By Cecilia Chan
By
Cecilia Chan
Independent Newsmedia
A mixed-used commercial development, which includes a 24-hour emergency medical facility is proposed for the northwest corner of Bell Road and 51st Avenue.
Planning Commission this month endorsed an application to rezone the 20 acres, which also would allow for retail, self-storage and drive-thru restaurants. 51 Campana with its 11 commercial pads now goes to the City Council for approval.
Staff recommends applicant Empire Group’s proposal be approved based on a number of findings, including it is a creative and effective use of land, according to planner Carol Hu.
No one from the audience spoke at the public hearing.
Applicant Shelby Duplessis said a Dignity Health is coming to the site, along with mixed retail and fast food establishments. Empire currently is working with three other tenants on escrow, she added.
The site would be prohibited from having check-cashing facilities, tattoo parlor, piercing facilities and billboards, according to staff. The site is accessible via 51 and 53 avenues and Bell Road.
The applicant has held two neighborhood meetings on the proposal with a total of 22 people in attendance. Base on residents input, the applicant made changes, including providing shields for street lights along the north property line to reduce their glare into adjacent neighbors’ yards.
Planning Commissioners also approved a number of stipulations for the proposal such as having the project go through the city’s design review process before any construction begins and all off-site improvements, including curb, sidewalk and streetlights, must be completed with the development of the property in one phase.
