On Tuesday, March 7, Villa Tuscany Holdings LLC will return to the Planning & Zoning Board (P&Z) to seek approval for a 41,000 square foot memory care facility at 1298 Howell Branch Road.

The facility is to be located on what is now a heavily wooded three-acre parcel of land, studded with specimen trees, that lies between Lake Temple and an unnamed sink hole. Of the three-plus acres, only 2.18 acres are above the Lake Temple ordinary high water level, making this a difficult building site.

P&Z Nixed October Application

At their October 4, 2016 meeting, P&Z tabled Villa Tuscany Holdings’ application with a request that the applicant revise the plans. Board members expressed no opposition to the proposed use of a memory care facility. Their concern was the size of the building. Stated in the minutes of that meeting: “Consensus of the Board was to direct the applicant to size down the project and bring those plans back to P&Z for consideration.”

The building proposed in October was three stories, 39 ½ feet at its tallest, with a gross floor area of 34,986 square feet, of which 31, 533 square feet were enclosed. The applicant explained that the 39+ foot height, which required a variance, was needed for a porte cochere at the entrance that would accommodate emergency vehicles. (Read the Voice coverage here.)

Developer Bought the Land

At the time of the October 4, 2016 hearing, Villa Tuscany Holdings LLC did not own the land. Since that time, the developer has purchased the land at 1298 Howell Branch Road.

Now Shorter, but Wider

The applicant is returning with revised plans for a building that is still three stories. It is 35 feet high, requiring no height variance. The gross floor area is 41,352 square feet, of which 34,112 square feet are enclosed. Like many of us, as this building gets shorter, it seems to grow wider. It has gained 2,579 square feet of enclosed space and 6,366 square feet of gross floor area.

Building is Still Non-Conforming

The developer must obtain two conditional use permits, one because the building is more than 10,000 square feet, and the other because it will be a memory care facility. By reducing the building height to 35 feet, however, the builder needs only a 75-foot setback from Lake Temple. Setting the building far enough from the lake means it will encroach on the required 25-foot setback from Howell Branch Road, and the developer is requesting a variance for this, as well.

Staff Recommends Approval

For a facility of this type, P&Z is only the first of many hurdles. For now, City staff has recommended that P&Z approve the application. P&Z will decide at their 6:00 pm meeting on Tuesday, March 7 — Does size really matter?

Editor’s Note: The name of the lake, Lake Temple, has been corrected.

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