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Xcel Energy – Site Plan, CUP Amendment, Variance, Easement Vacation 5 It is in staff’s opinion that the application meets the criteria outlined in the City Code to approve a variance. Building Coverage and Lot Coverage The ordinance limits lot area to be covered by a building to 40% and lot area to be covered by impervious surface to 80%. The site plan meets the requirements. Landscaping Section 90-181 of the Zoning Ordinance provides landscaping requirements for developments. The site plan includes tree and shrub locations and species. The applicant is proposing 68 overstory deciduous trees, 18 coniferous trees, 15 ornamental trees, and 295 shrubs. The ordinance requires 36 ornamental trees for this site based on perimeter and building area, and the 15 provided ornamental trees do not meet this requirement. However, the ordinance does provide calculation for equivalent planting materials, allowing substitutions to be made for the minimum landscape requirements. The applicant’s landscape plan provides for well over the required amount of overstory deciduous trees and shrubs, with the intent of providing screening to the outdoor training facilities. Staff is comfortable with the substitution on the minimum requirement for ornamental tree plantings with the proposed excess of deciduous trees and shrubs, and will provide this as a condition in the CUP amendment resolution. Lighting The ordinance requires lighting to consist of cut-off fixtures and for light cast on adjacent property and roads not to exceed ½ foot candle measured at the property line or 1-foot candle measured at the street’s centerline. The ordinance also required the light fixtures, whether pole mounted or wall mounted to be cut-off fixtures. The applicant has not yet provided staff with a lighting plan, but has stated that any pole or wall-mounted lighting will be consistent with that of the existing facility on site. Staff will continue to work with the applicant to ensure that their lighting plan meets requirements. Fencing and Screening The applicant is proposing fencing around the proposed substation and transmission line and to the south portion of the building to prevent unauthorized access. The fencing around the substation is proposed to be 10 feet high, and constructed with a mixture of black wrought iron and black chain link, consistent with fencing around the rest of the site. Remaining screening will be provided with the mature wooded areas to the west and south of the property. Any exterior mechanical equipment for the building will need to be adequately screened with material consistent with the rest of the building design. The applicant has stated that mechanical equipment will either be located at ground level or the interior of the building, and that a screening plan will be submitted as the plans for mechanical equipment layout