Transmitted herewith is a request by Peters Construction for a Site Plan Amendment in the “C-2, C-Z” Commercial Conditional Zoning District for a new funeral home and crematorium in the existing building plus a 10,175 square foot addition located at 4140 Kimball Avenue.

The applicant is requesting a new funeral home in an existing building with a 10,175 square foot addition. 
The request for a site plan amendment would not appear to have a negative impact upon the surrounding area as it would appear to be compatible with other commercial development in the area.  
The proposed site plan amendment would not appear to have a negative impact upon vehicular or pedestrian traffic conditions in the area. The site is served by Kimball Avenue, which is a Minor Arterial.  
There is currently no trail in the area however, the Fisher Avenue trail is planned to be extended past the site in the future. There is currently sidewalks in the area. 
The area in question has been zoned “C-2, C-Z” Conditional Commercial District since the adoption of Ordinance 3490 on June 23, 1987.  Surrounding land uses and their zoning designations are as follows: 
North – Commercial zoned “C-2, C-Z” Conditional Commercial District, including Farmers State Bank and other commercial users. 
South – US Highway 20 and vacant land zoned “B-P” Planned Business.
East – Kimball Avenue, Commercial and Residential zoned “C-2” Commercial District. 
West – Commercial zoned “C-2” Commercial District, “R-4” Multiple Residence District and “C-P” Planned Commercial District. 
No buffers would be required as a part of this request.  The applicant will need to submit and execute a landscaping plan for the site during the building permit approval process.
The proposed request would not appear to have a negative impact upon drainage in the area.
Commercial buildings built between 1999 and 2005, residential buildings built between 1919 and 1975. 
No portion of the property is located within a floodplain as indicated by the Federal Insurance Administration's Flood Insurance Rate Map, Community Number 190025 0304F, dated July 18, 2011. 
Lou Henry Elementary School is located 0.634 miles to the northwest, Hoover Middle School is located 0.697 miles to the northwest, and West High School is located 1.20 miles to the northeast. 
Bontrager Park is located 0.793 miles to the northeast and Paulson Park is located 0.687 miles to the northwest. 
There is a 15” storm sewer and overhead wires in Kimball Avenue. 
The Future Land Use Map designates this area as Commercial.  The proposed site plan amendment would be in conformance with the Comprehensive Plan and Future Land Use Map for this area.  
The applicants are proposing to reuse an existing building at 4140 Kimball Avenue plus construct an addition to allow for a funeral home and crematorium to be located at the site. 
The property has been zoned “C-2,C-Z” since June 23, 1987. At that time the city did not have planned districts such as “C-P” Planned Commercial so the “C-Z” Conditional zoning was used to allow for greater oversite on the development of the area. 
The existing building has 20,272 square feet of space not including the canopies with the applicant proposing an addition that would bring the total square footage of 30,775 square feet. The building will be remodeled from office space to a funeral home with the additional square footage used for additional office space, meeting space, a garage with car wash area, and a crematory. 
The applicant is proposing 223 parking spaces. Parking requirements for a funeral home is Fifteen (15) parking spaces or one (1) parking space for each four (4) persons of maximum occupancy of the auditoriums, whichever is greater. The maximum occupant load of the auditoriums is 873, which would require 219 parking spaces therefore the complex will meet the parking requirements. 
The proposed exterior treatment includes keeping the existing brick and adding a limestone accent band around the entire building. They will also construct a front canopy that will also have limestone bands and benches. 
The applicants are also proposing to have an illuminated sign along Kimball Avenue however, were currently shown the sign would be in city right-of-way and would require an encroachment agreement, however there are several overhead utilities in close proximity to the proposed sign. A separate application would be required to review any requested encroachment agreement. There are utilities on both sides of the proposed sign and if approved by encroachment agreement and at some point the utilities companies need to remove the sign in order to access those utilities it would be at the risk and expense of the property owner. Staff will discuss this further with the applicant. 
At their September 1, 2020 meeting the Planning, Programming and Zoning Commission voted unanimously to recommend approval of the site plan amendment. 
Knutson noted during tech that if the applicants are only using their existing hard surfacing for the addition which the site plan shows then they will not need to change their detention. 
The applicant is not proposing to subdivide the property. 
Therefore, staff recommends that the request for site plan amendment in the “C-2, C-Z” Commercial Conditional District, be approved for the following reasons:
1. The request is in conformance with the Comprehensive Plan and Future Land Use Map for this area.
2. The request would not appear to have a negative impact on traffic conditions in the area.
3. The request would not appear to have a negative impact upon the surrounding area and would be compatible with surrounding development. 
And with the following conditions(s):
1. That the final site plan meets all applicable city codes, regulations, etc. including, but not limited to, parking, landscaping, screening, drainage, etc.