To: |
Board of Adjustment |
Case Number: |
A-15-044 |
Date: |
March 02, 2015 |
Applicant: |
Learning Schools of Texas |
Owner: |
Learning Schools of Texas |
Council District: |
6 |
Location: |
Approximately 8001 W. Military Road |
Legal Description: |
Parts of Lots 49 & 50, Block 49, NCB 15391 |
Zoning: |
"C-2 AHOD" Commercial Airport Hazard Overlay District |
Prepared By: |
Margaret Pahl, AICP Senior Planner |
Request
A request for a parking adjustment, authorized in Section 35-526 (b) 7 to allow the development of a school with up to 128 parking stalls.
Executive Summary
The subject property is located at in the United Westwood neighborhood near the Guerra Library. The site includes approximately 7 acres and was purchased for construction of a 43,000 square foot public charter school serving grades 6 through 12. They anticipate an enrollment of 600 students and 35 teachers. The parking table in the Unified Development Code, 35-526 (3b) includes a maximum number of parking stalls as 2 per classroom, which for this school would allow just 48 parking stalls. The administration is hoping to accommodate parking for the parent volunteers and student drivers, as well as account for graduation, parent-teacher conferences and similar activities. For these activities, they are requesting approval to build 128 parking stalls.
The Institute of Transportation Engineers produces a report entitled Parking Generation which studied parking demand associated with a wide variety of uses. Schools were included in this report. For High Schools, they surveyed both suburban and urban types of schools. According to their research, the range of parking demand for a school this size is between 78 and 186. This supports their request with an average of 132 stalls among the two extremes.
Subject Property Zoning/Land Use+
Existing Zoning |
Existing Use |
"C-2 AHOD" Commercial Airport Hazard Overlay District |
Vacant land |
Surrounding Zoning/Land Use
Orientation |
Existing Zoning District(s) |
Existing Use |
North |
"C-2 AHOD" Commercial Airport Hazard Overlay District |
Car Wash |
South |
"C-3 NA AHOD" General Commercial Non-Alcoholic Sales Airport Hazard Overlay District |
Mortuary |
East |
"R-6 AHOD" Residential Single-Family Airport Hazard Overlay District |
Single-Family Dwellings |
West |
"C-2 AHOD" Commercial Airport Hazard Overlay District |
Multi-Family Dwellings |
Comprehensive Plan Consistency/Neighborhood Association
The property is within the boundaries of the West/Southwest Sector Plan, and designated as General Urban Tier land use. The subject property is located within the boundaries of the United Westwood neighborhood association. As such, they were notified and asked to comment.
Criteria for Review
According to Section 35-526 (b) 7 of the UDC, in order for a parking modification to be granted, the applicant must demonstrate that a hardship is created by strict interpretation. The UDC currently bases its maximum number of stalls as two per classroom, not accounting for any cafeteria employees, cleaning crew or administrative staff. Many classrooms are staffed by both a teacher, and an aid, accounting for the entire permitted parking area. The hardship is created by limiting the number of parking stalls to a number known by most to be insufficient to accommodate any student drivers or any special events. In neighborhoods surrounding schools, residents are accustomed to being inundated by vehicle parking for special events on campus, but this is clearly a negative impact. In addition, there is no such limitation on parking allowed for schools built within residential zoning districts.
Staff Recommendation
Staff recommends approval of the parking modification requested in A-15-044 based on the following findings of fact:
1. Parking demand studies, conducted by the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE), determined schools need more parking.