3127 maple drive
Project Description
The applicant is proposing to renovate and expand the existing 9710 square foot, 70-year-old structure for use as a medical office. The applicants will extend the structure eastward into the rear parking lot, adding 1383 square feet of enclosed space for the installation of an elevator, fire code-compliant stairs and additional office space. The rest of the building will see a façade refresh with compliant materials and full window replacements, without changing the fenestration on the street facing side.
Additionally, the applicants would like to reconfigure both the front and rear yards. In the front (Maple Drive) yard, they will remove the six general purpose parking spaces and continuous curb cut and replace with new street frontage that includes a single curb cut for a driveway and new sidewalk and landscaping. While the proposal introduces landscaping and permeable surfaces where none existed previously, they will carve out two ADA-compliant parking spaces parallel to Maple Drive between the building and the street. In respect to the sidewalk, the applicant is proposing to widen from an ill-defined four-foot walk zone across a continuous curb cut parking lot street frontage to a well-defined sidewalk with curbs and true amenity and walk zones. In the rear, the applicant will reduce the size of the parking area to accommodate the expansion and reconfigure the lot slightly.
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Applicant: Kyle Barber
Also present for the Applicant: Joel Kelly, Paul Flippo
SAP#: not yet submitted
Variations Requested: Sidewalk configuration and parking lot configuration
Recommendations Regarding Variations:
Sec. 16-18I.016. – Supplemental zone: For purposes of these regulations, the area between any building, parking lot or parking structure and the back of the required sidewalk walk zone when no intervening building exists shall be defined as the supplemental zone. The supplemental zone shall have the minimum widths specified herein
Recommendation: The applicant previously requested a variation from §16-18I.015 in regards to sidewalk configuration (to permit an 8-foot walk zone) however the Development Review Committee suggested the applicant retain the full 10-foot width and instead seek a variation from §16-18I.016 instead. The DRC supports this request as (1) will eliminate the existing continuous curb cut and most parking spaces, (2) make a significant sidewalk improvement to an area with notoriously deficient sidewalks and, (3) significantly improve pedestrian experience for both building patrons and passers-by and (4) introduce ADA accessibility to another building.
Additionally, the City of Atlanta requested the DRC consider a variation from the provisions in §16-18I.015 that stipulate the minimum planning standards for trees in the amenity zone. The DRC supports this variation request to locate the street facing trees in the supplemental zone instead due to the presence of significant underground and overhead obstructions in the intended location for street trees.
Sec. 16-18I.023.3. – Off-street parking requirements: Off-street surface parking lots, including those for the authorized sale or lease of vehicles, shall not be located between a building and the adjacent street without an intervening building. The applicant proposes reconfiguring the front yard, removing six general-purpose parking spaces and replacing it with the reconfigured sidewalk, green space and two ADA-compliant parking spaces, oriented parallel to the road. This change, if accepted without further modifications, would require variation. One space would be marked for exclusive ADA-use and the other would also be usable for deliveries as access to the rear is difficult for anything larger than passenger vehicles due to tight parking lot configurations.
Recommendation: The Development Review Committee supports the applicant’s request for a variation from §16-18I.023.3 as the rear lot location for ADA and delivery access is limited by narrow widths and topographic challenges and (2) the new location still results in a net improvement to current conditions. Additionally, the DRC recommended (3) that the applicant flip the location of the ADA marked space to be located adjacent to the building as the greater percentage of accessible vehicles tend to require right side clearance.
Additional Recommendations:
The Development Review Committee also had additional recommendations for the proposed improvements:
- Provide additional vegetative screening between the two parking spaces in the front and the back of the sidewalk
- Contact the Buckhead CID to inquire if there are any improvement plans for that side of Maple Drive
- Screen the dumpster in the rear of the property
The Development Committee does NOT expect to see this applicant again unless significant changes are made to the proposed plans that necessitate additional variations or the city staff and/or Neighborhood Association requests additional input from the DRC.
