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CBC 04-02-2015MEETING NOTICE April 2, 2015 THE CITY BEAUTIFUL COMMISSION WILL HOLD ITS REGULAR MEETING AT 1 1:30 A.M. ON THURSDAY April 2, 2015, AT CURRAN HALL, 615 E. CAPITOL AVENUE AGENDA CALL TO ORDER: ROLL CALL: APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES: VARIANCE REQUESTS: TREASURER'S REPORT: • EXPENSES REPORT COMMITTEE REPORT: UPDATES • COMMUNITY PROJECTS o CITY HALL SOUTH YARD • PUBLIC RELATIONS • KLRB (UPDATE) (4th Wed / Noon) • ADOPT -A -STREET COORDINATORS ■ EYE OF THE BEHOLDER • LANDSCAPE AWARDS • TREE FUNDS • CITY BEAUTIFUL EXHIBIT • OTHER CITIES NEW BUSINESS: ANNOUNCEMENTS: • NEXT MEETING - • Adopt A Street Pickup - Ed Peek Tracy Spillman February 5, 2015 ITEM NO. 1, C.B.C. 635 - NEW MATTERS Thursday, May 7, 2015 To be decided WALLY STEVE, ASHLEY CARRIE BOB CHRIS HANCOCK CHRIS MORGAN WALLY WALLY CARRIE, ED, WALLY STEVE STEVE CHRIS HANCOCK CHRIS MORGAN ADJOURNMENT LITTLE• ROCIG CrrY EEAUJIFUL CoMMESSION The City Beautiful Commission held its regular meeting at 11:30 a.m. on Thursday, April 02, 2015, at Curran Hall, 615 E. Capitol Avenue. Chairman Ed Peek called the meeting to order. MEMBERS PRESENT: Ed Peek Wally Loveless Steve Homeyer Chris Morgan Chris Hancock Bob Winchester Ed Hankins Carrie Young MEMBERS ABSENT: Ashley Jones Jordan Thomas One Open Position ALSO PRESENT: Beth Carpenter, City Attorney's Office D. Tracy Spillman, Plans Development Administrator, Department of Planning and Development, City of Little Rock. Dana Carney, Zoning and Subdivision Manager, Department of Planning and Development, City of Little Rock. APPROVAL OF THE JANUARY MINUTES: Motion: Chairman Peek entertained a motion to approve the February 05, 2015 Minutes. Commissioner Homeyer made a motion to approve. Second: Commissioner Young seconded the motion and it passed unanimously. Variance Request: CBC Case 16 Rahling Circle Staff opened the public hearing for the variance request located at 16 Rahling Circle. The developer has proposed to amend the PCD for Lot 6 to allow construction of an 8,000 square foot building for a restaurant and retail uses. Currently there are two planned tenants. A restaurant user is proposed utilizing 4,000 square feet for a sit down restaurant space with a drive through component. The development is also proposed with 4,000 square feet of retail space. Based on the square footage of each user, the required parking count typically required to serve the development is 53 parking spaces. The current layout provides 46 parking spaces. The Village at Rahling Road provides public street parking along Rahling Circle as well as three (3) public parking areas directly across the street that are utilized by all of the tenants in the Village. A reduction in the typically required parking in the Village has been required and approved for multiple users due to the public parking areas provided. Currently, the development has functioned well as designed. The site is a cleared flat site with street improvements in place. The property was graded with the initial development of the conceptual PCD for the Village at Rahling Road. Access to the lot proposed for development is via Rahling Circle and a recently completed access road from Chenal Parkway. The site plan indicates the minimum nine (9) foot street buffer along Rahling Circle. The zoning ordinance would typically require the placement of a 23-foot street buffer along Rahling Circle based on six (6) percent of the average depth of the lot (388-feet). The landscape strip along the southern perimeter has been reduced to 6-feet 5-inches. The adjacent property is similarly zoned therefore no landscape buffer is required. The landscape ordinance requires a minimum landscape strip of 9-feet around the site perimeters. Within this perimeter landscape strip trees a minimum of two (2) inches in caliper are to be provided with an average linear spacing of not less than thirty (30) feet. In addition three (3) shrubs or vines a minimum of eighteen (18) inches in height at installation are also to be provided for every thirty (30) linear feet of perimeter planting strip. The site plan review filed with the Planning Commission was placed on the January 29, 2015 Subdivision Hearing Agenda. The applicant proposed to amend the previously approved PCD to allow the development of this lot with a restaurant and retail shopping. The Planning Commission voted to approve the amendment to the PCD and to also allow the reduced street buffer. STAFF RECOMMENDATION: Staff is supportive of the request to allow the reduced perimeter landscape strip along the southern perimeter to be less than the required nine (9) feet. Presentation: Owner representative Mr. Joe White explained the layout of the development and how the properties have evolved. Mr. White noted that much of the east portion of Lot 6 is not usable due to the dedication of the access road. He further discussed the existing landscape of the development and how it has matured over the years. Chairman Peek inquired how the other existing developments have responded to the landscape and perimeter requirements and if this development will be compatible with the surrounding buildings. Mr. White stated that this development has been in existence for fifteen years and initially the first buildings were built fronting the street with the parking located in the back of the properties in accordance with the PCD. However, over time the buildings have moved away from the street and into a more standard type of development with landscape strips on the street. Chairman Peek further inquired about the type of plantings that will be proposed and if the required quantities will be met. Ms. Sally Horsey (White Daters) explained the plant materials and stated that there will be enough space for all of the required plant material quantities to be installed. Commissioner Hankins inquired if the parking moved to the front of the later developed properties was tenant driven. Mr. White stated that it was and the retail businesses preferred having parking in the front of their establishments. Commissioner Young inquired about adjacent parking areas that will serve the site and the safety of pedestrians crossing the streets to access the property. Mr. White explained the overflow parking and the measures that have been taken to insure pedestrian safety. Motion: Commissioner Homeyer made a motion to accept the variance as requested. Second: Commissioner Hancock seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously. TREASURER'S REPORT: Expense Report:. Commissioner Loveless stated: ■ That there is no new activity. • Commissioner Homeyer stated that he has had an out of pocket expense providing a gift certificate to CBC Retreat Facilitator, Julie Robbins and requested to be reimbursed by the CBC. Motion: Commissioner Winchester made a motion to approve the reimbursement of funds. Second: Commissioner Morgan seconded the motion and it passed unanimously. Commissioner Hancock stated that he was going to inquire about an estimate from Aristotle to provide a webform to be used for Eye of the Beholder and the Landscape Awards online submissions. However, he further stated that he has found a webform that can be used at no charge if submissions are kept to under one hundred. In addition he stated that if this number exceeds the one hundred submission limit then the price for using this service would be ten dollars a month. COMMITTEE REPORTS: UPDATES: Communitv Pro'ects City Hall South Yard: Commissioner Homeyer stated: • That there is no update and he will have a report at next month's meeting. Public Relations City Beautiful Exhibit: Commissioner Hancock stated: • He had spoken with the curators at the Department of Arkansas Heritage about obtaining a display case to be used for the City Beautiful Exhibit. The curators expressed they were open to the idea but cannot make a commitment until they have a list and a description of the display items. Commissioner Loveless stated that he would compile a list of the display items. Commissioner Homeyer stated in the past the displays were not connected to electricity. He further discussed ifthe on -loan display case were to provide electrical access that there had been past discussions about providing a digital display screen to document the various activities of the CBC. Website: • Commissioner Morgan stated that he had tried to contact Little Rock's Communication and Marketing Manager Luis Gonzales and has not received a response. • Commissioner Hancock readdressed the subject of the website and making the award forms more accessible online. He discussed a service known as JotForm that he has used before and requested permission to proceed with drafting the forms to be used for the Eye of the Beholder and Landscape Awards. Motion: Commissioner Hancock made a motion to draft a JotForm webform that can be approved by the commission at a later date. Second: Chairman Peek seconded the motion and it passed unanimously. • Commissioner Hancock discussed writing a letter to the City Manager requesting the use of social media for the CBC and acquiring a Facebook page. Commissioner Morgan suggested that he and Commissioner Hancock draft this letter together and present it at the next CBC meeting for approval. Other Cities Committee: Commissioner Morgan gave a presentation on the City of Memphis City Beautiful Commission. He noted that while investigating other cities city beautiful commissions a large percentage of these entities have their own Facebook pages. KLRB: Commissioner Loveless stated: • That the Adopt -A -Street program will be celebrating its 20 year anniversary on June 10. There will be a celebration at Center at University Park from 2:00pm — 4:00pm. r Progress is being made on the Kavanaugh round -a -bout. The city wide cleanup was a success. However, some areas that were to be picked up were rained or flooded out. These areas were rescheduled and cleaned the following weekend. • A key person in charge of The Otter Creek divided median and sculpture has moved out of state. This project is in transition. Adopt -A -Street: • Chairman Peek proposed a cleanup for Saturday April 04, 2015 at 8:00 am. He further explained the process to the new commissioners. Eye of the Beholder: Commissioner Young stated: • There is nothing new to report but has noticed people starting to work in their yards and nominations should be forthcoming. r Commissioner Young introduced a visitor that may be interested in applying for the open position on the CBC. Landscape Awards: Commissioner Homeyer stated: + There is nothing new to report and asked the commissioners to notice commercial properties that may be worthy of a nomination this year. • Commissioner Loveless inquired if the list from last year's nominees could be sent out to the commissioners. T.R.E.E Fund: Chairman Homeyer inquired: + If he could get a copy of the T.R.E.E. Fund maps and balances for each section. City Staff Member Spillman agreed to forward this information. • The commissioner's discuss the newly planted trees at War Memorial. It was noted that they are evenly spaced until they reach approximately the eighteenth hole of the golf course adjacent to Markham Street, at this point a noticeable gap is present in the spacing. It was further discussed if additional trees could be placed in this area using T.R.E.E Fund money. Motion: Chairman Peek entertained a motion that it be researched to why there is a gap in the tree spacing. Commissioner Young made a motion that the tree spacing be investigated. Second: Chairman Hancock seconded the motion and it passed unanimously. NEW BUSUINESS: Commissioner Winchester stated: • That he had been in contact with Ms. Krista Quinn, director of Arkansas Garden and Flower Show and inquired about booth rates. He informed the commissioners that Ms. Quinn had quoted him the rate of $275.00 for a non-profit booth. ANOUNCEMENTS: Chairman Peek stated: + The next meeting will be May 07, 2015. 0 The next Adopt -A -Street cleanup will be April 04, 2015 at 8:OOam. ADJOURNMENT: Motion: Chairman Peek entertained a motion to adjourn. Commissioner Loveless made a motion to adjourn. Second: Commissioner Young seconded the motion and it passed unanimously. The meeting was adjourned at 1:00 pm LITTLE ROCK CITY BEAUTIFUL COMMISSIOM DEPARTMENT OF PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT - 723 WEST MARKHAM - LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS 72201 PHONE: 501 371-4864 FAX: 501 371-6863 E-MAIL: L Al IT1' ER K.OR WEBSITE: WWW.LRCITYBEAUTIFULCOMMISSION.ORG J March 05, 2015 ITEM NO. 1 C.B.C. 635 —NEW MATTERS Applicant: Address: Description: ORDINANCE REQLIIRMENTS: Chapter 15, Sec. 15-96. Perimeter planting strips. White Daters. Developer Joe Schneider Southeastern Retail Development 6 Office Park Circle, Suite 100 Birmingham, AL 35223 Agent White Daters & Associates, Inc. 16 Rahling Circle The Village at Rahling Road Lot 6 (a) A perimeter planting strip is required along any side of a vehicular use area that abuts adjoining property or the right-of-way of any street, highway or freeway. This strip shall be at least nine (9) feet wide. The perimeter planting strip adjacent to freeways or expressways shall be at least thirty (30) feet wide except within mature areas. VARIANCE REQUESTE❑ To allow a reduction and removal of a portion of the perimeter planting strip along the south property line to less than the nine (9) feet as typically required to comply with the minimum ordinance standards. FINDINGS: The developer has proposed to amend the PCD for Lot 6 to allow construction of an 8,000 square foot building for a restaurant and retail uses. Currently there are two planned tenants. A restaurant user is proposed utilizing 4,000 square feet for a sit down restaurant space with a drive through component. The development is also proposed with 4,000 square feet of retail space. Based on the square footage of each user, the required parking count typically required to serve the development is 53 parking spaces. The current layout provides 46 parking spaces. The Village at Rahling Road provides public street parking along Rahling Circle as well as three (3) public parking areas directly across the street that are utilized by all of the tenants in the Village. A reduction in the typically required parking in the Village has been required and approved for multiple users due to the public parking areas provided. Currently, the development has functioned well as designed. The site is a cleared flat site with street improvements in place. The property was graded with the initial development of the conceptual PCD for the Village at Rahling Road. Access to the lot proposed for development is via Rahling Circle and a recently completed access road from Chenal Parkway. The site plan indicates the minimum nine (9) foot street buffer along Rahling Circle. The zoning ordinance would typically require the placement of a 23-foot street buffer along Rahling Circle based on six (6) percent of the average depth of the lot (388-feet). The landscape strip along the southern perimeter has been reduced to 6-feet 5-inches. The adjacent property is similarly zoned therefore no landscape buffer is required. The landscape ordinance requires a minimum landscape strip of 9-feet around the site perimeters. Within this perimeter landscape strip trees a minimum of two (2) inches in caliper are to be provided with an average linear spacing of not less than thirty (30) feet. In addition three (3) shrubs or vines a minimum of eighteen (18) inches in height at installation are also to be provided for every thirty (30) linear feet of perimeter planting strip. The site plan review filed with the Planning Commission was placed on the January 29, 2015 Subdivision Hearing Agenda. The applicant proposed to amend the previously approved PCD to allow the development of this lot with a restaurant and retail shopping. The Planning Commission voted to approve the amendment to the PCD and to also allow the reduced street buffer. STAFF RECOMMENDATION: Staff is supportive of the request to allow the reduced perimeter landscape strip along the southern perimeter to be less than the required nine (9) feet. I