The proposed 11,000 sq. ft. multiple tenant retail building is proposed to have the following tenants:
- 3,600 sq. ft. Class I Casual Restaurant
- 2,200 sq. ft. Class III Restaurant,
- 2,100sq. ft. Class III coffee shop with drive-thru window service
- 3,000 sq. ft. dental office
The building is proposed to be situated in a north-south alignment parallel with Cedar Ave. The drive-thru lane is proposed to circulate around the north and west sides of the building in a counter clockwise direction with the pick up window on the south side of the building. The drive-thru lane provides adequate stacking space for queuing vehicles; a bypass lane is provided on the south side of the drive-thru. Functioning doors are located on the west side of the building which indicates rear deliveries are expected. Deliveries may conflict with the drive-thru lane if delivery vehicles must share the drive-thru lane to access the west side of the building.
The entrance to the businesses will be on the east side of the building with the rear of the building facing Cedar Ave. The petitioners have indicated that they intend to construct the building with 4-sided architecture in mind. The exterior building materials are proposed to be burnished block, face brick, EIFs, and engineered wood siding. It appears that the predominant exterior building material is EIFs. Commercial buildings are required to be constructed of “100% non-combustible, non-degradable and maintenance-free construction materials (such as face brick or natural stone...).” EIFs may be used for decorative features, but may not be used as a primary exterior building material.
The existing driveway access on 147th Street W. would be closed and a right-in access and full access would be available on the east side of the site from Glazier Ave. A preliminary parking calculation finds that the total number of seats will likely need to be limited to meet the parking requirements.
Zoning: The northeast quadrant of the County Road 42 and Cedar Avenue intersection is zoned Planned Development No. 290 (PD-290) which provides for an integrated mix of limited business and certain retail uses that support limited business uses. Within the PD, the property is zoned Zone 1 which allows limited business uses including professional offices, banks, clinics for human care, hospitals and nursing homes. A Class I restaurant and a dental clinic would be permitted uses in the zoning district. The PD would need to be amended to add Class III Neighborhood restaurants and drive-thru window service in connection with a Class III restaurant as a conditional use. Class III restaurants are less than 2,500 sq. ft. serving coffee, sandwiches, soups, baked goods and similar items that don't require the installation of a Type I ventilation hood (grease and smoke removing).
Amendments to PD-290, Zone 1, are also requested for reduced parking lot setbacks. Additional right-of-way and easements were obtained from the property in connection with the Cedar Ave upgrade project and the construction of an entrance monument on the four corners of the Cedar/147th Street intersection. The additional right-of-way dedication and trail, drainage and utility easements constrain the layout of the site.
Initial planning for the 147th Street transit station area suggests that the NE quadrant of County Road 42 and Cedar Ave consist of a mix of transit supportive uses that emphasize employment, housing, senior living, health care, lodging and retail/commercial uses. Class III restaurants could be viewed as supporting the nearby employment and institutional uses.
The Ryan Real Estate property is located approximately 630’ south of the 147th Street METRO Red Line station stop. Auto-oriented uses like restaurants with drive-thru lanes are typically discouraged in areas where transit access and transit use are being promoted. However, the City is aware that market demands continue to evolve and auto-convenient service is still a high demand in Apple Valley. The layout provides safe and convenient access to the site by pedestrians and cyclists in addition to vehicles.
Street and Intersection Impacts: A preliminary traffic study was done which analyzed potential traffic impacts resulting from the redevelopment of the site. During peak periods, backups occur when vehicles are waiting at the intersection of Cedar Avenue and 147th Street which prevents vehicles from being able to turn west from northbound Glazier Ave. Backups occur when the 147th Street queue extends past Glazier Ave to the south, making it very difficult to turn west on 147th Street. The study shows impacts during the AM and PM peak periods, but the City Engineer is concerned that there will be significant midday traffic generated. The City Engineer is reviewing the study and will provide comments in his memo.
The previous development proposal for the Ryan Real Estate site revealed the need for a regional solution for the traffic issues at the 147th Street/Glazier and Cedar Ave/147th Street intersections. Street improvements include a future restricted right-in, right-out only access on 147th Street/ Glazier Ave intersection and construction of a roundabout east at the north alignment of Glazier Ave which will allow for protected u-turns from the site back to Cedar Ave.