PC 23-125-08 & 23-150-01 Era Apartments

Cases #23-125-08 and #23-150-01 The Era Apartments Applicant: North Point Development Actions: Rezoning and Preliminary Development Plan Comprehensive Plan Amendment

S. RD Mize Road

S. Woods Chapel Road

Surrounding Zonings

Cases #23-125-08 and #23-150-01

Comprehensive Plan

Cases #23-125-08 and #23-150-01

Site Plan

Cases #23-125-08 and #23-150-01

Topography

Cases #23-125-08 and #23-150-01

Landscape Buffer

Cases #23-125-08 and #23-150-01

Landscaping Plan

Cases #23-125-08 and #23-150-01

Elevations

Cases #23-125-08 and #23-150-01

BACKGROUND PROJECT DESCRIPTION: A request by North Point Development to rezone this property from District C-2 (General Commercial) to District R-30/PUD (High Density Residential/Planned Unit Development) and approve a Preliminary Development Plan and a request to amend the City Comprehensive Plan for property generally at the northwest corner of Woods Chapel Road and I-70.

PROPERTY HISTORY The 15.75-acre property has had a C-2 zoning designation since 1980; a time just after annexation into the city in 1975. The property has been a heavily wooded, undeveloped tract for a decade.

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF PROPERTY The tract has a somewhat uneven topography; but does not rise or fall-off greatly at the rights-of-way. Portions of the wooded areas along the northern and western perimeters of the property will remain to provide a buffer with surrounding uses. Access to the property will be provided by what is now a stubbed street at the Woods Chapel Road/RD Mize Road and Duncan Road intersection.

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE AREA The properties around the site (both in Independence, Blue Springs and unincorporated Jackson County) are nearly all developed.

Single-Family developments lie to the north and west (with a large lot semi-rural property immediately to the north. Northeast of the property are undeveloped lots. To the South, a mini-storage facility lies between the proposed development and the MoDOT right-ofway. Gas station/convenience stores, to the East, lie across S. Woods Chapel Road. In short, this is a developed area with existing infrastructure.

BACKGROUND PROPOSAL: North Point Development seeks approval for, “Era Apartments,” a new, 15.75-acre apartment community to be located northwest of the intersection of Interstate 70 and Woods Chapel Road. The development will be built out in one phase. Era Apartments will have approximately 320-units, with a mix of studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments. The starting rents will be around $1,250 to $1,300 per month and go up to $2,200 per month for the larger two-bedroom units.

The proposed development will contain approximately 65-percent studio and one-bedroom units which will result in roughly 208-units that are in the workforce affordable range per the housing study (monthly rents $1,400 or below). The remainder of the larger twobedroom units will be considered market rate and will fill the remaining demand in the study.

NorthPoint also requests 25-foot building setbacks from the rights-of-way to promote a “street friendly development”. The applicant further requests that a preserved tree buffer along the north and west sides of the property be accepted as needed landscape buffers.

This planed unit development has not been reviewed for final engineering design compliance. All development engineering must be designed in accordance with City of Independence standards and specifications prior to approval of the final platted development plan.

Analysis Consistency with Independence for All, Strategic Plan: The proposal relates to the Goal “Achieve livability, choice, access, health and safety through a quality, built environment through building new housing units to fill a market need.”

Comprehensive Plan Guiding Land Use Principles: The Imagine Independence 2040 Comprehensive Plan designated this site for Business Park uses. The Guiding Land Use Principle most pertinent to the proposed residential zoning and use is to, “(f)acilitate the development of connected, mixed use neighborhoods where appropriate.”

Analysis Zoning: The applicant proposes R-30/PUD zoning. District R-30/PUD (High Density Residential/Planned Unit Development) allows; multiplefamily housing, home based daycare, government facilities, churches, schools, utilities, cemeteries, crops and gardening. District C-2 (General Commercial) allows for retail, office, restaurants, banks, business and personal improvement services, hotels, construction services, daycare centers, nursing homes, government facilities, churches, employment agencies, funeral and interment services, schools, colleges and universities, veterinary and animal boarding services, sports and entertainment facilities, medical services, repair services and crop agriculture.

Historic and Archeological Sites: There are no apparent historic/archeological issues with this property.

Public Utilities: Water, sewer and electrical services are available to the property. The water main extensions must be City of Independence water mains in a 15-foot easement (not in the rights-of-way). Sewer, while available, my be served through a private lift station.

Environmental, Storm Water and Stream Buffer: The property is neither in a floodplain nor near a stream requiring accompanying stream buffer zones. The property will drain to the southwest where a detention pond will be sited.

Analysis Building Elevations: The five proposed buildings will be arranged in a circle. Buildings 4 and 5 will front RD Mize Road with the parking behind. Building 1 will set back from the Duncan Road entrance. Buildings 1, 2 and 3 will be arranged around a pond with the parking lot circling around the property. The property’s FAR coverage will be 70 percent. Buildings 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 will be 194,500, 65,500, 59,000, 65,500 and 65,500-square feet in area.

The four-story apartment structures will have white, gray and black, cementitious lap siding; black, cementitious fascia; and redwood, cementitious accent siding. Additionally, there are one (and in some places) two-story, white blend, stone veneer wainscots that will wrap around the buildings (including the garage doors and ground level windows and doors). The roofs will have a TPO membrane.

CIP Investments: There are no CIP projects impacting this development.

Traffic Study: The traffic impact study indicates some traffic signal modifications and turn lane installation are necessary at RD Mize Road and Duncan Road, as well as, existing concerns during the PM Peak for the westbound movement at the intersection of Jefferson Street and RD Mize Road/Woods Chapel Road intersection. Levels of service decreased and poor operation of the westbound approach were noted on a recent development where recommended improvements included a left turn lane and possible signalization. Those recommendations were dismissed and current operation continues to be worsening during the PM peak hours. Consideration should be made for installation of a westbound left turn lane and signalization of Jefferson Street and RD Mize Road/Woods Chapel Road and coordinate traffic signal timings to improve the westbound approach on Jefferson Street at RD Mize Road/Woods Chapel Road. The RD Mize Road and Duncan Road traffic signal modifications required for this development will include but are not limited to: an Eastbound left turn lane (minimum 100 ft storage length) with a new left turn signal head with flashing yellow arrow, an Eastbound through-right turn lane with two signal heads (one on mast arm, one on post), a Northbound left turn lane re-striping (minimum 100 ft storage length) with a new left turn signal head with flashing yellow arrow, and for the Westbound left turn lane - remove and replace left turn signal head with a flashing yellow arrow signal.

Analysis Amenities: Provided amenities will include an outdoor amenity deck with a heated saltwater pool, walking trail around the central pond with outdoor yoga deck, fitness center and offleash dog park.

Housing Study Summary: From the recent housing study completed in 2021, it was shown that 19-percent of residents surveyed preferred additional multi-family housing chooses in buildings larger than six-units. The study also identified renters occupying 35-percent of all units in Independence.

The study identified this area of proposed development as Stable and Transitional with neighborhoods experiencing market-driven reinvestment, but still required peoplebased, public realm, and catalytic investments to fully stabilize. The focus to stabilize neighborhoods in this area is to support the market with strategic investments and to prevent decline by maintaining public assets. The investment is primarily market driven.

The study also identified the vacancy rates of larger scale multifamily housing falling over the last decade to four percent, with asking rental rates growing by 40-percent, indicating a growing demand for market-rate multi-family units.

Per the study, the asking rates for healthier markets in 2021 were $1,200 for one bedroom to $2,200 for three-bedroom units, which would be in line with the currently active Trinity Woods and Azure apartment complexes.

The study also pointed out that the dominant housing type in Independence is the single-family home, with the current ratio of single-family to multi-family being similar in Independence as throughout Jackson County. As trends shift over the next 20 years, the market concludes that there is a need for diversity of housing types to retain and/or attract residents, particularly for young families and seniors. While single-family will continue to be the dominant housing type, there will be more demand for maintenancefree homes and quality multifamily options.

The study identified that over the next 20 years, there is a predicted demand for 450 rental units of workforce-affordable housing with rental rates of $750 to $1,400 per month. There is also a predicted demand of 300 rental units of market-rate housing with rents up to $1,400 per month.

Looking directly West into the Property

Looking East of the Property across S. Woods Chapel Road

Looking Southeast down S. Woods Chapel Road

Looking East at NW Jefferson Street in Blue Springs

Looking West down E. I-70 Frontage Road

Looking Northeast up E. I-70 Frontage Road

Looking North up E. I-70 Frontage Road

Looking Southwest across S. RD Mize Road at the Property

Looking Southwest from North of the Property

Looking Southeast from North of the Property

Staff recommends APPROVAL of the Comprehensive Plan Amendment and the Rezoning/Preliminary Development Plan with the following conditions.

1)

Prior to the issuance of any building permits, plat and record the lot;

2)

When the Final Development Plan is submitted, trees and shrubs must be provided around the perimeter of buildings;

3)

The stands of trees abutting the West and North perimeters, in the required residential buffers, must be preserved. Along the south property line, a standard high-intensity landscaping buffer with a six-foot opaque screen must be provided;

4)

NorthPoint also requests 25-foot building setbacks from the rights-of-way to promote a “street friendly development”.

5)

The Final Development Plan should provide an elevation of entry signs/features;

6)

Include elevations of the trash enclosures and detached garages with Final Development Plan;

7)

The units will be addressed on the Final Development Plan;

8)

The water main extensions must be COI water mains in the 15-foot easement (not in the rights-of-way);

9)

The RD Mize Road and Duncan Road traffic signal modifications required for this development will include but are not limited to:

10) Eastbound Left turn lane (minimum 100 ft storage length) and new left turn signal head with flashing yellow arrow 11) Eastbound thru-right turn lane with two signal heads (one on mast arm, one on post) 12) Northbound left turn lane re-striping (minimum 100 ft storage length) and new left turn signal head with flashing yellow arrow

13) Westbound left turn lane - remove and replace left turn signal head with a flashing yellow arrow signal head 14) Westbound right turn lane modification to a thru-right travel lane (no pavement marking) and two new traffic signal heads (one on mast arm and post) 15) Pedestrian signal improvements to cross RD Mize and development entrance (new posts should match existing black coated traffic signal structures); 16) Development shall install video detection camera compatible with existing video detection system for eastbound approach; 17) Traffic signal design and improvements shall include review of interconnectivity/ communication (fiber/wireless capability) and plan to make improvements to allow RD Mize & Duncan traffic signal to communicate with the Operation Greenlight ATMS.