The City is currently developing plans for Fire Station Number 1 and Fire Administration project located at 700 W. McLeroy Boulevard. The plan requires that the ingress and egress driveways serving the fire station be of sufficient width and turn radius to accommodate the equipment. The driveways are located on W. McLeroy Blvd. and Amber Dr. (Exhibit A). The standards for driveway widths are found in the City’s Subdivision Ordinance.

The requirements in the City’s Subdivision Ordinance is somewhat ambiguous in that they measure the width of a driveway based on different criteria. Driveway widths are either measured at the throat of the driveway, or at the end of the curb return nearest the property line in the Construction Standard Details.

Article 9 – Construction Standard Details, detail RD-12 (attached) shows a maximum width of thirty-five (35’) for non-residential driveways measured at the throat of the driveway.  The fire station design calls for a driveway width at the throat of eighty-six feet (86’) on W. McLeroy Blvd. The proposed width of the driveway on Amber Dr. at the throat is twenty-four feet (24’) on Amber Dr.

Article 7 – Design Criteria, Section 7.08 – Streets, G – Driveway Requirements, Par. 5, limits commercial and industrial approaches to a maximum of thirty-five feet (35’) measured at the property line. The proposed driveway approach on W. McLeroy Blvd. measured at the property line is approximately ninety-eight feet (98’). The proposed driveway on Amber Dr. is approximately forty-two feet (42’).

Staff is recommending a variance to the maximum driveway width of thirty-five feet (35’) for two (2) industrial/commercial driveways for Fire Station No. 1 and Fire Administration project.

The Planning and Zoning Commission considered the variance request at it's February 9, 2021 meeting and unanimously recommended approval.