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Planning Commission reviews SHIP West site changes, flags trailer parking, landscaping and lighting concerns
Summary
The Planning Commission considered a site-plan modification for SHIP West (3521 Cleburne Road) that enlarges a rear buffer and adds trailer parking; staff and commissioners pressed the applicant on landscape islands, lighting, and whether trailer parking is exempt from tree-island requirements.
The Spring Hill Planning Commission reviewed a site-plan modification for SHIP West, 3521 Cleburne Road, during its May 27 work session, focusing on a larger rear buffer, trailer parking and lighting requirements. No votes were taken at the work session.
Staff said the modified plan generally complies with the Unified Development Code but noted missing details on optional security gate structures and asked that any such structures match the principal building in materials and color. Staff requested additional information about semi-truck/trailer parking and recommended tree islands within long parking runs, noting the UDC’s standard requiring tree islands every 15 consecutive parking spaces. Staff also recommended that exterior lighting be full-cutoff fixtures so light does not project horizontally from parking-lot, landscape, or building-mounted fixtures.
Representatives for the applicant said building elevations for all four sides have been submitted and that the rear pavement is farther from the property line than earlier materials indicated (the applicant corrected a staff note that had a smaller figure). The applicant said the rear parking is “trailer parking” rather than “truck parking” and asked the commission to treat it differently; the applicant also said trailers would not have truck-style lighting.
Commissioners and staff disagreed on whether the UDC exempts trailer parking: staff said the UDC does not exempt any parking type from the tree-island requirement and recommended islands to mitigate heat-island effects and help stormwater drainage. Commissioner Groeninger raised concerns about nighttime noise if trucks attach or detach trailers adjacent to residences and asked staff and the applicant to work on operational controls. Other commissioners said that, despite adjacent sites lacking islands, the commission should adhere to the UDC for this submittal.
On tenant guard houses, the applicant said those would be tenant-driven and varied; staff said it would be acceptable for administrative approval once specific materials or elevations are supplied. The applicant agreed to provide a landscape-buffer calculation and to clarify the guard-shack submittal approach.
Commissioners indicated the item could be placed on the consent agenda provided staff updates — including the landscape calculation and clearer lighting callouts — are made prior to the regular meeting.
The discussion was advisory only; no formal action or vote occurred at the work session.
