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Commission recommends reduced landscape buffer at 591 Benjamins Way with added trees
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Summary
Planning staff recommended and the commission recommended approval of an alternative landscaping standard reducing a 30-foot required buffer to the existing ~10-foot buffer at 591 Benjamins Way, with the applicant adding two trees to mitigate the reduction.
The Planning and Zoning Commission on March 4 recommended approval of an alternative landscaping standard for a light-industrial property at 591 Benjamins Way that would allow an existing roughly 10-foot landscape buffer to remain in lieu of the standard 30-foot buffer.
Planning staff said the site, originally constructed in 1997 and later modified without permits, received a code-compliance notice. The property owner proposes site improvements that include five additional parking spaces and a dumpster enclosure on the eastern portion of the site. Staff described the existing eastern buffer as approximately 10 feet and said the site cannot meet a 30-foot buffer because of parking and maneuvering requirements. To offset the reduced buffer, the applicant proposed planting two additional trees on the eastern portion of the site as part of the alternative standard request.
On a motion by Commissioner Aaron, seconded by Commissioner Ainsley, the commission recommended approval of the alternative standard as presented; the motion carried unanimously at the meeting. Planning staff noted the item will go to the City Council for final action on March 17, 2025, at 7 p.m.
Why it matters: Landscaping buffers are intended to separate industrial uses from adjacent properties; the alternative standard preserves an existing developed condition while adding trees to mitigate reduced set-back distance. The request was characterized as a site-specific accommodation tied to an existing developed lot and maneuvering needs for parking and trash access.
Meeting context: Staff described site history (constructed in 1997; later purchased by a new owner) and the specific trade-off (reduced buffer width versus added trees). No neighbors spoke at the public hearing for this item.
