Z-5524-A Staff AnalysisApril 20, 1993
ITEM N 1 z- 24-A
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Owner: Stephen Scollard
Applicant: Michael Tierney
Location: East side of Bowman Road
(between West Markham and
Chenal Parkway)
Request:
Purpose:
Size:
Existing use:
Rezone from 0-3 to C-1
Bookstore
0.64 acres
Vacant
SURROUNDING I,ANi7 USE AND ZONING
North - Vacant, zoned 0-3
South - Single -Family, zoned R-2
East - Single -Family, zoned R-2
West - Vacant, zoned C-3
STAFF ANALYSIS
The request before the Commission is to rezone a parcel on
Bowman Road from 0-3 to C-1, and the proposed use is a
bookstore. The property was rezoned to its current
classification in 1992. The site has 150 feet of frontage
on Bowman Road and a depth of approximately 185 feet. The
right-of-way along the south property line is unimproved and
the property is vacant.
zoning found in the general area is R-2, 0-3, C-3 and PCD.
The property in question abuts R-2 on two sides and 0-3 on
the north side. Across Bowman, the zoning is C-3, which
stretches from West Markham to south of the Chenal Parkway.
On the east side of Bowman Road, the zoning includes 0-3,
C-3 and R-2; the C-3 is at the southeast corner of Bowman
and West Markham. The most recent reclassification in the
area involved 40+ acres at the southwest corner of Bowman
and Chenal Parkway, and the acreage was rezoned to C-3. The
majority of existing commercial zoning was approved through
the original Rock Creek Plan which was accomplished in the
mid -1970'x.
Land use is very similar to the zoning and includes single
family, banks, commercial and a TV studio. The commercial
uses range from a large retailer to auto service, and there
April 20, 1993
ITEM NO.: 13 Z -55524---A (Cont.)
are a number of commercial centers in the area. A high
percentage of the nonresidential land is undeveloped.
The adopted I-430 Plan shows the east side of Bowman from
the right-of-way on south to West Markham as suburban
office. Other land use designations recommended for the
area are single family, office, commercial, mixed office and
commercial, multifamily and open space. Directly to the
south of the site is a narrow open space area which extends
from Bowman to pass Autumn Road, and its primary function is
to provide a buffer between the single family lots in the
Birchwood Subdivision and the nonresidential areas to the
south.
In 1992, a major plan amendment was undertaken and approved
for the Bowman/Chenal Parkway intersection. The plan was
amended to show the southwest, southeast and northeast
corners of the intersection for the "mixed office and
commercial" uses, and the amendment was done in conjunction
with a C-3 rezoning of the southwest corner of Chenal
Parkway and Bowman Road. A revision of the plan was needed
to better reflect the development trends found in the area
and to create a more workable land use pattern.
After careful review of this C-1 request and the plan, it
appears that the amendment should have also included the
office strip along the east side of Bowman. It is the
staff's position that mixed office and commercial is a more
appropriate land use configuration for the property and,
therefore, supports the proposed C-1 reclassification. With
certain requirements, buffering and site plan review, a
C-1 rezoning should not have an adverse impact on the
surrounding properties, especially the residential lots to
the east. (A plan amendment -will be prepared and forwarded
to the City Board in the near future.)
LAND USE -PLAN ELEMENT
The adopted plan calls for suburban office. This use is low
key with a scale compatible with single family. The intent
of the suburban office was to help buffer the existing
single family homes from typical commercial development. It
is important that the impacts of any nonresidential use
along the east side of Bowman Road be negligible. Any
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April 20, 1993
ITEM NO.: 13 Z- 24-A(Cont.)
commercial,,development must be carefully reviewed, similar
to a Planned Unit Development review:
Site Layout
Signage
Lighting
Hours of Business
Parking
Deliveries
Waste Disposal, etc.
It is possible for a carefully designed small scale
commercial use to be compatible in scale and provide a
transition to single family from the larger more car
oriented commercial. An amendment to Mixed Office and
Commercial is recommended to meet the needs of the applicant
and adjacent single family.
ENGINEERING COMMENTS
There are none to be reported.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends approval of the C-1 rezoning with the
condition that there be site plan review prior to any site
preparation taking place on the property.
PLANNING COMMISSIQN ACTION: (APRIL 20, 1993)
The request was represented by Maury Mitchell. The
applicant, Michael Tierney, was also present. There were no
objectors in attendance.
Maury Mitchell spoke and agreed to the staff's
recommendation to have site plan review at staff level.
Commissioner Kathleen Oleson made some comments and
expressed some concerns with several of the conditional uses
in the C-1 district.
Stephen Giles, Deputy City Attorney, addressed the use
question and restricting them in a C-1 application.
Mr. Giles indicated that the Commission could only restrict
an use in a PUD.
Michael Tierney, the proposed purchaser of the property,
spoke and said that he owns two comic bookstores and he has
been in Little Rock for four years. Mr. Tierney said that
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April 20, 1993
ITEM N 13 Z- 24--A n
the bookstore would be compatible with the neighborhood and
his hours of operation were 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Additional comments were offered by various individuals.
The question was then called on the C-1 request. The C-1
was recommended for approval by a vote of 9 ayes, 1 nay and
1 absent.
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