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OtterCreek_PlanOtter Creek / Crystal Valley "A Neighborhood Action Plan" January 2000 Neighborhood Associations: Otter Creek Neighborhood Association Crystal Valley Neighborhood Association Steering Committee: Cathy Coston Art English Barbara Pierce Oley Rooker Henry Alexander Steve & Connie Ingram Necole Kreie Danny Harris Richard Todd Richard King David Fenter George & Joan Ingram Norm Floyd Nathan Dendy Helen Todd John Pratt Bruce Steinhardt Billy Jean Barclay -Hyde Special Thanks: Bob Dial, Otter Creek Neighborhood Association Britt A. Skarda, Henderson United Methodist Church Rev. Percy Billingsly, Calvary Apostolic United Pentecostal Church City of Little Rock: Planning and Development: Brian Minyard Vince Hustead Quenton Burge Himanshu Patel Public Works: Harold Ford Robert Fureigh Otter Creek/Crystal Valley Neighborhood Plan page 2 RESOLUTION NO. 133 A RESOLUTION OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS IN SUPPORT OF THE OTTER CREEK/CYRSTAL VALLEY NEIGHBORHOOD ACTIONPLAN. WHEREAS, the area residents and Neighborhood Associations formed a Steering Committee to develop a neighborhood Plan; and WHEREAS, the residents and other "stakeholders" in the area participated in a public meetings to discuss and identify area concerns to include in the plan; and WHEREAS, After several months of work by the Steering Committee, a set of goals and objectives were developed and presented to the neighborhood at a Plan Preview meeting; and WHEREAS, this Plan (Goals and Objectives) provides a way for both neighborhood based groups and others working in and around the neighborhood to advance the desires and meet the needs of the residents. NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED BY THE PLANNING COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS. SECTION 1. The Planning Commission of the City of Little Rock does support the vision and goals as expresses in the Otter Creek/Crystal Valley Area Improvement Plan. ADOPTED: March 2,2000 TEST: CHAIRMAN RESOLUTION NO. 10,796 A RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE CITY OF LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS IN SUPPORT OF THE OTTER CREEK/CYRSTAL VALLEY NEIGHBORHOOD ACTIONPLAN. WHEREAS, the area residents and Neighborhood Associations formed a Steering Committee to develop a neighborhood Plan; and WHEREAS, the residents and other "stakeholders" in the area participated in a public meetings to discuss and identify area concerns to include in the plan; and WHEREAS, After several months of work by the Steering Committee, a set of goals and objectives were developed and presented to the neighborhood at a Plan Preview meeting; and WHEREAS, this Plan (Goals and Objectives) provides a way for both neighborhood based groups and others working in and around the neighborhood to advance the desires and meet the needs of the residents. NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED BY THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE CITY OF LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS. SECTION 1. The Board of Directors of the City of Little Rock does support the vision and goals as expresses in the Otter Creek/Crystal Valley Area Improvement Plan. ADOPTED: April 4, 2000 ATTEST: s/Nancy Wood CITY CLERK s/Jim Dailey MAYOR Table of Contents: Introduction 4 Vision Statement 4 Goals and Objectives 5 Infrastructure 5 Natural Environment 8 Public Safety 9 Residential Development 10 Office and Commercial Development 11 Parks and Recreation 12 Education 13 Neighborhood Involvement 14 Maps 15 Existing Land Use 15 Existing Zoning 17 Future Land Use 19 Proposed Land Use Plan Changes 21 Mail Survey 23 Narrative Summary 23 Survey 25 Results 27 Existing Conditions 31 Introduction 31 Socioeconomic Profile 31 Existing Land Use 32 Existing Zoning 33 Future Land Use 34 Circulation 35 Open Space and Environmental Considerations 35 Summary 35 Crime Maps 37 Infrastructure Unfunded Needs List 41 Addendum 47 Otter Creek/Crystal Valley Neighborhood Plan page 3 INTRODUCTION The Otter Creek/Crystal Valley/Stagecoach Road area has recently entered a phase of rapid change and development, due to the widening of Stagecoach Road and renewed developer interest in our area. We now have an opportunity to be agents of this change, rather than scattered before it. We are in a unique position to anticipate and circumvent the problems that often come to maturing neighborhoods rather than attempting, in 10 or 15 years, to solve them after they have become ingrained in our area. We have an excit- ing vision for our community, and we respectfully request that our officials and staff of the City of Little Rock join us in this endeavor. Through our neighborhood action plan, we hope to engage each of you in our vision of a cohesive, cooperative, resident- and busi- ness -friendly neighborhood which will be a major asset to the City of Little Rock. VISION STATEMENT We have a vision of a pedestrian friendly, human -scale community which perpetuates the existing quiet, rural, residential nature of the area, while facilitating development of busi- nesses appropriate to the neighborhood. We envision commercial development mostly limited to the Stagecoach Road corridor, with businesses accessed by loop streets in order to minimize curb cuts and allow for attractive landscaping. Our vision includes the preser- vation of the green spaces and other natural sound and sight barriers with which our area is richly blessed, and development sensitive to the natural environment which has drawn many of our residents to this area. We believe a Design Overlay District for Stagecoach Road will introduce cohesive and compatible design and signage, and allow for mainte- nance of the concept of visual compatibility as new businesses come to our area. We envision an area with an optimum mix of housing types, adequate public transportation, a visible and involved police presence, pleasant public gathering areas, and goods and services in close proximity to the consumers in our area. We envision a community where diverse community groups work together in a spirit of cooperation for the benefit of the entire area; a community which celebrates and supports our diversity; a community which recognizes our interdependence in supporting our school, churches, businesses, leaders, organizations, and environment. With your support, the plan which follows will ensure that this vision of our future neighborhood becomes a reality. Otter Creek/Crystal Valley Neighborhood Plan page 4 GOALS AND OBJECTIVES INFRASTRUCTURE GOAL To bring existing infrastructure up to city standards and ensure maintenance of that infra- structure, including roadways and drainage systems, by: Completion of the widening of Baseline Road between Stagecoach and Col. Miller Road by the city now instead of waiting for further development so that present safety hazards can be eliminated and traffic congestion can be lessened, or, at the very least, 1.a. Completion of the section of Baseline Road between Henderson United Methodist Church and Eagle Hill as soon as possible. This break in the outside lane is a major safety hazard. (Completion of the north side of West Baseline down to Stage- coach Road would make it possible to have two lanes from Col. Miller road to Stagecoach Road and one lane from Stagecoach Road to Col. Miller, vastly improving traffic Unfinished north lane of Baseline Road. flow in the morn- ing. It is extremely time consuming to get to Stagecoach during morning drive time due to the volume of traffic coming from Eagle Hill.) 2. Ensuring the construction of sidewalks in all future developments by not granting variances for sidewalk requirements or construction. Seek federal enhancement moneys for sidewalk construction along Stagecoach Road. 3. Placement of a stop sign on Otter Creek Parkway at Fawn Tree to protect children walking to school. 4. Ensuring that streets are planned and improved in a manner that addresses future growth and is compatible with the neighborhood. Businesses should be accessed by loop streets as much as possible, and excessive curb cuts must be avoided. Otter Creek/Crystal Valley Neighborhood Plan page 5 5. Researching alternatives to replace the county bridge on Crystal Valley Lateral. Residents on West Baseline have had only one point of ingress and egress to their neighborhood since the bridge on Crystal Valley Lateral washed out approximately 10 years ago. Having only one point of access could result in tragedy in the event of fire or natural disaster. We believe that this ongoing threat to the health and safety of the people living on West Baseline is unacceptable and should be ad- dressed immediately. 6. Conducting a comprehensive study of drainage systems in the planning area (both artificial and natural). Our natural topography (i.e.: low lying area, plentiful creek beds, high water table, and wetlands) precludes piecemeal design of drainage systems with each new development. A study should be conducted and made available to developers as a reference on impact of excavation and fills on sur- rounding property and natural drainage ecology. 6.a. Reviewing existing ordinances on drainage requirements to determine if existing ordinances are adequate for our planning area and if they are being enforced by the city. 6.b. Aggressively seeking compliance of existing city ordinances pertaining to devel- opers' responsibilities in pre- venting and correcting drain- age problems created by their projects. 7. Placing a traffic light as soon as possible at County Line Road and Stagecoach 3� z Road (Highway 5) to improve safety and to encourage Saline County commuters to use g Interstate 30 during high traffic Sidewalk linking Otter Creek Clubhouse and the elementary periods instead of Stagecoach school. Road. A light at that intersec- tion would make it possible to get a left on Stagecoach off of County Line, encouraging use of 1-30 to avoid the congestion on Stagecoach in our area in the morning and evening. 8. Widening Highway 5 to County Line Road, eliminating the dangerous bottleneck at "Deadman's Curve" where the five -lane now ends, and providing for more efficient flow of heavy traffic. 9. Installing additional streetlights where needed, particularly at Otter Creek Elemen- tary and along Stagecoach Road. Otter Creek/Crystal Valley Neighborhood Plan page 6 10. Pursuing preservation and restoration of "green infrastructure," particularly in planning area wetlands (Fourche Creek) which are vital to natural drainage systems. 11. Identifying possible funding sources for acquisition, restoration, and preservation of planning area wetlands. 12. Widening Interstate 30 to six lanes to Benton to facilitate safe and effi- cient flow of traffic to Saline County. State funded improvements to Stagecoach Road. Otter Creek/Crystal Valley Neighborhood Plan page 7 NATURAL ENVIRONMENT GOAL To protect the existing environment and natural sound barriers to preserve the quiet, rural residential nature of the area by: 1. Preserving and maintaining the existing greenways and open spaces in the neigh- borhood. 2. Protecting the natural sound barriers that buffer the residential areas from interstate traffic noise and speedway noise. 3. Ensuring that significant environmental features and functions are preserved and protected. (functional) 4. Encouraging and supporting the conservation of significant landscapes, views, and vistas. (visual) 5. Exploring methods of management of green space and existing natural sound barriers. (auditory) 6. Prohibiting speculative clear -cutting. 7. Pursuing preservation and restoration of planning area wetlands. This plan area has large tracts of wooded land, many in the floodplain and flood way. Otter Creek/Crystal Valley Neighborhood Plan page 8 PUBLIC SAFETY GOAL To reduce speeding, burglary, vandalism, and other criminal activity in the area through police presence and enforcement by: 1. Establishing a Neighborhood Alert Center at a central location in the Stagecoach/ Baseline hub area. 2. Correlating boundaries for code enforcement and other Alert Center services. This would create a one -stop office for area residents. 3. Requiring the installation of streetlights in all future developments. 4. Ensuring the construction of sidewalks in all future developments by not granting variances for sidewalk requirements or construction. Seek federal enhancement moneys for sidewalk construction along Stagecoach Road. 5. Installing a community bulletin board in a centralized location to post information important to the area such as sex offender notifications provided under Megan's Law. 6. Establishing a Neighborhood Watch program. Otter Creek/Crystal Valley Neighborhood Plan page 9 RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT GOAL To promote a community structure and design which promotes and maintains the rural, residential nature of our area and preserves the quality of life sought by current residents by: Requesting changes to the Future Land Use Plan to land use designations more appropriate for our area to protect existing residential property values and to attract future quality developments. 2. Limiting additional multifamily development in the planning area to the approxi mately 40 acres of undeveloped multifamily in the area. 3. Encouraging and facilitating development of owner occupied properties in our planning area. 4. Ensure the construction of sidewalks in all future developments by not granting variances for sidewalks requirements or construction. Seek federal enhance ment moneys for sidewalk construction along Stagecoach Road. 5. Requiring th installation of street lights in all future developments as streets are built. 6. Ensuring area residents have access to adequate public transportation. Housing starts are on the rise, not only in Otter Creek but also other neighborhoods. Otter Creek/Crystal Valley Neighborhood Plan page 10 OFFICE AND COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT GOAL To promote commercial and office development that meets the needs of area residents for shopping and services, maintains as much of the existing topography, trees, and green space as possible, and enhances the primarily residential character of the community by: Adhering to the Land Use Plan. We request a three year moratorium on Land Use Plan amendments in our area to allow plan be realized. Amendments should be made very rarely, only with neighborhood input, and only when it can be clearly demonstrated that the amendment will enhance the quality of life in the area. 2. Establishing, by ordinance, a Design Overlay District for Stagecoach Road to create a cohesive whole for items such as, but not limited to, signage, building setback, landscaping, architectural style, sidewalks and lighting. 3. Requiring that businesses be accessed by loop streets to minimize curb cuts and allow for attractive landscaping. 4. Aggressively using Planned Zoning Districts to influence more neighborhood - friendly and better quality developments. 5. Assessing the impact of all new development on the environment, area infrastruc- ture, and city services prior to approval and placing a higher importance upon traffic flow as a consideration in approving or denying development in the area. 6. Limiting commercial and office develop- ment in the "heart" of our planning area to that which primarily serves the neighbor- hood (C-1 uses) while attracting enough business from other areas to be profitable. We define the "heart" of our area as roughly located between Crystal Valley Road and Otter Creek Road along Stage- coach Road and being largely residential. Support other more intense uses to locate on the peripheral of our study area where interstate traffic will support their larger markets. Boundaries of the Plan with the Heart of the Neighborhood shown. 7. Strongly discouraging construction of large, warehouse type facilities, and those of large scale and/or high intensity use, within the "heart" of our planning area. 8. Restricting the overgrowth of commercial development relative to residential devel- opment. Otter Creek/Crystal Valley Neighborhood Plan page 11 PARKS AND RECREATION GOAL To provide recreational facilities and facilitate protection of our existing natural environ- ment and green infrastructure by: 1. Encouraging the completion of all three planned phases of Otter Creek City Park on Stagecoach Road. Restroom facilities will be essential due to the park's rural loca- tion and team sports focus. 2. Working with the Parks and Recreation Department in acquiring, preserving, and restoring the Fourche Creek wetlands in our planning area north of Interstate 30 in order to protect our green infrastructure, with the future intent to develop light recre- ational facilities (e.g., walking trails, boardwalks, bike trails, arboretum, bird watch- ing information, educational facilities). 3. Working with Parks and Recreation to develop a community facility incorporating a meeting center, neighborhood alert center, and a passive park facility near the Baseline Road/Stagecoach Road hub. The entryway into the new city park. Otter Creek/Crystal Valley Neighborhood Plan page 12 EDUCATION GOAL To continue to provide excellent educational opportunities for ALL students at Otter Creek Elementary School by: 1. Installing a fence around the campus to provide a more secure environment for the students and to protect the grounds and facilities. 2. The addition of classrooms to accommodate the present student population as well as the large numbers of new students moving into the area. 3. The continuing commitment of the teachers, parents, and community to ensuring that all students receive a quality education. (See Addendum A) This neighborhood school is located on Otter Creek Parkway. Otter Creek/Crystal Valley Neighborhood Plan page 13 NEIGHBORHOOD INVOLVEMENT GOAL To create an atmosphere of cooperation and participation between residents, development boards, homeowner associations, and neighborhood associations in the Otter Creek/ Crystal Valley planning area by: 1. Establishing a Merchants Association for the Otter Creek/Crystal Valley planning area. 2. Installing a community bulletin board in a centralized area to announce meetings, post flyers and disseminate information pertinent to area residents. 3. Establishing a Neighborhood Watch program for our planning area. 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