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Zoning board recommends variance to forego interior shade trees for Urbana Public Works parking expansion
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Summary
The Urbana Zoning Board of Appeals voted to recommend approval of a major variance allowing the City of Urbana Public Works to omit interior shade trees for a 73-space parking expansion at 706 South Glover Avenue, but required perimeter landscaping where feasible and administrative review of final tree placement.
The Urbana Zoning Board of Appeals voted April 15 to recommend that the City Council approve a major variance allowing the elimination of interior shade trees for a planned expansion of the City of Urbana Public Works parking lot at 706 South Glover Avenue.
The planner for Community Development Services opened the hearing by describing the project and its constraints, saying the expansion will increase parking from 77 to 150 spaces and that large municipal vehicles require unobstructed paved areas for safe turning and storage. "Vehicles with large wheel bases require large turning radii," the planner said, and staff concluded five of six variance criteria were met while the minimum-deviation criterion was only partially satisfied because the request removes all interior shade trees rather than reducing the number or offering alternatives.
Dennis Cummins of Farnsworth Group, who presented for the applicant, told the board the design places the largest grouping of new parking in the northeast corner and preserves large central paved areas for plows, dump trucks and other equipment. "All of these things have precluded us from being able to put trees throughout the lot," Cummins said.
Under Article 8 of the Urbana zoning ordinance, lots with more than 20 parking spaces must provide one shade tree for every nine spaces. Staff recommended approval with conditions: construction must generally conform to the attached site plan; landscaping should be provided along the perimeter of the expanded parking area where feasible; and the number and placement of trees would be determined by the zoning administrator in consultation with the city arborist and city engineer. Based on the 73 new spaces, staff said up to eight shade trees may be required, depending on site constraints.
During discussion, board members weighed the operational benefits of keeping and expanding the existing public works campus against the ordinance's tree requirements. A board member moved to recommend approval with the staff-recommended conditions; another member seconded the motion. The chair called the roll and four members voted yes (Miss Youtman; Mister Welch; Mister Warmbrin; Mister Rush), carrying the motion. The board will forward its recommendation to the City Council for consideration at its May 4 meeting.
The hearing record contains site plans and alternate bid items described by the petitioner; final tree counts and planting locations will be set administratively if the council approves the variance.
