Z-4984 Staff AnalysisMarch 8, 1988
SUBDIVISIONS
Item No. 10
NAME:
LOCATION:
OWNER/APPLICANT:
PROPOSAL:
Good Counsel
Conditional Use Permit
(Z-4984)
The southwest corner of
12th and Jackson Streets
(1321 South Van Buren)
Diocese of Little Rock/
Thomas L. Humphries
To construct a one-story (6,250 square feet) classroom
building addition (five classrooms - two kindergartens, two
first grade and one second grade) to an existing school
(grades 1-8 - 438 capacity) and an existing sanctuary (,550
capacity) on 4.04+ acres of land that is zoned "R-3."
ORDINANCE DESIGN STANDARDS:
1. Site Location
Adjacent to an arterial (12th Street) and, three
residential streets (Jackson, 14th, and Van Buren
Streets).
2. Compatibility with Neighborhood
This site is abutted by office to the north and east,
and single family located to the south, east, and west.
The new construction will take place toward the north
end of the property (12th Street) and will have minimum
impact on the surrounding area. A church and a school
use is compatible with the surrounding area provided
adequate attention is paid to the resulting traffic
patterns, parking, and drop-off areas.
March 8, 1988
SUBDIVISIONS
Item No. 10 - Continued
3. On -Site Drives and Parking
The site contains three paved access drives (one on
Jackson and two on Van Buren Street) and will contain
112 paved parking spaces (18-20 spaces will be lost due
to new construction).
4. Screeninq and Buffers
5.
M
7.
The applicant is proposing to use the existing trees
and shrubbery for landscaping and is showing additional
landscaping on the site plan adjacent to the proposed
building.
Analysis
The staff feels that the proposed use is compatible
with the surrounding area (see no. 2). The staff does,
however, have some concern about traffic circulation,
parking and drop-off areas. The proposed addition (40
additional students and two additional teachers) will
displace 18 to 20 existing parking spaces. The project
will still exceed ordinance parking requirements (112
proposed for church use - 110 required/less than 60
required for the school use). The staff would like to
see the applicant offer ideas for improvement for
traffic circulation and stacking. The staff
recommendation is also subject to any comments by the
City Engineer regarding circulation and stacking.
Citv Enqineer Comments
(1) Improve one-half of Van Buren Street to City
standards for the length of the church property;
(2) Meet with the City Engineer to redesign the
northernmost exit on Van Buren Street.
Staff Recommendation
Approval, provided the applicant agrees to: (1) offer
improvements for the traffic circulation and stacking;
and (2) City Engineer comments nos. 1 and 2.
March 8, 1988
SUBDIVISIONS
Item No. 10 - Continued
SUBDIVISION COMMITTEE REVIEW:
The applicant was present. The staff stated that it had
some reservations about the project due to recent doubt
about the accuracy of the information it had received and
asked that the architect submit a letter giving specific
information about the capacity of the church sanctuary and
the number of parking spaces that would be displaced due to
new construction. The applicant stated that street
improvements along Van Buren Street would be a difficult
financial burden on the church and the project in
particular. The applicant agreed to meet with the City
Engineer and submit a revised site plan accordingly.
PLANNING COMMISSION ACTION:
The applicant was present. Objectors were also present.
The staff stated that they had received one call for the
project and five against, one letter in support, and four
letters against. Most of the objections related to the
parking and traffic circulation in the neighborhood. A
petition in opposition that contains seven names out of
eight homeowners on 13th Street that opposed the project was
also received. The staff then recommended approval of the
development subject to the parking being verified by the
architect and the applicant submitting a revised site plan
containing the revised parking area and the revised
northernmost access point on Van Buren Street. Staff's
recommendation of approval was also subject to the applicant
agreeing to one-half street improvements from the
northernmost access point northward to the 12th Street
intersection on Van Buren. Mr. Thomas Humphries, the
applicant, said they were concerned. He said that they met
with the City Engineer and agreed to one-half of the street
improvements on Van Buren from the northernmost access to
12th Street. They proposed additional improvements to Van
Buren Street when any other additional construction on the
site would take place. Ms. Cindy Hartsfield who lives at
5218 West 13th Street spoke in opposition. She brought a
petition from the residents of West 13th Street between the
cross street of Harrison and Van Buren Streets.
Ms. Hartsfield said that they were requesting that Our Lady
of the Good Council Church be required to limit the parking
and traffic situation prior to the Commission approval of
the application. She said that they were not opposed to the
March 8, 1988
SUBDIVISIONS
Item No. 10 - Continued
expansion of the physical site not expansion of the
building. Their problem is traffic and parking.
Ms. Hartsfield also stated that a reduction from 18 to 20
parking spaces resulting from the construction would just
intensify the parking situation. She said that their
request was no different from what the staff had pointed
out. The only exception is that they had asked that the
permit not be approved until they have a chance to look at
what the applicant is trying to do. Ms. Hartsfield pointed
out that the changes were where they were going to make the
accessway, off 12th Street will not help them at all due to
the fact that it was a minor change. Their major problem is
homeowners are on the street and traffic parking is a
problem. Mr. Jim Tribou, representing the applicant who is
a civil engineer and is with the developing firm and also a
member of Good Council, said the improvements they would
make will be large enough to accommodate two traffic lanes
on the one-way street of Van Buren from the northernment
access down to 12th Street and the stacking problem was due
to the volume of traffic. There was a lengthy discussion
concerning the traffic and the parking problems. A motion
was then made to approve the conditional use permit. The
Commission then voted 7 ayes, 2 noes, and 2 absent to
approve the application as recommended by the staff and
agreed to by the applicant.