Marysville City Council heard plans Monday’s for the first of four commercial buildings planned for the Woodside development on Columbus Avenue. Developers said they hope the buildings have a mix of restaurant, retail and office sites, though they do not have tenants identified. (Photo submitted)
Marysville City Council is hearing plans for the beginning of commercial development in the Woodside project along Columbus Avenue.
At Monday’s council work session, the group heard about the development which sits on an almost 107-acre tract at the intersection of Dunham Street and Columbus Avenue, in the area of Benny’s Pizza. The planned development will include office, commercial, retail, restaurant and entertainment businesses. It will also have more than 800 multi-family and condominium units.
Monday’s plan detailed the first of four commercial buildings planned for the project.
City Planner Ashley Gaver said the building will, “help to provides some retail and restaurant space for these families going into these multi-family homes.”
Developers said they want the buildings to help, “create a neighborhood center.”
Tom Warner, with Advanced Civil Design, said there are no specific tenants planned but when the four buildings are complete, the plan is to have equal parts of retail and restaurants with office space also available.
Council Member J.R. Rausch questioned the layout and parking for the building. The plan calls for 88 parking spots, mostly behind the building, but with two rows of parking in front of the building — one directly in front and another closer to the street.
Rausch said council has in recent years required buildings to be at the front of the property, eliminating parking in front and moving it to the rear of the buildings.
“Is there a reason that we changed that?” Rausch asked.
Council Member Donald Boerger said he had the same concerns. He also wondered about the landscaping.
Farris said there would be a three-foot hedge that is, “what your city code calls for as far as screening the parking lot.”
Boerger asked what specific plants, bushes and trees would be planted on the site.
While developers answered Boerger’s questions, Gaver said the plants would be Design Review Board’s decision.
City Engineer Jeremy Hoyt reminded council that developers had agreed to come to work sessions to give updates and make sure council agreed with the appearance and materials to be used.
“I just want to make sure we aren’t getting too much in the weeds,” Hoyt said.
Rausch said he understood, but also knows council required other buildings to be reconfigured to meet the design standard.
“If we are going to require it, we ought to require it everywhere,” Rausch said.
City Manager Terry Emery agreed. He said there would need to be “some real strong reason” why there should be even one row of parking in front of the building.
Warner said the parking arrangement was already approved as part of the original planned unit development proposal several years ago.
Gaver said the approved PUD does allow for a bay of parking in front of the buildings. She also said the plan calls for buildings to be offset set with open space between them so the buildings do not look like a strip mall.
Warner said having a row of parking makes it easier to sell the site to perspective tenants. Warner said that by moving the building, the parking lot would lose a row of parking and the buildings could lose the front entrance.
He also said that while there isn’t one currently planned, there could potentially be a restaurant with a drive-thru window in one of the four buildings. He said having the building set at the property line, with no parking in front, could impact the flow of traffic through the parking lot.
Council member Mark Reams asked for details of the drive-thru. He said council should create parameters for that possibility before it is proposed.
Gaver informed the developers that if they were thinking of a drive-thru, they would need to contact city staff to discuss that.
Boerger said drive-thrus are “not typical” in a neighborhood area and stressed he does not want them in the Uptown or historic areas of the city. He said in neighborhood areas, planners need to “make sure pedestrians are put first and cars are put second.”
Gaver said the project will go to the city’s Design Review Board this month. If approved, developers could submit engineering plans and move forward.
Mayor Henk Berbee said he has “hope that our concerns are being addressed at that time.”
As part of the agreement with the city, the Woodside development will be responsible for extending Professional Parkway from Columbus Avenue to Chestnut Street.
Construction and planning is already underway for The Residences at Woodside Apartments and The Maryway Apartments, the first two of five residential phases for the project.
The Residences at Woodside is projected to open in the fall of this year. The phase is being marketed ad “luxurious ranch style apartment homes.” That project is set to have at least 114 single-story apartments, geared at empty nesters.
The Maryway Apartments is a 252-unit complex sitting on 20 acres.
Marysville City Council discussed parking at a proposed commercial building in the Woodside project along Columbus Avenue. Council and administration said the city has in recent years required businesses to build buildings at the front of the property with parking in the rear. Developers said the parking layout was approved several years ago with the original plan. (Photo submitted)