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HomeMy WebLinkAbout06-13-05 Study SessionSTUDY SESSION Monday, June 13, 2005 7:00 p.m. -Council Chambers Minutes of Meeting Mayor Chinnici-Zuercher called the meeting to order. Present were Mayor Chinnici-Zuercher, Vice Mayor Lecklider, Mrs. Boring, Ms. Salay, Mr. Reiner and Mr. Keenan. Mr. McCash was absent {excused} Staff members present included the following: Ms. Brautigam, Mr. Smith, Mr. Smith (Jr.), Ms. Cox, Mr. Hammersmith, Mr. Gunderman, Mr. Combs, Ms. Wanner, Mr. Price, Jeannie Willis. Mayor Chinnici-Zuercher noted that tonight's topic is the presentation of a development proposal by The Edwards Company. Mayor Chinnici-Zuercher stated that residential developers who are amassing large tracts of land have requested the opportunity to make an initial presentation and discussion with Council to determine if there would be interest in their plans before spending large sums of money on design of a development plan to be submitted to the City's planning and zoning process. Tonight, that opportunity is provided to Mr. Edwards. The purpose is for Council to listen to the developer's ideas and to provide feedback if the plan is not considered acceptable. This hearing with Council will in no way interfere with the role of the Planning Commission. The purpose is to give significant directional guidance to the developer at a preliminary point. Ben Hale, Jr. 37 W. Broad Street, Columbus, stated that he represents Pete Edwards and M/l Homes of Central Ohio. He stated that Pete Edwards, Steve Caplinger (M/l Homes), Greg Comfort, Engineer, and representatives of The Edge Group, are also present. Mr. Hale stated that tonight's presentation is the result of extensive discussions of amassing a significant amount of property an the southwest side of Dublin. They hired planner Mike Fite and representatives from EDSAY, an international planning firm. These individuals have made visits to study the development site and have met with City staff to obtain feedback on the plan. Although they were prohibited from discussing the plans with Planning Commission members, they attempted to receive feedback from other City officials, including City Council members. They have driven through many of Dublin's residential developments - Ballantrae, Belvedere, Westbury, Concord Village, and Muirfield Village. They are high quality, well-planned developments with great open spaces. The City's conservation design process has encouraged developers to look at new ideas and a variety of housing types. In this development, the plan will provide a much greater variety of housing types. In 1973, Mr. Hale worked on the Muirfield development. There were some intentional decisions made then that people now take for granted. One was not to use the existing Dublin City Council Study Session Monday, June 13, 2005 Page 2 road system as the backbone of the development, i.e., Avery, Post or Brand. There were two reasons for this: ~1 }when new roads are built, it is not necessary to work around things that have accumulated along the roads over the years, and {2) retrofitting never works well. Many of Dublin's current roads, such as Avery-Muirfield, Tara Hill and Perimeter Loop were created to relieve pressure on the existing roads. Because of that planning, many of those older roads, such as Post and Brand, remain relatively unchanged today. It is important to do the same with this development. Because many of the roads in the southwest have acquired "accumulations" aver the years, it is necessary to plan how one would enter into this new development in the southwest. They also have studied the new planning guidelines, and they have aspired to create something that makes a statement for Dublin with the characteristics that Mr. Reiner has been advocating. They believe their plan achieves that. The site is primarily flat farmland with few trees, similar to the early Ballantrae site. Today, the Ballantrae development defies what people once thought could happen there, and is a great asset to the Dublin. Since it is not passible to build another golf course with the new project, their challenge was how this flat land in an area with road challenges can be transformed into something that reflects the Dublin image. He showed a map reflecting the assemblage of the development noting that some of the area on the map is under contract, and there are other areas Mr. Edwards would like to acquire. The challenges of the site are the railroad track and the power line, which run through the center of the site. The existing roads are Cosgray, Houchard and Rings. The Village of Amlin, the Ballantrae development, and Dublin's future tech park are in the immediate area. Mike Fite, The Edge Group, stated that the next map depicts the City of Upper Arlington's public and private open spaces and the homes that are adjacent to that space. They used this community as a comparison because it is considered a desirable community where homes retain their value. The site is comprised of 1007 acres. 180 acres, or 17.9% of the site is open space, and 7% of the city's homes front or back the open space. When they analyzed the bases for the escalating value of Upper Arlington's homes they found that there was good planning, however the architecture of the homes was the primary appeal. There is a focus on entryways; a diversity of materials, but primarily brick and stone; garages are minimized; details are added to front-facing garage doors to make them attractive; a diversity of style, with an emphasis on Tudor. They compared Dublin's residential development. The areas people find most attractive are Coventry Woods, Brandon, and Bristol Commons. In Coventry Woods, 20% of the homes are adjacent to open space; in Bristol Commons, 17.5% of the homes are along open space. Mr. Hale described the plan. He noted that when Muirfield Village was developed, Ashbaugh Road was abandoned, and Muirfield Boulevard was built as the north-south connector. This proposal also abandons portions of some roads -the railroad crossing Dublin City Council Study Session Monday, June 13, 2005 Page 3 on Cosgray would be eliminated. Tuttle Crossing Road would be extended and constructed similar to Muirfield Boulevard with good setbacks, landscaping, and the number of units related properly to the road, saving what can be saved. A large amount of space will be devoted to water within the development. Mr. Nicklaus selected the Muirfield site because it was the best site in central Ohio for a golf course; however, the nearest water line was on Olentangy River Road, and the nearest sewer line was on Case Road. The appeal of this site will be the great roads and the water features. The existing trailer park will need to be eliminated, but that would occur later when office development occurs to fund it. This is a conceptual plan. They seek Council's input to determine the direction from here. Forty percent of the site is green, open space; there is a school next to the site; City services are near. There will be a large water feature near the Ballantrae border. There will be different types of lots. In some areas, there will be cluster housing; in other areas, there will be alleys and rear- facing garages. Pete Edwards, Edwards Land Company, stated that when they conceived Ballantrae, they realized that to raise the baron development in the southwest area, it was necessary to have a special entranceway. Today, that entranceway is a unique roadway with the adjacent Ballantrae Park. This development will have a large amount of greenspace to the rear of the homes -- this will allow the opportunity to build lakes, and some greenspace in front of homes. The entranceway will incorporate a park, as did Ballantrae. The density of the Hayden Run corridor affects this area. Dublin will want to stem expansion of that area as much as possible. In the Columbus area, the roads aren't in, yet the houses are being built. When he initially considered extending the Ballantrae development, he realized it would be impossible to sell expensive homes that back up to a railroad track ar a major road -- Cosgray Road. So this plan re-routes the road. The roadway, the park and railroad would be in one place. The plan incorporates input from retail and traffic studies they had done, as well as input from Franklin and Union counties. Mr. Hale stated that there would be 40% open space, and 70°~ of the homes would front or back onto water or open space. This is very close to the conservation development guidelines. As Mr. Edwards noted, they have consulted with Union and Franklin counties. There is an agreement in place to fund the construction of an overpass over the railroad track, which will be an extension of Britton Parkway from Hayden Run to Emerald Parkway. The developers have committed approximately $8M in funding and have agreed to limit the number of units that will be built until the road improvements are completed. This area is also subject to a residential TIF, which if approved by their Council, would help to fund the overpass. It is also subject to a community development charge, which would help fund schools and other public improvements. The road extension over to Avery will become a reality in the next few years. The section of the road that extends into the Hilliard area is included in a development plan that Hilliard has approved for the Trueman family. It is assumed the Truemans will build the road. They are developing an office building for BMW by the Dublin City Council Study Session Monday, June 13, 2005 Page 4 freeway. The developers contributed $1 million for the Hayden Run/Avery Road intersection, and that is currently being improved. Another contribution is funding improvements at the Hayden Run/Cosgray Road intersection to widen the road to five lanes. The county engineer indicates a critical need far a good east/west and north/south road system to accommodate the development beginning in that area. That means either Cosgray or Houchard would need to be improved. They do not want Cosgray Road to become the major north/south connector, or their plan would not work. The intent is that Houchard would become the major connector. They will soon be filing an annexation petition for part of this area. This is a major project and they would request weekly or bi-weekly meetings with the Planning staff. They would like to submit this plan to the Planning Commission as soon as possible. They hope to have some of these ideas incorporated into the Community Plan, as there is other land in this area that is affected. It is also important to incorporate this into the City's Thoroughfare Plan. They also need to discuss financial issues with Ms. Grigsby. The Muirfield Boulevard connector was built from Brand Road south too late. He would like to see the roadway improvements for this project completed early. Mayor Chinnici-Zuercher inquired how the proposed changes in the road system would impact the Village of Amlin. Mr. Hale responded that the road into Amlin would terminate within the village making the village a cul de sac. Mayor Chinnici-Zuercher inquired what improvements in the road system are currently being done to accommodate the residential construction occurring in the Columbus portion of this area? How many lanes will be included in the Britton Parkway extension? Mr. Hale responded that Cosgray Road from south of existing Hayden Run up to the north side of this development would be widened by Franklin County next year to five lanes. The Hayden Run/Avery Road intersection work is occurring now. At the Cosgray Road intersection, Hayden Run will be widened to five lanes, and a new road from within the development will T-into Hayden Run and will run to Hilliard's border. Hilliard will also build afive-lane extension of Emerald Parkway. This plan was taken to MORPC, with Jim Bixby representing the developers and Doyle Clear representing the cities. The numbers were run by Franklin County, and the conclusion was that the proposed road network would work as planned. In addition, with the money that has been contributed Columbus does have sufficient funds to build all of their section of that roadway, a cost of approximately $32 million. A southern extension of Leppert Road is also planned. Ms. Salay inquired if another freeway interchange is anticipated in the future, in addition to the Tuttle Crossing interchange. Dublin City Council Study Session Monday, June 13, 2005 Page 5 Mr. Hale responded that, originally, there was to be an interchange at Hayden Run. When Mr. Edwards started working on Tuttle Road, however, it was evident that an interchange at Tuttle was needed, due to the heavy traffic movement at the Dublin S.R. 161 interchange. In addition, there were environmental issues related to the proximity of the stream at Hayden Run to the potential interchange site that might have been insurmountable. Except from Davidson Road, there are no other major east-west roads until Cemetery Road, so it seems unlikely that another interchange could occur north of that. A large-scale development is planned for the Smith property at Cemetery Road, however, so Hilliard is planning to make improvements at that interchange. Ms. Salay noted that she was thinking creatively for the future. Mr. Hale responded that anything is possible --another interchange is being built at Polaris Parkway. Hilliard has some north/south access issues. From a traffic standpoint, Dublin is well organized with Emerald Parkway, Perimeter Drive, and Avery- Muirfield. Something similar is needed to the west and southwest. Mayor Chinnici-Zuercher stated that Council members should share any significant thoughts they have on this issue for Mr. Edwards to consider before moving forward. Mr. Reiner stated that this is a huge project. Much more time would be needed to digest the distribution of densities within the project. What are the tax liabilities of the project -does the majority of the development fall within the Hilliard School district? Mr. Hale responded that is all in the Hilliard School district. Mr. Reiner stated that there would then be no impact on the Dublin School district. Mr. Edwards responded that they did meet with the Hilliard School administration. Mr. Keenan noted that a large portion of Hilliard Schools is within the City of Dublin, though, so Dublin would be impacted. Mr. Reiner stated that there have been references to the City of Arlington's residential development. Is the inference that, on the parcels that will be sold to Borror or Schottenstein, the builders will develop and build houses of similar quality as Arlington's homes -- stone and brick homes with large setbacks? This plan provides for a main boulevard with large setbacks. What is the size of the setbacks? Who will maintain the boulevard -the City or the homeowners? What would the tax base be in this area? The plan shows some commercial, some mixed use, and the remainder as residential. Mr. Hale responded that they did not mean to imply that this plan would re-build Arlington. A comparison to Arlington was made in regard to quality and open spaces. Upper Arlington has 14°~ open space; Dublin has 70% open space. From a buyer's point of view, both are of equal value. Developers have heard the consistent message that Dublin was interested in seeing something different. This plan has a variety of housing types. In selected areas, there will be alleys behind the homes, and those homes will have attached garages to the rear. There will be some cluster housing. Dublin City Council Study Session Monday, June 13, 2005 Page 6 Mr. Reiner asked Mr. Hale to elaborate on the reference to the City's financial participation. Mr. Hale responded that he had na specifics, only that it would be necessary. Mr. Reiner stated that Council would have to have some idea of that figure. Mayor Chinnici-Zuercher noted that the purpose of tonight's meeting is to give guidance as to whether Mr. Edwards should proceed with developing this idea. No commitment will be made by Council. Mr. Reiner stated that Council's intention was the conservation design district would accomplish something different for the City. He is not saying that this plan does not have merit and deserve review. However, he is concerned that the traffic will back up onto Tuttle Road. What densities does this plan provide? Mr. Hale responded that the eastern section would have a density of 1.4 du/acre; in the western section, the density will be 2.0 du/acre. He cannot provide better numbers at this time; this plan is simply conceptual. Mr. Reiner stated that he appreciates the effort towards conservation design. The idea of common space is important to Dublin. People expect open space and traffic that works. It is not known how the development coming online in Columbus south of Dublin will impact Dublin roads. He has made a commitment to Dublin's residents not to approve development that would negatively impact the quality of life of its residents. Mr. Hale responded that Franklin County has hired Doyle Clear to work with MORPC to run the traffic numbers through MORPC's computer. Although they do not currently have the traffic information, they anticipate having it soon. At this point, the Franklin County Engineer and Mr. Clear have "intuitively" stated that traffic should work with this plan. Mr. Reiner responded that the grim reality is that if all this were to be developed, with the Columbus development at the density that was approved, it would have been best to have another freeway exit in addition to the Tuttle Crossing ramp. The I-270 outerbelt traffic is very heavy in the AM peak hours. Council's commitment to its residents is to attempt to stabilize their quality of life. There are many questions yet to be resolved. Mayor Chinnici-Zuercher stated that City Council raised concerns during the process of the Hayden Run rezonings, and that process was delayed far same time to allow far more study. Dublin will be impacted by the traffic from that new development; on the other hand, same of the new homeowners will work in Dublin, so Dublin will benefit to some extent. Dublin City Council Study Session Monday, June 13, 2005 Page 7 Mr. Keenan stated that he supports the concept of planning a large area all at one time, rather than in "bits and pieces" because the results are better. At this point, it is premature for Council to become too involved in details. That is the role of staff and the Planning Commission. Ms. Salay stated this is a wonderful opportunity for Dublin to be able to plan the entire area. The timing is good, as the City is now working on its revision to the Community Plan. The concept of the road network being completely different than what exists today is a bonus. The impact on Dublin's roads by the development to the south has been a major concern of the southwest residents. It makes sense to build a Dublin road system versus retrofitting the country roads. The variety in housing styles is also appealing. With the Edwards Company, Council is assured of the quality of the project. Mrs. Boring agreed with Mr. Reiner. This is a lot to digest at once. She needs more time to study this to give feedback. Mr. Lecklider stated that he likes the idea of diversity in housing styles, but he would like to see how the City's architectural guidelines would be enforced. He likes the boulevard concept mirroring what was done with the Muirfield development. He likes the incorporation of roundabouts, water and greenspace. An estimated 70°!0 of the homes will front or back onto open space. What is their definition of open space? A 30-ft. wide sliver of greenspace does not qualify, in his opinion. Mr. Fite responded that the boulevard would be 200 feet wide; the Muirfield Boulevard is 120 feet wide. A significant amount of greenspace is being added to the road itself to allow for more landscaping. They have attempted to ensure that the power line route is not just a linear strip of green. They have stayed away from the stream and floadplain. There are lots of setbacks along the streets. The smallest landscape buffer is 50 feet. There is 100 feet between the right-af--way of the tracks and the redirected Cosgray Road. They have added space between the power easement and the homes for trees to be planted. Greenspace has been placed around the storage facility and trailer park, and a lot of area has been set aside for the lakes. Mr. Lecklider stated that he is concerned about Houchard Road. While it is interesting to redirect Cosgray Road, Houchard Road is a two-lane road. With the degree of development proposed here and to the south, he has concerns about the road's ability to carry traffic without improvements. If the developer is not contributing to future plans for widening, the City needs to think about that. He also agrees that this degree of development cannot be accomplished to Dublin's standards without some sort of partnership. He views a City participatianlpartnership for residential development more conservatively than a City participationlpartnership for commercial development. Mayor Chinnici-Zuercher stated that it is easier from a planning standpoint for the City to review one large project than to look at many smaller projects separately and predict Dublin City Council Study Session Monday, June 13, 2005 Page 8 how they will interact with later development. When one developer brings in a large project, there can be more confidence in the final plan. She would like to see the road parallel the railroad track. It provides less interference with other types of land use and projects. The Village of Amlin would have to actively participate in discussions in changes proposed within their community. She likes the boulevard concept, but due to the size of the proposed boulevard, she is concerned about the potential maintenance costs. She likes the water features, even more than greenspace, as water has a calming effect on people. She also likes the diversity in housing. The City is interested in providing a spectrum of housing that its residents can choose from, in order to encourage people to stay in Dublin as they change their style of living in different phases of their lives. She agrees with Mr. Lecklider concerning the City's financial participation with residential versus commercial development. The City would probably be more interested in participating in residential development in areas that would benefit the future tech park or other economic development areas. She thanked them far their interesting presentation and encouraged them to continue the process. Mayor Chinnici-Zuercher moved to adjourn to executive session for land acquisition discussion at 8:25 p.m. Mr. Lecklider seconded the motion. Vote on the motion: Mr. Reiner, yes; Mayor Chinnici-Zuercher, yes; Mrs. Boring, yes; Mr. Keenan, yes; Ms. Salay, yes; Mr. Lecklider, yes. The meeting was reconvened and formally adjourned at 9:15 p.m. Clerk of Council