Loading...
pc_07 26 1988LITTLE ROCK PLANNING HEARING JULY 26, 1988 1 :00 P.M. Roll Call and Finding of a Quorum A quorum was present being ten in number. II. Approval of the May 3, 1988 Minutes The minutes were read and approved with the following amending Worth Jones to Worth James. III. Members present: David Jones Bill Rector Martha Miller Rose Collins Stephen Leek Richard Massie Grace T. Jones John Schlereth Fred Perkins Walter Riddick, III Members absent: Jerilyn Nicholson City Attorneys Present: Mark Stodola Stephen Giles IV. Presentation. Richard Massie who has resigned from the Planning Commission was presented with a plaque for his service to the City. JUNE 26, 1988 PLANNING Item No. 1A Request: Board of Directors consideration of an amendment package providing for thirty - four amendments of the subdivision regulations dealing with discretionary authority of the Planning Commission. This package of amendments was generated by action of the Arkansas Supreme Court in the Richardson Case. Content: This amendment package provides for the elimination of most entries in the regulations where "may" should be "shall ". There are six instances where a provision is entirely deleted. There is one instance of a design standard being modified. (cul -de -sac length) Staff Recommendation: The staffs of the City Attorney's Office and the Planning Department have spent many hours in reviewing each provision of the Subdivision Ordinance with a veiw toward elimination of those that conflict with the recent Richardson court ruling. The staff is comfortable with the revisions as presented and recommends approval. Planninq Commission Action: (7- 26 -88) There were no objectors in attendance. The proposed amendments were presented by Mark Stodola, City Attorney. Mr. Stodola presented an overview of the process leading to preparation of the amendments and reminded the commission that they had reviewed part one of this effort two weeks earlier. That part dealt with modifying the variance section of the Subdivision Ordinance providing for the Board of Directors approval of all variances. Mr. Stodola offered general comments on the content of this Ordinance Package to the effect that the various changes eliminate discretionary language and inserts shall in place of may. He responded to questions as to why certain paragraphs would retain the word "may ". He stated that his charge was to eliminate the discretionary may when it had a direct financial impact on the project. Several Commissioners then questioned Mr. Stodola about various entries and the effect of their application. JUNE 26, 1988 PLANNING Item No. 1A Continue Some Commissioners expressed a continued concern about the loss of control over the platting process and casting them in the role of review for conformance to fixed standards. The discussion included comments on possible legislation at state level to correct the circumstances. A general discussion then followed. A motion was made to recommend approval of the amendments to the Board of Directors. The motion passed by vote of 9 ayes, 1 naye, 1 absent. July 26, 1988 Item No. 1B - Zoning Ordinance Amendments /1988 SUBJECT: Annual Planning Commission review and recommendations on amendments to the Little Rock Zoning Ordinance text PLANNING COMMISSION ACTION: (July 26, 1988) There were no objectors present. However, there were several persons present representing the League of Women Voters. The Planning staff offered the Amendments Package by way of a brief overview of the actions taken by Staff during the deferral period since the May meeting. The several subjects reviewed for further development were identified as: 1. The ByLaw Amendments dealing with notices to adjacent property owners, 2. Church parking standards, 3. Zero lot line developments, 4. Enclosure of car washes in "C-3” districts. A lengthy discussion followed wherein several members of the Planning Commission expressed concern about some 12 -14 of the proposed amendments. They expressed feelings that these items required further review and input, both by the Commission and others. Mrs. Kathleen Oleson and Mrs. Ruth Bell, representing the League of Women Voters, offered comments on several of the items. These were items they had raised earlier in a communication to Staff. They felt that their concerns needed additional consideration. The principle areas identified were in buffering and notices to adjacent neighbors on rezoning cases. The Chairman suggested that, in the interest of expediting the hearing and moving most of these items to the next level of review, the list be reviewed item by item. The result would be a separation of the package with the recommended items to be forwarded to the Board of Directors. The process produced a list of items from the package that will be held over until the next Plans meeting in September. The remaining items consisting of the following will be forwarded to the Board of Directors for their consideration. The main body will consist of thirty-four amendments dealing with technical and procedural items, three attached separate July 26, 1988 Item No. 1B (Continued) ordinances will deal with the restructuring of the Planned Unit Development section to separate short and long form, a second ordinance dealing with the requirement for dedication of floodway within subdivision plats, and an ordinance which will provide for the expansion and continuance of non- conforming uses through a conditional use process. A motion was made to recommend the modified Amendments Package to the Board of Directors. The motion passed by a vote of 9 ayes, 0 noes, 2 absent. July 26, 1988 PLANNING HEARING Item No. 2 - Parks Plan Amendment Package NAME: Park System Master Plan Amendments LOCATION: Various STAFF REPORT: Three changes to the Master Parks Plan will be presented for the Commission's review. They are: 1. The relocation of the Port Park Site. 2. The addition of a community park for Southwest Little Rock. 3. The removal of the Worth James Airport from the Fourche Bottoms Park. The site currently shown for the east Little Rock neighborhood or Port Park is no longer available for park use. However, within the same park sub -area, a site has been located, the east end of Gate Island, to provide the neighborhood park needs of the area. (See sketch 2 -A) The Airport currently owns this property and has been receptive to developing a park on the site. (with Parks Department maintenance) The second amendment results from the recommendations of the Geyer Springs West Land Use Plan for additional park facilities in the area. The Parks and Planning staffs met with representatives of Hendrix College about a large park site west of Geyer Springs Road and south of Mabelvale Cut -off. At the meeting the representatives suggested adding an area east of Geyer Springs Road as well. The Staff worked up legal descriptions of both sites which were forwarded to Hendrix in mid -May. To date, all parties have supported the park use for these two sites. (See sketch 2 -B) The third amendment comes from a request from Mr. Gaston Gibson, Trustee for the Worth James Trust, to remove the Worth James Airport from the Parks Plan. (See sketch 2-C) This request would remove approximately 200 acres of the Fourche Bottoms between Mabelvale Pike and the Union Pacific Railroad tracks from the Fourche Bottoms Park. Mr. Gibson July 26, 1988 PLANNING HEARING Item No. 2 - Continued has informed the City Staff that the site shall be maintained as an airport. An exhibit is attached with the generalized legal description for each amendment. These legals will be added to the Parks Plan text if the Commission and Board of Directors approve this amendment package. STAFF RECOMMENDATION: Approval of the amendment package. LANNING COMMISSION ACTION: (July 26, 1988) There was discussion about the removal of the Worth-James site from the Fourche Bottoms Park and about access and uses for the Gates Island Park site (boat ramps, etc.). Items two and three were combined and approved together by unanimous voice vote. July 26, 1988 PLANNING HEARING Item No. 3 - Revision to the Extraterritorial Plan NAME: Extraterritorial Plan Revision LOCATION: West of the City of Little Rock STAFF REPORT: The extraterritorial Land Use Map is one of the City's most in demand plans. Since Realtors, developers, and other citizens seem to be using this document to make key decisions in the area, it is important that this plan reflect accurately the City's plans. There are two major problems with the map. 1. It does not and has not accurately reflected the City's adopted Master Street Plan. 2. The Chenal Valley Zoning Plan is somewhat different than the Extraterritorial Plan would indicate. Therefore, a plan amendment is presented to make the Extraterritorial Plan conform to the other adopted City Plans - Master Street Plan, Upper Rock Creek Plan, and Chenal Valley Zoning Plan. STAFF RECOMMENDATION: Approval of the revisions to the Extraterritorial Plan. PLANNING COMMISSION ACTION: (July 26, 1988) This item was placed with Item two and passed without comment. The vote was unanimous and by voice. July 26, 1988 PLANNING HEARING Item No. 4 - Geyer Springs West District Amendment NAME: Geyer Springs West District Amendment LOCATION: Southwest corner of Geyer Springs Road and Mabelvale Pike STAFF REPORT: An area of + 13.5 acres southwest of the Geyer Springs Road /Mabelvale Pike intersection is shown as "LMF" Low Density Multi- family. The owner of the property questioned this proposal and feels that commercial use would be more appropriate. A City of Little Rock Board Member has also asked if some other use than multi - family could be found for the location. Since the site is at the intersection of two arterials and a park is to be located adjacent to the site, Staff would recommend a PUD be required for any non- residential use. Also, Staff questions the need for additional commercial since adjacent zoned commercial land shows no signs of developing. Therefore, a mixed office /commercial, PUD required, designation has been agreed to by all parties. The PUD is to make sure access points are carefully designed and that the site, et cetera, is appropriate for the proposed adjacent community park. STAFF RECOMMENDATION: Approval of amending the plan to show the + 13.5 acres southwest of the Mabelvale Pike /Geyer Springs Road intersection as office /commercial, PUD required. PLANNING COMMISSION ACTION: (July 28, 1988) Walter Malone of the Staff presented the proposed changes. Commissioner David Jones questioned why the change was requested and stated that he felt it should be considered as a zone change request so that all issues could be addressed. Commissioner Rector moved that the item be withdrawn without prejudice. The Commission approved the motion unanimously (8, 0, with 3 absent). July 26, 1988 PLANNING HEARING DISCUSSION ITEMS A. NEW PLANNING DISTRICTS The City recently added areas to the west and south to the planning area. Since the current planning districts use the old planning area boundary as the district boundary, new planning districts are needed for those areas added to the Little Rock Planning Area. The Staff will present a new Planning District Map showing the new districts at the meeting for your comment. PLANNING COMMISSION ACTION: (July 26, 1988) No discussion due to the length of time consumed by Item No. 1. B. EXTRATERRITORIAL ZONING The Staff will update the Planning Commission on the progress made toward zoning the extraterritorial area. A review of the process used, and to be used, will be conducted to get the Commission's comments before the Staff brings the first extraterritorial area to the Commission for zoning. PLANNING COMMISSION ACTION: (July 26, 1988) Jim Lawson of the Planning Staff presented a map of the area showing the area of the first extraterritorial zoning and described the process which will be followed. Staff will do a Land Use Plan for the area. After approval of the plan the area will be zoned "R -2" with property owners allowed to request different zoning if they provide a legal description of their site. July 26, 1988 PLANNING HEARING DISCUSSION ITEMS C. THE CITY COMPREHENSIVE LAND USE MAP Staff will present a mock-up of the map and proposed support literature to be placed on the map for discussion. PLANNING COMMISSION ACTION: (July 26, 1988) Jim Lawson of the Planning Commission Staff talked about what was going to be put on the map and displayed a mock-up for the map and layout for the back of the map. No Commission action was required. There being no further items, the Commission adjourned at 4:15 p.m. Date Secretary Chairman