CBC 08-06-2015LITTLE ROCK
CITY BEAUTIFUL
COMM ISSEON
The City Beautiful Commission held its regular meeting at 11:30 a.m. on Thursday, August
06, 2015, at Curran Hall, 615 E. Capitol Avenue. Chairman Ed Peek called the meeting to order.
MEMBERS PRESENT: Ed Peek Chris Morgan
Steve Homeyer Becca Webb
Chris Hancock Bob Winchester
Wally Loveless Carrie Young
MEMBERS ABSENT: Ed Hankins
Ashley Jones
Jordan Thomas
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 MAY MINUTES:
Motion: Chairman Peek made a motion to approve the July 09, 2015 Minutes.
Second: Commissioner Morgan seconded the motion and it passed unanimously,
Variance Request: CBC Case # 641, BMW, 4621 Colonel Glenn Plaza Drive
Staff opened the public hearing for the variance request located at 4621 Colonel Glenn Plaza Drive.
On October 16, 2014 (file no. Z-3371-YY) the Planning Commission approved a conditional use
permit to allow for the development of an automobile dealership on this vacant, C-2 zoned, 5.2
acre lot. The development will consist of a 42,000 square foot building which will contain a
showroom floor, office spaces, and a service center.
Access to the site will be via a single driveway off of Colonel Glenn Plaza Drive. The site will
contain paved parking for 358 vehicles to be used for customers, employees and vehicle display.
A portion of the parking on the west and east sides has been designed as stacked vehicle display
with 2 to 3 rows stacked behind the other. An additional paved display area with an unconventional
parking layout is indicated at the southern point of the site. Staff is not opposed to the arrangement
of parking in these areas since they will be used for vehicle display and inventory parking, not in
and out employee or customer usage.
Bollard type fencing is proposed around the site. The required 30 foot buffer on Colonel Glenn
Road ranges from 19.5 feet to as much as 40 +/- feet at the intersection. The buffer on Colonel
Glenn Plaza Drive ranges from 20 - 25 feet with two small points where it is reduced to 15 feet.
Staff is satisfied with the perimeter buffers.
Building and site plans were filed for permit review in January 2015. The building permit was
denied in part due to the landscape plan not meeting all of the code requirements. Specifically, the
trees and shrubs were omitted from the north perimeter planting strip, the shrubs required for
screening the vehicular use area from the Colonel Glenn Road right-of-way had exceeded the
spacing requirement of a maximum three (3) feet, and the required square footage for the interior
parking and building landscape areas was insufficient.
At the northern perimeter there is approximately five (500) linear feet of vehicular use area that
abuts adjoining property and a perimeter planting strip that exceeds the nine (9) foot minimum. A
retaining wall approximately fifteen (15) feet in height is located on the subject property and
additional retaining wall approximately fifteen (15) feet in height is located within the adjacent
properties perimeter landscape strip. Plant material required for this area includes trees a minimum
of two (2) inches in caliper spaced an average of not less than thirty (30) linear feet. Additionally,
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. A total of seventeen (17) trees
and fifty (50) shrubs would be required for this area.
A revised plan was resubmitted in March 2015 that met or exceeded the landscape requirements
that were noted during the initial review process and a building permit was approved.
The applicant has since requested the screening shrubs be eliminated between the street right-of-
way and the inventory display area at the southwest corner of the site and be replaced with
groundcover. The applicant has stated that this area will be used for public viewing of the inventory
and not for parking. In addition a request has been made to waive the required seventeen (17) trees
and fifty (50) shrubs that are to be located in the north landscape perimeter planting strip. The
applicant has stated that there are two fifteen (15) foot retaining walls located within this area that
will provide screening for the subject property and from its northern neighbor. All other areas have
remained unchanged from the March 2015 approved plan.
Adequate space for the required north perimeter landscape exist. An approximate nine (9) feet in
width terrace area is provided between the top of the retaining wall and the north property line. In
addition the adjacent property has provided the required landscape at the bottom of the retaining
wall located on their property and the shared property line of this terrace. The total terrace area
spanning both properties is approximately twenty (24) feet in width.
In the past staff has been supportive of allowing groups of shrub material between car dealership
display areas and the street right-of-ways in lieu of the continuous evergreen shrub screen as
required by the ordinance. Examples of this treatment can be found at other auto dealers within
close proximity of this site. However, in no instance has the substitution of low ground cover been
allowed to replace all of the shrubs that are required between the street right-of-way and the interior
vehicular use area.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends denial of this request.
Presentation:
Owner representative Mr. Jordan Draper of Kimley-Horn and Associates of Memphis, TN began
his presentation by discussing the north perimeter and requesting a variance to not install the
required trees and shrubs as required by the ordinance for this area. Mr. Draper stated that he felt
that providing plant material on this perimeter did not meet the definition of the perimeter planting
which is to provide screening. He fiirther stated that the abutting property is approximately thirty
feet above the subject property and divided by two fifteen foot high retaining walls with one being
located on the subject property and the other on the adjacent neighboring property to the north. In
addition Mr. Draper expressed that maintaining this area may be difficult.
Chairman Peek inquired about the neighboring property. Mr. Draper presented photographs ofthis
perimeter and noted that the landscape on the neighboring property has not been maintained in
good condition. Commissioner Homeyer inquired if Mr. Draper's client was seeking a complete
wavier to not plant anything in this perimeter and leave this area in its natural state. Mr. Draper
stated that this was the request and further discussed the design of the wall and the need for runoff
to be accomplished quickly.
The commissioners discussed this area and possible solutions and decided that a complete wavier
of the perimeter plant material would not be acceptable.
Mr. Draper then discussed the second part of the variance request to eliminate the screening shrubs
between the street right-of-way and the vehicle display area. He noted that zoning ordinance Sec.
36-302 4(a) states that automobile sales areas are not required to screen fully assembled
merchandise.
Commissioner Homeyer inquired if groupings of shrubs could be used instead of eliminating all
of the required shrubs. Chairman Peek noted that the city has allowed groupings of shrub material
in lieu of a continuous screen at other automobile dealerships and would like to see the same
treatment applied in this situation.
The commissioners further discussed what might be acceptable. Mr. Draper felt that he needed to
discuss the options concerning both variance request with his client and requested a deferment
until the next CBC meeting.
Motion: Commissioner Winchester made a motion to defer this variance request to next month's
meeting
Second: Commissioner Loveless seconded the motion and it passed unanimously.
TREASURER'S REPORT:
Expense Report:
Commissioner Loveless stated:
There has been no new activity.
COMMITTEE REPORTS: UPDATES:
Communi Projects
City Hall South Yard:
Commissioner Homeyer stated:
That there is nothing new to report this month and will have additional information for next months
meeting.
Public Relations
Website:
Commissioner Hancock stated:
He has continued to make post to the CBC Facebook page. Additionally he inquired of the
commission if it would be permissible to invite people to upload photos of Landscape Award
nominees to create new avenues for participation. City Attorney Carpenter was consulted and
stated that she didn't foresee this to be a problem.
Commissioner Winchester inquired if it would be appropriate to promote the Landscape Awards
on the city television channel. Commissioner Morgan stated that he would contact Management
Analyst, Scott Carter and provide more information at next month's meeting.
Commissioner Hancock delivered a website hosting bill from Aristotle in the amount of for $25.00
to the CBC Treasurer, Commissioner Loveless.
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Commissioner Loveless stated:
That he was unable to attend the July meeting and had nothing new to report.
Adopt -A -Street:
Commissioner Loveless stated:
That a pickup needs to be scheduled for August.
Eye of the Beholder:
Commissioner Young stated:
She has printed three certificates and delivered these to City Staff Member Spillman to be mailed.
The Commissioners discussed the nominees for this year and noted that two addresses had been
submitted without the property owner's names. Commissioner Loveless stated lie would get this
information to Commissioner Young.
Landscape Awards:
Commissioner Homeyer stated:
That nominations typically close in the middle of August and that the Commissioners will need to
vote on these at next month's meeting.
Commissioner Homeyer nominated the Sonic Drive-in on Colonel Glenn Road.
Staff member Carney stated that he would secure the City Hall Board Room for next month's
meeting.
T.R.E.E Fund:
Commissioner Homeyer:
Noted that a T.R.E.E. donation was due in accordance with the variance request, Case #640 La
Madeleine from the July 2015 CBC meeting and inquired if these funds have been submitted. Staff
Member Spillman stated that these have not been submitted yet but would update the T.R.E.E.
fund information and forward this to Commissioner Homeyer when the funds are received.
Commissioner Loveless suggested using these funds to plant trees in the bridge area close to
Walgreens on Bowman Road. Commissioner Loveless also stated that he had contacted Urban
Forester Robbie Hudson and asked if this would be an appropriate site for planting trees. The
commissioner stated that Mr. Hudson was very encouraging about this possible site.
City Beautiful Exhibit:
Commissioner Hancock stated:
That there is nothing new to report.
Other Cities Committee:
Commissioner Morgan stated:
He had investigated the City Beautiful Commission in St. Petersburg Florida and noted that they
do not partner with other entities, are responsible for adopting four different streets, and have social
media accounts on Twitter and Facebook. He also noted that in his research that he has discovered
that "City Beautiful Commission" is not a widely used term.
Commissioner Morgan also noted that in St. Petersburg's version of the Eye of the Beholder
commissioner's select three finalist from the season's nominations for a Home of the Year Award.
NEW BUSUE' ESS:
• There was no new business
ANOUNCEMENTS:
That the next Adopt -A -Street will be Saturday August 15 at 8:00 am
The next meeting will be, Thursday, September 03, at 11:30 am
ADJOURNMENT:
Motion: Commissioner Loveless made a motion to adjourn.
Second: Commissioner Young seconded the motion and it passed unanimously.
The meeting was adjourned at 1:04 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: I)SPILLMAN()Li LEROCK.ORG
WEBSITE: WWW.LRCITYBEAUTIFULCOMMISSION.ORG
August 06, 2015
ITEM NO. 1, C.B.C. 641— NEW MATTERS
Applicant:
Address:
Description:
ORDINANCE RE UIRMENTS:
Chapter 15, Sec. 15-95. Screening requirements.
Jordan Draper,
Kimley Horn
Developer
Ashbury Automotive Arkansas
Dealership Holdings LLC
Agent
Jordan Draper
4621 Colonel Glenn Plaza Drive
NE corner of Colonel Glenn
Road and Colonel Glenn Plaza
Drive
The grading and landscaping of a site shall be accomplished in such a way as to visually screen
the vehicular use area and certain other activities external to buildings on the site from the
street and adjacent more restrictive land uses:
(4) Species and spacing requirements. Screening standards are intended to apply during all seasons
of the year. A minimum of fifty (50) percent of the trees and a minimum of seventy-five (75)
percent of the shrubs to be used for screening purposes shall be evergreen varieties. Maximum
spacing's of fifteen (15) feet for trees and three (3) feet for shrubs should normally be utilized in
order to provide continuous full screening of the view.
Chapter 15, Sec. 15-96. Perimeter planting strips.
(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.
(b) Trees shall be planted with an average linear spacing of not less than thirty (30) feet within the
required landscape or buffer area. Three (3) shrubs or vines for every thirty (30) linear feet shall
be planted in the perimeter planting strip. Massing is permitted as long as trees are spaced not
more than one hundred (100) linear feet apart including width of driveway.
VARIANCE RE IJESTEiQ
• To allow a reduction in the screening requirement along the display portion of the lot at the
southwest corner used for the presentation of inventory vehicles and not for public parking.
• To waive the tree and shrub requirements for the north perimeter planting strip.
FINDINGS:
On October 16, 2014 (file no. Z-3371-YY) the Planning Commission approved a conditional use permit to
allow for the development of an automobile dealership on this vacant, C-2 zoned, 5.2 acre lot. The
development will consist of a 42,000 square foot building which will contain a showroom floor, office
spaces, and a service center.
Access to the site will be via a single driveway off of Colonel Glenn Plaza Drive. The site will contain
paved parking for 358 vehicles to be used for customers, employees and vehicle display. A portion of the
parking on the west and east sides has been designed as stacked vehicle display with 2 to 3 rows stacked
behind the other. An additional paved display area with an unconventional parking layout is indicated at
the southern point of the site. Staff is not opposed to the arrangement of parking in these areas since
they will be used for vehicle display and inventory parking, not in and out employee or customer usage.
Bollard type fencing is proposed around the site. The required 30 foot buffer on Colonel Glenn Road
ranges from 19.5 feet to as much as 40 +/- feet at the intersection. The buffer on Colonel Glenn Plaza
Drive ranges from 20 - 25 feet with two small points where it is reduced to 15 feet. Staff is satisfied with
the perimeter buffers.
Building and site plans were filed for permit review in January 2015. The building permit was denied in
part due to the landscape plan not meeting all of the code requirements. Specifically, the trees and
shrubs were omitted from the north perimeter planting strip, the shrubs required for screening the
vehicular use area from the Colonel Glenn Road right-of-way had exceeded the spacing requirement of a
maximum three (3) feet, and the required square footage for the interior parking and building landscape
areas was insufficient.
At the northern perimeter there is approximately five (500) linear feet of vehicular use area that abuts
adjoining property and a perimeter planting strip that exceeds the nine (9) foot minimum. A retaining
wall approximately fifteen (15) feet in height is located on the subject property and additional retaining
wall approximately fifteen (15) feet in height is located within the adjacent properties perimeter
landscape strip. Plant material required for this area includes trees a minimum of two (2) inches in
caliper spaced an average of not less than thirty (30) linear feet. Additionally, 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. A total of seventeen (17) trees and fifty (50) shrubs would be
required for this area.
A revised plan was resubmitted in March 2015 that met or exceeded the landscape requirements that
were noted during the initial review process and a building permit was approved.
The applicant has since requested the screening shrubs be eliminated between the street right-of-way
and the inventory display area at the southwest corner of the site and be replaced with groundcover.
The applicant has stated that this area will be used for public viewing of the inventory and not for
parking. In addition a request has been made to waive the required seventeen (17) trees and fifty (50)
shrubs that are to be located in the north landscape perimeter planting strip. The applicant has stated
that there are two fifteen (15) foot retaining walls located within this area that will provide screening for
the subject property and from its northern neighbor. All other areas have remained unchanged from the
March 2015 approved plan.
Adequate space for the required north perimeter landscape exist. An approximate nine (9) feet in width
terrace area is provided between the top of the retaining wall and the north property line. In addition
the adjacent property has provided the required landscape at the bottom of the retaining wall located
on their property and the shared property line of this terrace. The total terrace area spanning both
properties is approximately twenty (24) feet in width.
In the past staff has been supportive of allowing groups of shrub material between car dealership
display areas and the street right-of-ways in lieu of the continuous evergreen shrub screen as required
by the ordinance. Examples of this treatment can be found at other auto dealers within close proximity
of this site. However, in no instance has the substitution of low ground cover been allowed to replace all
of the shrubs that are required between the street right-of-way and the interior vehicular use area.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends denial of this request.
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