Limited Detailed Site Plan -Babies R Us

MEMORANDUM

To: City Council

From: David J. Deutsch
City Manager

Subject: Revision to Limited Detailed Site Plan #SP-95054/02
Babies-R-Us
Lot 11, Block C
Bowie Gateway Center

Date: June 13, 2002
______________________________________________________________________________

I. General Information

Applicant: Babies-R-Us

Status of Ownership: Prospective Lessee
(Property owned by Commercial Net Lease Realty Inc.)

Subject: Revision to Limited Detailed Site Plan #SP-95054/02

Project Name: Babies-R-Us at the Bowie Gateway Center

Location: Southwest Quadrant of the Rt. 50/Rt. 301 Interchange (Attachment 1)

Acreage: 26.93 acres (Block C)
3.7 acres (Lot 11)

Existing Zoning: C-M (Commercial-Miscellaneous)

Existing Land Use: Vacant retail store in the developed Bowie Gateway Center

Surrounding Land Uses and Zoning:
North: U.S. Route 50; R-R (Rural-Residential);
South: Vacant; R-U (Residential-Urban, Comprehensive Design Zone, Heim/Pin Oak Village);
East: Retail commercial (Michael's Crafts) C-M;
West: Detached single-family residential subdivision (Heather Hills); R-80

Master Plan Land Use Category: Service Commercial

Master Plan Living Area: Community I

Sectional Map Amendment: R-R to C-M (CR-108-1975, Amendment 14)

Water and Sewer Categories: W-3 and S-3 (Public service available to the site)

Police: Bowie Substation (District II)

Fire: Station #43 (Pointer Ridge, U.S. Route 301)

Medic: Station #43 (Pointer Ridge, U.S. Route 301)

II. Background Information
When the County Planning Board approved the amended Concept Plan for the Bowie Gateway Center, one condition included finalization of architecture, signage and other design related issues at the Detailed Site Plan stage. In keeping with that condition, at a public hearing on September 11, 1995, the City Council voted to recommend approval of Detailed Site Plan #SP-95054, with conditions, for Block C, and more specifically the "Target" store, in the Bowie Gateway Center. That review also included references to detailed plans, including drawings of building elevations, signage, materials and streetscape improvements, needing to be submitted for each tenant which will occupy a unit in the Block C building. Detailed Site Plan approval was granted by the Prince George's County Planning Board on September 21, 1995.

In July, 1996, the City and Faison, the developer of the bulk of the retail uses in the Bowie Gateway Center, entered into Covenants that: limited the number of fast-food restaurants within the project to two; prohibited certain types of uses in the Center; limited the hours of delivery and trash trucks; and, established design guidelines. These guidelines addressed: building architecture and setbacks; lighting; signage; buffers; and, vehicular access limitations.

The Council voted to recommend approval of Limited Detailed Site Plan #SP-95054/01 for four retail uses ("The Sports Authority", "PETsMART", "Staples" and "Borders") on Block C at a public hearing on April 15, 1996. Subsequently, the County Planning Board approved the Limited Detailed Site Plan on May 9, 1996. The Limited Detailed Site Plan #SP-95054/02 for HomePlace was reviewed and recommended for approval by the City Council on February 18, 1997. The Limited Detailed Site Plan for HomePlace was approved at the County staff level in April, 1997.

This particular store is located within what has become known as Block C in the Bowie Gateway Center and is within the building that includes Target, The Sports Authority, Borders and other retailers.

III. Bowie Gateway Center Board of Design
The Bowie Gateway Center Board of Design, which is composed of a representative from the management company (Trammell Crow), a resident of the Heather Hills community and one member of the City's Planning Department, met on June 12, 2002. It was the unanimous consensus of the Board to approve the Limited Detailed Site Plan for building architectural revisions and signage, with the following conditions:

1. The color of the canopy above the entrance doors and of the trim around the doors and windows should be red to match that used for the same purpose on other stores in Block C.

2. The color of the letters of the building-mounted signage should be red.

3. Three wall pack building-mounted light fixtures should be added to the building between the relocated entrance feature and The Sports Authority store.

4. The 11 icons proposed on the building should be deleted.

5. The bollards proposed along the front of the store should be painted brown to match the color of the lower course of block used on the store front.

6. All shopping carts should be stored completely within the building.

IV. Stakeholder's Meeting
A stakeholder's meeting for the subject Limited Detailed Site Plan was held on Wednesday, June 12, 2002. Staff and the project architect were present; no residents attended.

V. Proposal and Analysis

A. Site Plan (Attachment 2)
The proposed Babies-R-Us store, intended to occupy the space previously used by HomePlace, is 48,948 sq. ft. in area, and is located on Lot 11 of Block C, between "The Sports Authority" and "PETsMART" stores.

COMMENT: Since this is only a change in retail tenants, no changes are proposed, nor are none required, to the Detailed Site Plan for this parcel.

B. Building Architecture (Attachment 3)
This Limited Detailed Site Plan request is to modify and relocate the store's entrance feature to the center of the retail facility, and to install revised building-mounted signage. No modifications are proposed to the rear (western) elevation of the building.

COMMENT: When the Detailed Site Plan for Block C was approved in 1995, Design Guidelines were established to which the building architecture of individual tenants must adhere. (A copy of these Design Guidelines are provided in Appendix I.) The items cited in Appendix I were included in the County Planning Board's resolution in approving the Detailed Site Plan for Block C.

Babies-R-Us is proposing to relocate the store's entrance from the northern end of the store to the center, where the display windows presently exist. No display windows are proposed as part of the renovation. The area where the store entrance is currently located will be restored with the same materials and colors found on the southern end of the front store elevation and on the front elevation of other stores on Block C. The materials and colors include a horizontal band of chocolate brown, split-face block along the base of the building; patterns of other horizontal bands, composed of light-colored split and smooth face block; and, two red horizontal bands. Red aluminum coping is proposed along the top of the store's front wall.

The new entrance feature is to be constructed of an exterior finishing system, with a sand pebble finish, painted a beige color, which is consistent with the color of other entrance features in Block C.

In addition to the exterior finishing system, a new aluminum and glass curtainwall system is proposed. A canopy is proposed above the entry doors of the store. The applicant has agreed that the trim around this curtainwall and that of the canopy will be red to match what has been used elsewhere throughout the site.

Pursuant to the adopted Design Guidelines and in accordance with the established character of stores in this center, the applicant has agreed that the color of the trim around the doors and windows will be red. Initially the color of the trim around the two new sets of doors was proposed to be "grape" (purple).

For aesthetics, and to blend in with the background wall, the new door proposed on the northern end of the front elevation should be painted in the same pattern and colors used on the abutting wall.

Three bollards are proposed along the front of the store. The applicant has agreed to paint them brown to match the color of the lower course of block used on the storefront.

Building-mounted up lighting, in the form of 10 wall sconces, presently exists on the front elevation and pillars of the HomePlace entrance feature. Babies-R-Us proposes to retain the existing three building-mounted light fixtures south of the new entrance feature and to install three new fixtures that match the existing ones and place them north of the new entrance.

Pursuant to the Covenants for this property, exterior lighting in the rear of the Block C building must be directed so as to not shine directly into the adjoining Heather Hills community. A softer light, or reduced light wattage, should be used on the rear elevation to address this lighting concern.

With respect to the existing trash area in the rear of the building, a note has been placed on the plan (Note #28) indicating that the contractor will inspect the gates and make repairs as necessary. It is recommended that these repairs include the replacement of all missing components and screening materials in the gates.

Further, also pursuant to the Covenants for this property, and as has been required in approving the Detailed Site Plans for other stores on Block C, hours of trash pick-up and merchandise delivery shall be restricted to 7:00 AM to 10:00 PM Monday through Friday, and to 8:00 AM to 10:00 PM Saturday and Sunday.

If a satellite dish is to be placed on the roof of this store, it should be screened from the view of both Mitchellville Road and the Heather Hills community, pursuant to the Design Guidelines.

For security, aesthetic and pedestrian circulation purposes, all shopping carts for this store should be stored within the building. (Storage of shopping carts in the sidewalk area reduce the sidewalk width available for pedestrians and would interfere with pedestrian movement between stores.) The applicant has agreed to store all shopping carts completely within the building.

To accommodate the City's growing senior population and to continue with a technique used previously elsewhere in the Bowie Gateway Center, entrance and exit doors should be equipped with a mechanical door-opening device, preferably the over-head door sensory device, such as those typically found in grocery stores.

C. Signage (Attachment 4)
The initially adopted signage guidelines for this area of the Bowie Gateway Center, established in Covenants, permitted a 4-foot high signage envelope, with a maximum area of 96 sq. ft. for Block C building front (eastern) facade signs located on the main entrance feature of each store. The City Council subsequently established a range with a reasonable 25% deviation up to 5 ft. in envelope height and up to 120 sq. ft. signage envelope area. Within this increased signage envelope area, all letters, logos and marketing tag lines were to be located. Beyond this flexibility, the applicant would require specific authorization from the City Council. Several factors were considered in reviewing the signage for the proposed store: the need for flexibility with respect to signage height and area; aesthetics and design of the signage proposed; and, the scale and proportionality of the signage proposed on the main entrance feature.

COMMENT: The applicant has amended the signage package to propose signage on the entrance feature of this store. This signage is proposed within two signage envelopes. The first is 214 sq. ft. in area and contains the "Babies-R-Us" sign composed of 5-foot high letters, which is consistent with the height of letters of other building-mounted signs in Block C. The second envelope has an area of 56 sq. ft. and contains a tag line reading "The Baby Superstore". The lettering in the tag line is 1.6 feet high. The combined area of the two envelopes is 270 sq. ft., a maximum height of 8.5 ft., more than the height of any other signage envelope in Block C. To be more in line with signage on other stores in Block C, the height of the letters of the Babies-R-Us sign should be reduced to less than 5 ft. This would provide a combined signage envelope height of less than 6 ft. The resulting signage package will provide an envelope that is in proportion and scale with the storefront and entrance feature and that is not overbearing. (This was also recommended by the Board of Design.)

The proposed signage consists of building-mounted, internally lit channel letters. To be compatible with the color scheme established for the stores on Block C, the applicant has agreed to install signage with red lettering.

In reviewing signage for "The Sports Authority", PETsMART" and "Staples" and "Borders", it was determined that the length of the signage for these four stores is, on average, 64% of the length of the main entrance feature on which that signage is located. (The range is 45% for "Borders" to 82% for "The Sports Authority". The length of the sign for "HomePlace" was 50 ft. and 93% of the length of the store's main entrance feature.) The length of the signage proposed on the Babies-R-Us store is nearly 43 ft., or 63% of the length of entrance feature, and nearly the average of the previously mentioned stores. Although the length of the proposed signage envelope is almost the average of other building-mounted signage, reducing the letter size of the proposed sign would decrease this length.

The applicant has agreed to delete 11 signage icons, each 9 sq. ft. in area on the front store elevation. (Staff found this excessive signage for this store and was not supportive of it since it was proposed outside the building entrance feature. The Board of Design also recommended the removal of these icons.)

In keeping with the character of the retail uses existing on the site, no signage should be applied to windows or doors.

VI. Recommendation
It is recommended that the Limited Detailed Site Plan for Babies-R-Us be APPROVED, with the following conditions, which are intended to make the subject proposal consistent with existing stores on Block C in the Bowie Gateway Center:

1. Building Architecture.
A. The color of the trim around the curtainwall and of the canopy shall be red.

B. The color of the trim around the doors and windows shall be red.

C. The new door proposed on the northern end of the front elevation shall be painted in the same pattern and colors used on the adjacent wall.

D. The three bollards proposed along the storefront shall be painted brown to match the color of the lower course of block used on the building.

E. Three new building-mounted light fixtures shall be installed between the relocated building entrance and The Sports Authority store. These fixtures shall match those existing on the store.

F. Exterior lighting in the rear of the Block C building shall be directed so as to not shine directly into the adjoining Heather Hills community. A softer light, or reduced light wattage, shall be used on the rear elevation of the building.

G. Any repairs to the trash area in the rear of the building shall include the replacement of all missing components and screening materials in the gates.

H. Hours of trash pick-up and merchandise delivery shall be restricted to 7:00 AM to 10:00 PM Monday through Friday, and to 8:00 AM to 10:00 PM Saturday and Sunday.

I. If a satellite dish is to be placed on the roof of this store, it shall be screened from the view of both Mitchellville Road and the Heather Hills community.

J. All shopping carts shall be stored completely within the building.

K. Entrance and exit doors shall be equipped with a mechanical door-opening device.

2. Signage.
A. The lettering for the Babies-R-Us sign shall be reduced in height to less than 5 feet.

B. The color of the building-mounted signage shall be red.

C. No icons shall be permitted on the building.

D. No signage shall be applied to windows or doors.

APPENDIX I

Design Guidelines

1. All lighting on the rear building shall be down-shielded, and shall be located so as to not face or shine directly into the Heather Hills community.

2. If signage is to exist under the cantilevered overhang at each store entrance, it shall be limited to one sign a maximum of 3 sq. ft. in area, identifying only the name and logo of the tenant.

3. Loading screen walls shall be shown on the Detailed Site Plan for each use.

4. Heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) equipment, and other roof-mounted equipment shall be enclosed so as to minimize the noise and visual impacts on Heather Hills residents. Therefore, a parapet wall shall be provided along elevations where HVAC equipment will be visible to the public.

5. Building Exterior. Garbage bins and dumpster areas and rooftop mechanical equipment shall not be visible from the Heather Hills residential community

6. Screen Walls. Wall height shall be a minimum of 11 ft. in height. The material and color of the screen walls shall match those of the rear of the Block C building.

7. Architectural Elements. Awnings shall be prohibited on the front and side elevations of the building. The color of awnings placed in the rear of the building shall match that of the rear building material (beige/natural block) to make them less obvious to the Heather Hills residents.

8. Roof. Downspouts, rooftop mechanical equipment and antennas or satellite dishes shall not be visible from Mitchellville Road nor from the Heather Hills community. Parapet walls and other types of solid screening shall be provided along all roof elevations where HVAC equipment will be visible to the public.

9. Doors and Windows. The color of painted metal doors and windows on the storefronts shall be compatible with the exterior of the main building material and accent colors, including red. For aesthetics, the color of painted metal fire doors shall be the same color as the building material. In keeping with the character of the retail uses existing on the site, no signage shall be applied to windows or doors.

APPENDIX II

Council Approved Signage for "The Sports Authority", "PETsMART",
"Staples" and "Borders"

Council Approved Council Approved
Store Maximum Signage Envelope Area Maximum Letter Height

The Sports Authority 160 sq. ft. 5 ft.

PETsMART 174 sq. ft. 5 ft.

Staples 198 sq. ft. 5 ft.

Borders 126 sq. ft. 4 ft.
(plus 1-foot sized letters in tag line)

HomePlace 224 sq. ft. 5 ft. ("H" and "P")
4.67 ft. ("ome", "lace")

Proposed Signage Envelope Area Proposed Letter Height

Babies-R-Us 270 sq. ft. 5 ft.
(plus 1.6 ft. sized letters in tag line)