MEMORANDUM

TO: City Council

FROM: David J. Deutsch, City Manager

SUBJECT: Detailed Site Plan #02021
The Mitchellville School at Bowie Alliance Church

DATE: 5/14/02

I. Background

Ms. Brenda Travis, representing The Mitchellville School, has proposed the creation of a new private, not-for-profit school at Bowie Alliance Church located at 1925 Mitchellville Road. The subject property is located just outside the City limits (see Attachment #1). The school plans to lease and occupy vacant school space at Bowie Alliance Church for Grades K-3, including approximately 35 students. The proposed school will specialize in a science and technology education curriculum. The existing school parking lot will be only slightly modified and upgraded to accommodate the proposed school. The school hopes to begin instruction this fall. A copy of the site plan is provided as Attachment #2.

A Stakeholders Meeting was held on 3/7/02. Six (6) residents, including a representative from the City's Education Committee, attended the meeting. The discussion covered a wide range of topics related to the proposed school's background and operation. Upon conclusion of the discussion, the stakeholders were generally supportive of the proposed use.

II. Analysis

The proposed application has been reviewed using the Zoning Ordinance standards for private schools and the requirements for Detailed Site Plan approval, as well as the City's Development Review Guidelines.

A. Zoning Ordinance Requirements for Private Schools

The Zoning Ordinance allows private schools as a permitted use in the R-R zone, subject to the standards of Section 27-443, as noted below.

(1) Requirements.
(A) The school shall be located on property at least five (5) acres in size on which the maximum enrollment shall be 400 students.

COMMENT: The subject site contains 6.14 acres, and the proposed school will enroll approximately 35 students initially, with anticipated growth up to 54 students over the next three years. According to the applicant, future growth of the school will be limited by the amount of existing space at Bowie Alliance Church. The enrollment will not exceed the standards of the Zoning Ordinance. Therefore, staff finds the proposed use meets the above requirement.

(B) The property shall have frontage on, and direct vehicular access to, a street having a paved surface at least thirty-six (36) feet wide.

COMMENT: The property fronts on Mitchellville Road, a County-maintained collector road having a pavement width of 40 feet in front of the site. The proposed use complies with this requirement.

(C) An outdoor playground or activity area shall be provided. It shall contain at least one hundred (100) square feet of usable space per student. The area shall be located at least twenty-five (25) feet from any dwelling on an adjoining lot and buffered from adjoining uses in accordance with the provisions of the Landscape Manual. The play area shall be enclosed by a substantial wall or fence at least three (3) feet high for grades six (6) and below, and at least five (5) feet high for other grades…

COMMENT: The site plan includes a 3,900 square foot play area (400 square feet more area than required), surrounded by a 3-foot high chain link fence. The play area is located approximately 30 feet from the western property line. Because the proposal involves only an interior alteration with no change of use or increase in gross floor area, the use is exempt from the majority of the Landscape Manual. Any trash dumpster or storage areas, however, must be fully screened in accordance with Section 4.4 of the Landscape Manual.

Approximately 900 square feet of paving at the western end of the existing parking lot near Lots 4-5 of Amber Meadows subdivision will be removed and replaced with a 12 foot wide landscape buffer. Also, a six (6) foot high, board on board fence is proposed along the western property line of the site for buffering purposes. (A 30-inch high chain link fence already exists at this location.) The site is adequately buffered from other adjoining uses by extensive woodland to the north and a 20' wide strip of existing vegetation along the west property line, adjacent to Lots 4-5. Staff concludes that the provisions of the referenced section are met.

(2) Site plans.
(A) A Detailed Site Plan shall be approved for all private schools, in accordance with Part 3, Division 9 of this Subtitle.

COMMENT: The attached Detailed Site Plan has been submitted for approval in compliance with this section. Analysis of the Detailed Site Plan is provided below.

B. Detailed Site Plan

Approval criteria for Detailed Site Plans (DSPs) include finding the site plan is a reasonable alternative for satisfying site design guidelines without requiring unreasonable costs and without detracting substantially from the utility of the proposed development for its intended use. The guidelines for DSPs stress that the site plan address such features as: parking, loading and circulation, lighting, views, landscaping, service areas, site and streetscape amenities, grading and architecture. The applicable features required by this section have been provided on the plan submitted for review (Attachment #2).

COMMENT: The proposed use will occupy space in the existing building; no physical expansions of the building or parking area are proposed. The existing parking lot will be restriped to provide a total of 52 parking spaces, including three (3) handicap parking spaces. A total of 26 spaces, including a minimum of two (2) handicap spaces are required. To meet current standards, one of the handicap spaces should be designated and striped as a van accessible space, including a minimum eight (8) foot wide parking space with an adjacent eight (8) foot access aisle. The plan currently shows a 12 foot wide space with an adjoining six (6) foot wide aisle. The Detailed Site Plan should be revised to reflect this correction. In addition, the five (5) trees referenced in the General Notes should be shown on the plan within the newly created landscape islands. The caliper, size and species of these trees should also be noted on the plan.

Stormwater management will be enhanced via a grass filter strip and a small bioretention facility at the northern end of the parking lot. Adequate lighting is already provided within the parking lot by three (3) pole-mounted lights and several building mounted floodlights.

Although it is set back over 180 feet from Mitchellville Road, the play area is plainly visible. To comply with the intent of the Zoning Ordinance's site design guidelines addressing views from public areas, it is recommended that the fencing around the 3,900 square foot play area be black, vinyl-clad chain link fencing, similar to that recently installed at the Bowie Community Center on Stonybrook Drive. The fence detail on Sheet 2 should be revised to reflect this revision.

In addition, to provide some degree of protection from excessive sun in the play area and to further enhance its appearance from Mitchellville Road, it is recommended that two (2) shade trees be installed on the south side of the play area. The trees should be at least 2 ½" - 3" caliper and 12-14 feet in height at the time of planting.

Staff concludes that Detailed Site Plan #02021 will be a reasonable alternative for satisfying the site design guidelines contained in the Zoning Ordinance, provided that the referenced conditions are attached to any approval.

C. City Development Review Guidelines

Staff reviewed the subject proposal in light of the City's approved Development Review Guidelines. The parking lot meets the City's standards with respect to siting (at the rear of the building) and parking space size. The proposed 9.5 foot x 19 foot spaces are similar in size to the City's recommended universal parking space (9 foot x 18 foot). Since no compact spaces are proposed, however, the compact parking space detail should be removed from Sheet 2. Staff finds the proposed bioretention area adjacent to the parking lot addresses the City's guidelines, as it has been designed as an amenity (open space) and fencing of the facility will not be required.

In keeping with the City's guidelines, a note should be added to the site plan stating that all handicap parking spaces should be painted blue in their entirety, in addition to the standard pavement-painted symbol. Regarding handicap access, the City's guidelines state that depressed ramps should be installed at all locations where the sidewalk system intersects parking areas. The site plan and detail drawing should show depressed ramps at all locations where the sidewalk system intersects parking areas or an alternate accessible route to the building entrance should be indicated. The accessible route is unclear, since both sidewalk connections shown between the building and parking area include several steps.

In accordance with the Development Review Guidelines for landscaping of parking facilities, one diamond shaped landscape island, containing a shade tree and surrounded by curbing, should be provided within the center row of parking spaces. In addition, the plan does not show a trash dumpster pad or storage area. This area and its screening should be indicated on the site plan and landscaped in accordance with the Landscape Manual.

No signage has been proposed on the site plan. However, there are two existing signs shown adjacent to Mitchellville Road. The City's guidelines encourage consolidated and unified signage. It is recommended that any proposed signage be indicated on the site plan, or the Planning Board or its designee must approve a subsequent revision to the site plan.

With the revisions and conditions recommended above, staff concludes that the subject proposal will meet all applicable City guidelines.

III. Recommendation

The proposal for The Mitchellville School appears to meet most of the Zoning Ordinance requirements for private schools and Detailed Site Plans and most of the applicable Development Review Guidelines. However, several conditions are necessary to ensure that the use will function in a safe and attractive manner, without negative impacts to the adjoining community. Staff therefore recommends APPROVAL of Detailed Site Plan #02021, with the following conditions:

1. Any trash dumpster or storage areas shall be indicated on the site plan and screened in accordance with Section 4.4 of the Landscape Manual.

2. One of the proposed handicap spaces shall be designated and striped as a van accessible space, including a minimum eight (8) foot wide parking space with an adjacent eight (8) foot access aisle.

3. The five (5) trees referenced in the General Notes shall be shown on the plan within the newly created landscape islands. The caliper, size and species of these trees shall also be noted on the plan.

4. The fencing around the 3,900 square foot play area shall consist of black, vinyl-clad chain link fencing. The fence detail on Sheet 2 shall be revised to reflect this revision.

5. Two (2) shade trees shall be installed on the south side of the play area. The trees shall have at least a 2 ½" - 3" caliper and be 12-14 feet in height at the time of planting.

6. The compact parking space detail shall be removed from Sheet 2.

7. A note shall be added to the site plan stating that all handicap parking spaces shall be painted blue in their entirety, in addition to the standard pavement-painted symbol.

8. The site plan and detail drawing shall show depressed ramps at all locations where the sidewalk system intersects parking areas or an alternate accessible route to the building entrance should be indicated.

9. One diamond shaped landscape island, containing a shade tree and surrounded by curbing, shall be provided within the center row of parking spaces.

10. Any proposed signage shall be indicated on the site plan or the Planning Board or its designee must approve a subsequent revision to the site plan.