the site was included on a list of hazardous waste and substances areas. The results of this search indicated that no properties within a two-mile radius of the Dublin Ranch-Phase I (which includes lands within the Project Site) are listed as a hazardous site, hazardous material generator or transporter, or known to have underground storage tank leaks. Site Development Review. Project Description. Page 8 ~ Pleasanton 596()/_Dr..S<itel00 _. CA 94588.8535 925.4630611 925. 463_ 3690 fax Sacramento 900 9th St., 161hFtxx _. CA 95814-2736 916.449.9095 Transportation Consultants Santa Rosa 141 SlDnyCit:. _280 Santa Rosa. CA 95401-4110 701575. 5800 107.575.5888 fax Fresno 516 W Shaw AWl, Stite 200 _ CA 93704-2515 55&325. 7530 559.22t494O fax tjhm@tjhm_com www.tjkm.com MEMORANDUM January 26, 2006 To: Dave Chadbourne - MacKay & Somps Project No.: 157-145 From: Gordon Lum Jurisdiction: City of Dublin Subject: Trip Generation for Proposed Lowe's Table 1 presents the results of the traffic generation analysis for the proposed 139,410 square feet Lowe's, whieh is part of the Grafton Station Commercial Project in Dublin Ranch Area C/H. TABLE I: PROPOSED LOWE'S TRIP GENERATION INlIIy All. S&MPeak P.II. S&M Peak Us. ITE SIze Units Rate Trips Cod. Rate In" Out" In Out TolaI Rate In" Out" In Out TolaI Lowe's 862 139.41 ksf 29.80 4.154 120 054 0.46 90 T7 167 245 0.47 0.53 161 181 34' ksf= 1,000 square feet Detailed trip distribution analysis has not been performed at this time. However, the majority of the customers are expected to come from: · Eastbound 1-580 (exiting at Tassajara Road) · Westbound 1-580 (exiting at Tassajara Road) · Eastern Dublin (various local streets) . Eastern Pleasanton (via Santa Rita Roadffassajara Road) The largest intersection closest to the proposed Lowe's is Dublin Boulevardffassajara Road. With build out of Dublin Ranch area C/H (including Lowe's), this intersection is expeeted to operate at LOS C during the a.m. peak hour and LOS B during the p.m. peak hour. " Wee rea t e t ran 5 p 0 r tat j 0 n 5 0 I uti 0 n 5 , .. Wit h t 11 P t I (, tl t rJ e [) pie"