The objective of this agenda item is to discuss and take possible action for the submitted site plan amendment application for the “Hill Country Indoor” (HCI) development which is currently under construction on a 8.6 acres property.  The HCI development is an indoor sports/recreational facility consisting of four buildings inter-connected to each other.  The scope of this amendment includes addition of a parking garage, new water quality controls and detention pond, and associated / miscellaneous other changes. 

The site plan amendment set is available here. 

The property is zoned as PD-R.  The project was/is subject to the HCI PDD Ordinances 17-345, 14-201 and 12-113.  City approved the original site plan in March 2015 and construction begun in July of that year.  Developer submitted a PDD Ordinance Amendment application which City Council approved on June 27 of current year.  The approved PDD Amendment Ordinance No. 17-345 allowed different elements of this site plan amendment.  Below are the links for the transmittal letters for the original site plan and PDD Ordinance amendment items –

https://beecave.novusagenda.com/agendapublic/CoverSheet.aspx?ItemID=108&MeetingID=20

https://beecave.novusagenda.com/agendapublic/CoverSheet.aspx?ItemID=1201&MeetingID=167

According to the Ordinance 17-345, the participant limit shall be 198 participants until such time as the City issues a Certificate of Occupancy (“CO”) for the Parking Garage. Upon issuance of the Parking Garage CO the participant limit shall be 413 participants.

Access and Traffic: Access way will remain the same.  As part of original site plan approval, developer executed a "Highway Improvement and Escrow Agreement" with City and posted pro-rata share for roadway improvements within the ROW of Bee Cave Parkway near Skaggs Dr.  As part of PDD Amendment approval, developer is required to execute another "Highway Improvement and Escrow Agreement" with City and post their contribution of $65,000.00 for improvements at the intersections with RR 620 and Hwy 71.

 Impervious Cover: Previous PDD Ordinance allowed the property to have 40% of impervious cover of the total site area and an additional up to 5% increase of impervious cover if developer provides rainwater collection system. As a result, the maximum impervious cover allowance was 45% of the total site area.  Total proposed impervious cover for the approved and currently under construction project is 44.95% of total site area.  The recently approved PDD Amendment Ordinance authorized the developer to transfer up to an additional thirty thousand (30,000) square feet of impervious cover from the Reese Tract to this property at a ratio of 1 to 1 credit for the transfer.  Developer shall provide the City with a satisfactory deed restriction document for the Reese Tract to be recorded in conjunction with this site plan approval for the Parking Garage.  That document is currently under review. 

Including the amount of transferred impervious cover, the total impervious cover for the project shall not exceed 53%.  This site plan proposes a net increase of 25,200 SF impervious cover.  With these amendments to the site plan, total proposed impervious cover is 193,448 square feet which is 51.5% of total site area.

The proposed layout removes a long row of approximately 50 parking spaces between Bee Cave Parkway and the northern side of the building.  This will provide additional space for roadway buffer tree planting and screening.

Parking Garage Building: This site plan proposes a 4 stories parking garage structure on the south side of the primary building.   Height varies between 40' and 45' and will be less than the allowed maximum 47’ allowed in the PDD Ordinance.  Required by amended PDD Ordinance, the northeastern portion of the Parking Garage shall be constructed a minimum of 8 feet below natural grade.  The building will be of 29,227 SF footprint and it will have 322 parking spaces.  Total minimum required parking spaces for the development is 483 and total provided parking spaces will be 522.  

Exterior Elevations: The exterior elevation remains the same as presented for PDD Amendment.  Screening of the Parking Garage shall be provided on all four sides and maintained with all-season, drought, and heat tolerant vines such as creeping fig.

Drainage, Water Quality Treatment/Stormwater Detention:The existing site naturally drains from the northeast to the southwest.  The approved project drains to the water quality pond built previously in 2012 as part of the Skagg property site plan.   The existing water quality controls consist of an extended detention pond, followed by a secondary bio-retention Pond.  Moreover, stormwater detention is being provided by the existing detention pond constructed in 2013 for ultimate build-out scenarios within contributing drainage area.  

Runoff from the added impervious cover will be treated by a new water quality control system located just south of the parking garage structure.  Proposed water quality controls in series include a sedimentation filtration pond, a bio-retention pond, and an infiltration trench to achieve City’s pollutant removal requirement.  Additional stormwater runoff will be managed by a new detention pond.  This detention pond will be of rectangular shape and built of concrete material.  It will be located at the first floor below the ramp within the parking garage.  Discharge from these facilities will leave the site as sheet flow along the southern property line.

Lighting Plan: The lighting plan will meet City standard as required. The photometric plan shows zero (0) foot-candle at the property boundary.  Pursuant to the PDD, the lighting fixtures within the parking garage shall be mounted flush to the ceiling rather than hung from the ceiling to prevent light trespass.  Low wattage wall packs instead of light poles shall provide lighting on the upper deck of the Parking Garage.  PDD Ordinance included a standard saying that lighting within the Parking Garage shall only be illuminated during the hours of operation of the indoor facilities. During the P&Z meeting, Chair Norman expressed concern about the safety of workers after hours if the garage is not permitted to have any illumination.  The developer agreed to install motion sensor within the parking garage for lighting activation. 

Landscape Plan and Tree Preservation: This plan proposes removal of 68 existing trees of approximately 500 caliper inches total.  Developer proposes planting of 144 new trees (4 caliper inches each) to achieve mitigation and minimum preservation requirement.  No off-site mitigation is proposed.  The existing trees to be removed are mostly Live Oak with few Red Oaks.  The proposed trees for mitigation are primarily consists of ornamental trees such as Texas Redbud, Yaupon Holly, Desert Willow, Possumhaw Holly, Arizona Cypress etc. with some Texas Red Oak and Southern Live Oak.  While ornamental trees can aesthetically complement the development sites; however, they do not provide sufficient screening and does not satisfy some of the intent of the landscape related Code.  Landscape architect has responded that the small and ornamental trees are critical in screening underneath the canopy/shade trees as they grow larger.  

PDD Amendment Ordinance requires that a minimum of 5 shade/large canopy trees shall be planted on the south side of the garage and a minimum of 10 shade/large canopy trees shall be planted on the east side of the garage.  The proposed landscape plan meets such requirement.   As mentioned earlier, screening of the garage building shall be provided on all four sides and maintained with all-season, drought, and heat tolerant vines.

Due to a combination of 53% impervious cover, the size and quantity of trees to be removed due to the new garage, and the size of the site, the applicant has substantially constrained the space available to plant the trees required for mitigation; the proposed density of trees is at the upper limits of common practice and may impair their long term health.  The applicant and their landscape architect have been made aware of this concern and landscape code Section 32.05.002( j), which requires that dead trees be replaced within 90 days.  

Wall: The site plan includes a limestone (block 24”x24”x48”) rock wall at the south-western corner near the intersection of Skaggs Dr. and private driveway.  This wall was also shown within the concept plan sheet.  However, it was not reviewed at that time and therefore, not part of approved PDD Amendment Ordinance. The wall will be approximately 175’ long along the private drive on the south side and of similar length along the Skaggs Dr. on the western side.  The wall will match the height of the existing earthen berm along the alignment of the existing earthen berm with a maximum height of about 8 feet tapering to 0 feet on both ends of the wall.  The wall is intended to function as a façade to the existing earthen berm.  Ornamental trees and shrubs will be planted to screen the wall.  Applicant has stated the following as reasons and added benefits in justifying the proposed wall – (a) The wall will be easier to maintain than the existing earthen berm terrain, (b) The wall will improve the slope stability and prevent erosion and sedimentation from the outer face of the exiting earthen slope, (c) The wall on the HCI side of the private driveway will create symmetry with the limestone block to be installed on the other side over Skaggs property. 

Regarding safety of the wall at the southwest corner of the site, which at its highest point will be 8' above grade below, the applicant proposes to plant dense landscaped bushes and small trees around the upper portion of the wall for the entire length to make it more difficult to access and fall from.  If Council wishes, they are also open to install a low height ornamental fence to serve as a guard rail.   

Applicant has submitted a sight line visibility exhibit which demonstrates that the wall will not impact traffic visibility at that private driveway intersection. 

The Planning and Zoning Commission unanimously recommended approval of the application with the conditions listed below.  Staff recommends approval of this site plan amendment with the following condition –

(1)   Submission of updated site plan.

(2)   Payment of pending review fees.

(3)   Posting fiscal security in the amount of $72,850.00 for NPS permit.

(4)   Execution of “Highway Improvement and Escrow Agreement” document and posting $65,000.00 with City.

(5)   Execution of restrictive covenant document for impervious cover transfer

(6)   Execution of “Blanket access easement trail agreement.”

(7)   Execution of “Water quality controls maintenance plan and IPM plan.”