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CORRESPONDENCE MEMORANDUM 4 February 1987 TO: Chairman and Members Planning and Zoning Board FROM: Carmen S. Annunzatio Planning Director RE: Cross Creek Centre - Parking Lot Variance Section 5-144(c)(4) of the Code of Ordinances requires that when a variance to Section 5, Article X, Parking Lots is requested, the Technical Review Board must forward to the Planning and Zoning Board a recommendation, and that the recommendation forwarded is to be made part of the public hearing proceedings. To that end, this memo is forwarded consistent with 5-144(c)(4). Kevin McGinley, agent for Steven Rhodes, has requested a variance to Section 5-141(m) "Fire Lanes" of the Parking Lot Regulations which requires that all shopping centers, retail-office complexes, and retail establishments for which the gross floor area is fifteen thousand (15,000) square feet or greater shall have fire lanes along the front of all buildings which shall allow efficient access to the fronts of all buildings by fire protection vehicles. Furthermore, five lanes shall not be encumbered by parked vehicles, and shall not be used for loading or unloading of commercial vehicles. In this instance, the applicant is requesting relief from the requirement for fire lanes along the front of the 20,000 square foot commercial building and the 15,000 square foot office building. The variance request is being submitted in connection with subsequent site plan approval which proposes to construct a 35,000 square foot retailloffice planned commercial development, consisting of a 20,000 square foot commercial building and a 15,000 square foot office building. For an explanation of the code requirement, the nature of the variance requested, and the variance justification, please refer to the attached Notice of Public Hearing and application. On Tuesday, February 3, 1987 the Technical Review Board (TRB) met to review the plans and documents submitted, and to formulate a recommendation with regard to the variance requested. After review and discussion, the TRB recommended that the variance requested be approved in part and denied in part. With respect to the recommendation for approval, the TRB made findings that requiring the applicant to construct a fire lane along the front of both the commercial building and the office building would impose an unreasonable hardship owing to the narrow configuration of the parcel. Therefore, the TRB recommended approval of the variance request to eliminate the fire lane in front of the 15,000 square foot office building, provided that this bUilding be sprinkled. However, the request to eliminate the fire lane in front of the 20,000 square foot commercial building was denied. The reasons for this recommendation are as follows: ^