COLUMBIA CITY COUNCIL MAP AMENDMENT CASE …...double-hung wood with multiple lights. In 1927 this may have been a substitution dictated by economic considerations. The building surrounds

COLUMBIA CITY COUNCIL MAP AMENDMENT CASE SUMMARY

MAJOR AMENDMENT TO A PLANNED UNIT DEVELOPMENT

1003 ELMWOOD AVENUE (WARDLAW SCHOOL)

Public Hearing – July 21, 2010

City Council Chambers, 3rd Floor, City Hall, 1737 Main Street Columbia, South Carolina

Subject Property: 1003 Elmwood Avenue, TMS# 09012-08-16 and E/S Park Street TMS# 09012-08-23

Council District: 1

Proposal: Request a Major Amendment to a PUD-R to disassociate vacant parcel from Wardlaw PUD and add it to Residences at Park and Bryan and Park Street Baptist Church PUD.

Applicant: Marc S. Mylott, Director of Planning and Development Services, Zoning Administrator

Present Use: Vacant Proposed Use: Parking Lot

PC Recommendation: Approve (7-0) 06/07/2010

Staff Recommendation: Approve

Detail: A developer/builder rezoned two parcels owned by the Park Street Baptist Church to PUD-R to permit the conversion of two parking areas (one paved and one unimproved) into 10 single-family residential lots. Parking displaced by the new development will be reestablished on the vacant parcel located between the church and Wardlaw School. This parcel currently is part of the PUD associated with the Wardlaw School and an amendment is needed to disassociate the vacant parcel from the Wardlaw PUD and associate it with a newly created PUD that governs the church and the residential development. The new PUD includes a provision that, exclusive of the driveway, first 40’ of the lot will continue to be maintained as openspace.

CITY AGENCY COMMENTS FOR REZONING Marc S. Mylott, Planning & Development Services/ZA Recommend Approval Johnathan E. Chambers, Zoning/DZA Recommend Approval

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Park

Str

eet

Bryan Street

Park Street Baptist Church Building

H. H. H. H.

H.

New Side EntranceHandicapped

Ramp

20’ Lightradius

20’ Lightradius

20’ Lightradius

Wardlaw Senior CenterParking Lot Park Street Baptist Church

2204 Park Street – Columbia, SC

40 footPark setting

area

Artist Rendering of New Parking LotNo Scale Noted

Landscaping Barrier

ExistingPlayground

The old Wardlaw ball field(property between the church and Wardlaw school)

SITE PLAN

Plat of 1.03 Acre Tract – Future Parking Lot forPark Street Baptist Church

No Scale Noted

Wardlaw Senior Center Building

PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT WARDLAW SENIOR HOUSING COMPLEX

for UNITED HOUSING ASSOCIATES, INC. COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA

Prepared for:

CITY COUNCIL CITY OF COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA

By: WILLIAM O. FULMER, ARCHITECT COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA

April 13, 1998

REVISED BY STAFF: May 21, 2010

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ZONING APPLICATION

DESCRIPTIVE STATEMENT -WARDLAW JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL

WARDLAW SENIOR HOUSING COMPLEX, United Housing Associates, Inc.

1. DESCRIPTION OF PROPOSED PROJECT:

Exterior restoration and interior renovation and changes for adaptive re-use of the 1927 Wardlaw Junior High School as a 66 unit senior housing complex as follows:

A. Building Area in Square Feet:

Auditorium and designated rest rooms: 3,520 SF Rental area plus building services: 62,480 total existing: 66,000 SF

B. Type of Residential Units: 2 Bedroom 1 Bedroom Efficiency

12 52 2

total apartment units: 66

C. Density of construction: Structures: 66 apartment units

Site: 4.55 3.55 acres

Density: 14.5 18.59 units per acre

D. Commercial use percentage, if the auditorium is utilized:

Total area of buildings: 66,000 SF Auditorium & designated restrooms: 3,520 SF or five percent.

(20% is allowed by Zoning Ordinance)

E. Auditorium. The entire building shall be converted to 66 units of senior housing with the exception of the auditorium which shall be stabilized but not rehabilitated. Future use of the auditorium has not been determined at this time.

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2. SITE: (See Attached Site Plan)

A. The site is approximately 4.55 acres and is located at the northeast corner of Elmwood Avenue and Park Street. Kinard Court ends at the property line on the east side. The site is virtually flat and drainage is poor, which will necessitate proposed repair and additions to the existing storm drainage system. The south front of the site contains a magnificent grove of trees (the majority are southern magnolias) which are proposed to be repaired and fertilized.

The rear or north side of the existing school is open and clear of any development which might impact future site improvement.

B. No new structure shall be constructed on the site. A perimeter fence shall be constructed and/or

maintained around the entire site. The perimeter fence along Elmwood Avenue and Park Street shall be designed to prevent any adverse effect upon the aesthetics of the Wardlaw site.

C. The attached site plan delineates a one (1) acre park. Current plans are for the owner to maintain this property for open space recreational use. The purpose of this major change amendment is to remove the one (1) acre park and possible future parking as delineated on the attached site plan from this PUD. To be certain, the land area for this PUD will be reduced to 3.55 acres.

D. Portion(s) of the site may be dedicated as private garden plots for the tenants.

E. Parking: Table I, Article F, of the Zoning Ordinance requires 112 parking spaces to accommodate the number of proposed residential units. 126 spaces can be provided easily not including the 20 parking spaces within the area designated as Possible Furture Parking on the attached site plan. At the request of the Elmwood Park Neighborhood Association, United Housing Associates, Inc., will make every effort to reduce the seven (7) parking spaces along the Elmwood Avenue driveway. However, a few spaces are needed to accommodate short-term parking for guests and prospective tenants who will enter the building through the front main entrance.

F. The existing auditorium will be restored on the exterior and its roof system replaced. However, restoration of the interior is contingent upon sufficient income to support its cost. If this portion of the work proceeds, off-site parking must be secured from adjacent neighborhood sites or public or private parking facilities.

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3. EXISTING BUILDING:

A. History:

The original building containing approximately 66,000 square feet was constructed in 1927 according to bronze letters mounted in the cornice over the entrance to the auditorium. It was designed by James B. Urquhart, Architect, Columbia, as a Junior High School for Richland County School District One. A blueprint copy of the original drawings bears the date: December, 1926.

A two-story addition consisting of 1,200 square feet was constructed from the same architect's drawings, dated June, 1957. This construction enlarged the kitchen as well as storage for the kitchen and physical education department. The addition does not reflect the quality of design of the original.

The school is within Elmwood Park, originally a middle class residential suburb north of the city developed largely during the early part of the twentieth century.

Wardlaw drew students from the feeder school Logan Elementary, two blocks west on Elmwood Avenue, and other urban elementary schools. Junior high school graduates attended Columbia High School (now demolished) at the northwest corner of Washington and Marion Streets. Following deterioration of the downtown area for residential use, Wardlaw became an elementary school and fell into disuse prior to 1983.

The property was purchased for private development May IS, 1985. Plans for restoration were not implemented and the building remains in disuse subject to the elements and vandalisffi.

B. Description of the Existing Building:

(1) Architectural

The structure follows a modification of the archetypal character of its 19th century English prototype, which influenced urban educational architecture in America during the first half of this century. This form is exemplified by a typically symmetrical main facade terminating in massive wings displaying patterned brickwork with stone decorated cornices. The two upper floors are separated from the raised basement or ground floor by a projecting stone water table. Detail is Gothic revival with pilasters and pointed arch openings and a profusion of windows adding rhythm on the exterior and providing much natural light into the interior.

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The basic building material is dark red brick, common bond, with a Rowlock bond course every eighth course providing a rustication to the raised base. Upper levels are common bond with patterns utilizing the same brick. Stone panels, parapet caps, and cornices provide a contrast in color and texture. Unusual, in respect to the prototype, is a sub-base band of concrete.

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Although original drawings indicate steel projected windows, the existing windows are double-hung wood with multiple lights. In 1927 this may have been a substitution dictated by economic considerations.

The building surrounds an open courtyard with entrances thereto from the gymnasium.

Roofs are flat with brick parapets forming a cornice patterned with stone tracery.

Wide steps with a lower landing lead to an open platform at the main entrance with doors recessed into a pointed stone arch with vaulted brick ceiling.

The interior is a simple statement of function with wide corridors of terrazzo floor and base and unpainted beige brick wainscot on plaster walls. Toilet and custodial rooms have terrazzo floor and base; whereas, walls are plaster with a simulated tile scored plaster wainscot. Other spaces have hardwood flooring on sleepers over a concrete floor structure. Classrooms retain the original built-in teachers' cabinets.

Existing vertical vent chases provided a flue action for natural ventilation of classrooms. Each chase is an individual flue through the roof; they do not interconnect floor to floor. As such they pose no compromise to fire separation, but will serve as pipe chases for new mechanical and electrical systems.

The 294-seat auditorium has an embossed metal ceiling. Its stage opens to a low fly loft and to the gymnasium behind, a typical feature in early twentieth century school design. Steel roof trusses in the gymnasium are exposed revealing narrow V-joint painted boards below the wood roof purlins. Walls of the gymnasium are painted brick; flooring is hardwood.

Due to neglect and vandalism, massive roof leaks and broken windows have severely damaged interior finishes.

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(2) Structural Description:

Structurally the building is in good condition at this time with the exception of the wood roof framing. Walls are load-bearing brick on concrete footings. The ground floor, originally wood flooring over "Tar-Rok" base, has been replaced with concrete and resilient tile in most areas and appears to be in good condition.

Upper floors are constructed of reinforced concrete joists and 2-1/2 inch slabs cast-in-place with permanent hollow clay tile forms. Wood flooring is placed on wood sleepers over the structure.

Roof construction consists of steel trusses and wood purlins over the auditorium, gymnasium, kitchen, and cafeteria. Wood roof framing is in place over the remainder of the building, but because of long-term leaks has severely deteriorated.

(3) Structural Analysis for Re-use:

The structural engineering firm of Kyzer and Timmerman, Columbia, was requested to analyze the existing classroom floor system to determine live load capabilities for its proposed use. From information noted on the original architect's drawings and assumed configuration as shown in Kidder-Parker Architect's and Builders' Handbook, the attached sketch describes the conditions. The Structural Engineer's analysis indicates that the design provides for an allowable live load of approximately 70 pounds per square foot; whereas, the Building Code Requires 40 for residential apartment use.

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