Consider for recommendation to the Board of Commissioners a Preliminary Land Development Plan to construct a four-story, 22-unit apartment building with a 12,520 square foot footprint. Parking for the units is located beneath the building at grade and in a surface parking lot behind the building.

Expiration Date: 3/16/2017..................................................Zoning: R7/HROD

Applicant: Kenneth E. Aaron, Esquire, Weir & Partners LLP

Property Owner: C16E  Lancaster Avenue Associates, L.P. 

Applicant's Representative: Kenneth E. Aaron, Esquire, Weir & Partners LLP

On Monday, March 6, 2017 the Planning Commission recommended approval subject to the following conditions:

Conditional Use:

1.  The applicant shall comply with the conditional use order and any conditional use conditions imposed. The conditional use conditions shall be included on the Final Plan.

2.  The applicant shall return to obtain approval for the installation of the some or all the reserve parking. At such time as the second level of parking is constructed, architectural elevations of the proposed deck shall be submitted with the land development application. Parking lot trees shall be installed as required. 

3.  The applicant shall give serious consideration to not installing additional parking specifically the 18 spaces in the western lot.

Building Elevations:

4.  The proposed units shall be constructed substantially as shown on the architectural renderings prepared by PZS Architects, dated May 11, 2016. Notes on exterior materials shall be provided in a revised set of documents which shall be subject to the approval of staff.

5.  The mean grade of the proposed structures shall be calculated and shown on the plan. The architectural plans shall be coordinated with and shall comply with the grading proposed with this application.

Landscaping:

6.  The applicant shall continue to work with staff to better integrate the open area at the northwestern corner of the site into the design of the development while providing a better transition to adjacent uses such as Saunders House and Lankenau Hospital.

7.  An additional seven street trees shall be provided. The applicant shall work with the Township Arborist on the location of all street trees.

8.  The applicant shall begin a succession planting effort on the inside edge of the sidewalk along City Avenue in the event the existing trees begin to decline and must be removed. Any additional street trees shall be installed in this area.

8.     Planted islands as required by Natural Features Code Section 101-9B.2 shall be distributed throughout the parking area to maximize tree canopy coverage.

9.  Any existing plant material that was required with the previous land development application shall be offered to local nonprofit organizations who may be able to transplant the material to another site in the Township.

10.  Areas where previously installed plant material has been removed must be replanted as directed by staff including at the intersection of City and Lancaster Avenues and in front of the former library.

11.  The applicant shall work with staff on the design of the retaining walls and fencing around the proposed and reserve parking spaces.

12.  Trash, debris, vines and other invasive plants shall be removed from the area along City Avenue.

13.  The Maintenance and Operations Plan shall be updated to include a provision that requires the removal of trash from the property on a monthly basis. The Maintenance & Operations Plan shall be subject to the approval of staff.

14.  A revised landscape plan complying with Natural Features Code Sections 101-9, 101-5B, Zoning Code Section 155-167.7 and conditions herein shall be prepared and sealed by a Registered Landscape Architect and shall be submitted with the Final Plan.

Pedestrian Improvements:

15.  The sidewalk along City Avenue shall be widened to a minimum of five feet. regraded, properly maintained and be at least 4 feet wide. 

16.  The applicant shall provide additional details regarding the proposed connection to the existing building. The proposed sidewalk shall connect to an existing sidewalk that leads to a door in the existing building. Low level lighting, such as bollard lights shall be provided along this sidewalk.

17.  The applicant shall discuss work with Lankenau Hospital and Saunders House the installation of to install a covered bus shelter at the bus stop that is located at the entrance to Lankenau Hospital with the expectation that the cost will be split.

Stormwater Management:

18.  The proposed seepage bed shall be relocated to under the driveway.

19.  Spot elevations and drainage arrows shall be added on the access drive to the upper reserve parking area to ensure that grading will be consistent with the drainage areas analyzed in the stormwater calculations.

20.  Contributory drainage areas shall be delineated on the drainage area maps for all inlets/collection pipes for evaluation of the values used in the analysis. The worst-case configuration shall be used for the phased construction.

21.  The seepage bed shall contain an observation port that reaches the bottom of the rate control volume of the basin that can be used during scheduled maintenance to ensure the seepage bed is working and draining properly.

22.  The outlet structure used in the calculations shall be accurately reflected on the detail on Sheet 10.3. 

23.  The stage storage evaluation in the calculations shall be revised to match the input stage-storage volumes used in the computer analysis. Qualification of the volumes used in the analysis shall be submitted.  Revisions to the design/analysis shall be made as required. 

24.  All proposed yard drains and inlets in non-paved areas shall be graded in a twelve (12”) inch sump condition to increase the efficiency of runoff collection. Spot elevations shall be added to the plan where required to clarify grading.

25.  Spot elevations shall be provided at the bottom of raingarden C to clarify the existing and proposed bottom of the facility.

26.  The information for the sediment trap temporary riser on details 8-2 and 8-3 shall be revised to match the outlet structure information provided in the calculations. The details shall be revised to be consistent with the final approved calculations.

Traffic Impacts:

27.  Left turn peak hour restrictions shall be mandated for the exit drives. 

28.  A post development traffic count and traffic signal timing optimization shall be performed at the intersection of City and Lancaster Avenue.  A post development study of the operation of the access drives shall also be made to determine if further turn restrictions are necessary.  

29.  A PENN DOT Highway Occupancy Permit shall be obtained for all work in the right-of-way of Lancaster Avenue.

30.  Parking aisle dimensions shall be added to the garage parking and surface parking lots.

Utilities:

31.  All easements for access, storm sewers and utilities on the adjoining property shall be shown. Metes and bounds shall be shown where applicable.

32.  Details for the sanitary sewer manholes shall be provided if/as required. A detail of the channel shall be included.

33. The relocated sanitary and storm sewer lines shall be noted to be properly removed/abandoned. The sanitary line shall be properly sealed.

Construction Details:

34. The stabilized construction entrance/tire scrub shall extend the full width of the western construction drive for all phases of construction.

35.  A design of the proposed retaining walls shall be provided. Additional top and bottom of wall elevations shall be added to the plan. Calculations shall be submitted for walls with clear heights over four (4’) feet.

36.  Spot elevations and drainage arrows shall be provided for the surface parking areas to clarify grading and the proposed drainage patterns.

Standard Conditions of Approval:

37.  Plan Sheets 8.2, 8.3, 8.4, 9.2, 9.3, and 9.4 shall be revised to reflect the correct scale of 1” = 30’.

38.  The location of any proposed signage shall be shown on the Final Plan and shall require separate approval from the Township.

38.    The applicant shall pay a recreation fee in the amount of $50,000.

39.  The Township Engineer’s review letter dated February 22, 2017 shall be incorporated by reference into these conditions of approval to the extent the same is not inconsistent with these conditions of approval.

40.  With the Final Plan submission, two copies of the revised plan shall be highlighted with any changes. A letter shall also be provided with the revised plan indicating how each condition of approval has been met and how each requested revision has been addressed in the re-submission.

41.  Any changes to the approved plans shall require the submission of an as-built plan prior to the final release of the required financial guarantee. Building and Planning staff can waive this requirement if the changes are determined to be insignificant.

42.  New and existing buildings shall have approved address numbers, building numbers or approved building identification placed in a position that is plainly legible and visible from the street or road fronting on the property. The address numbers shall be a minimum of four (4) inches (102mm) high with a minimum stroke width of 0.5 inch (12.7mm).

43.  Information on the sheets to be recorded shall be updated to reflect the current Township land development application number, MCPC file number and the BOC approval date.

44.    The Final Plan, complying with all conditions of approval, shall be filed with the Department of Building and Planning within twelve (12) months from the date of the Preliminary Plan approval.

45.  An outdoor lighting plan, sealed by a responsible design professional, that includes illuminance patterns shall be submitted with the Preliminary Plan. The location, luminaire type, wattage, means of control and pole height shall be indicated. Lighting shall be designed to minimize the off-site transmission of light, to shield the source of illumination and to prevent glare on adjacent properties. Exterior luminaires shall be full cut-off unless it can be demonstrated that cut-off luminaires are more appropriate and will result in less off-site light trespass.

46. The lighting plan shall be designed to comply with the 2009 IECC or the 2007 ASHRAE Standard 90.1.

47. The owner shall make payment of fees and expenses of the Township’s professional consultants who perform services on behalf of the Township with respect to these plans and the work contemplated thereunder and will establish and maintain with the Township those escrows for the payment of such fees required by Township Code. Owner agrees that any statement from the Township for such fees which remain unpaid for a period of 30 days may be recorded against the property as a municipal lien.

48. The owner shall make payment of the Township Engineer’s inspection fees within 30 days of presentation. A penalty of 1.5% per month will be due for late payments from the date of presentation. If any shares are not paid within 60 days of presentation, the Township may elect to suspend any outstanding permits until all pending charges are settled.

49.  The property owner(s) shall comply with all federal, state and applicable Lower Merion Township ordinances and laws regardless of specific mention herein.

In addition, the Planning Commission recommended approval of the following relief:

a)     Stormwater Management & Erosion Control Code Section 121-4B(2d)5, to not require the seepage bed to empty the Re_v volume within four (4) days.

b)    Natural Features Code Section 101-5B(2), 101-5C(2b), to disturb or remove vegetation occupying environmentally sensitive areas.

c)      Natural Features Code Section 101-9.A, from the requirement to calculate minimum planting standards based on views of existing parking lots and buildings which were recently landscaped as part of the previous applications.

 d)     Natural Features Code Section 101-9.A, to allow existing recently installed buffer trees and shrubs to be credited toward required minimum plantings related to parking and views.