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Z-8674 Staff AnalysisJ U LY 25, 2011 ITEM NO.: D File No.: Owner: Applicant: Address: Description: Zoned: Z-8674 207 W. 3rd Street Development, LLC Jeff Horton South side of W. 3rd Street, between Center and Louisiana Streets Lots 1, 2, 11, 12 and part of Lot 10, Block 83, Original City of Little Rock UU Variance Requested: Variances are requested from the development provisions of Section 36-342.1, the parking design provisions of Section 36-511 and the buffer provisions of Section 36-522 in association with proposed construction of a surface parking lot. Justification: The applicant's justification is presented in an attached letter. Present Use of Property: Vacant Proposed Use of Property: Parking Lot STAFF REPORT A. Public Works Issues: No Comments B. Landscape and Buffer issues: 1. The UU District requires street trees along all three street perimeters for the UU District requirements. 2. The zoning buffer ordinance requires a nine foot wide (9'-0") street buffer along all three street property lines. 3. The landscape ordinance requires a nine foot wide (9'-0") perimeter landscape strip. A variance from the City Beautiful Commission is required prior to the issuance of a building permit. 4. Eight percent (8%) of the interior of the parking lot must be green space. Currently, this proposal doesn't meet this minimal ordinance requirement. A variance from the City Beautiful Commission is required prior to the issuance of a building permit. 5. Building landscaping is required between the parking lot and the building. Currently, this proposal doesn't meet this minimal ordinance requirement. JULY 25, 2011 ITEM NO.: D CON'T_) A variance from the City Beautiful Commission is required prior to the issuance of a building permit. C. Staff Anal The UU zoned property along the south side of W. 3rd Street, between Center and Louisiana Streets, is currently vacant with some site work taking place. The area is mostly gravel covered. The property is enclosed with a chain -link construction fence. A north/south alley right-of-way which runs through the block bisects the property. The applicant proposes to construct a new parking lot on the site, as noted on the attached site plan. The new parking lot will serve the Hatcher Agency, which is located in the office building within the southeast portion of this block, and Vratsinas Construction Company, which is located in the office building across W. 3rd Street to the north. The proposed parking lot on the west side of the alley will contain 40 paved parking spaces, with the lot on the east side of the alley containing 48 spaces. The lots will be enclosed with six (6) foot high iron fencing, with masonry columns. Vehicle entry gates (rolling gates) for each lot will be located along the alley right-of-way. Two (2) ground signs for the Hatcher Agency will be incorporated into the fence construction for the lot on the east of the alley. The signs will be located at the northeast and northwest corners of the lot. Each sign will be brick wall construction, with a height of approximately six (6) feet. The sign on each brick section will be approximately 22 square feet in area. The lot on the west side of the alley will contain no signage. The applicant is requesting several variances in conjunction with the proposed new parking lot construction. The first variance requested is from Section 36- 342.1(c)(5)b. of the City's Zoning Ordinance. This section requires street trees in the UU zoning district as follows: b. Street trees a minimum of three-inch caliper shall be required (type of trees as listed in landscape ordinance [chapter 15]). The trees shall be located a minimum of two (2) feet off the back of a curb and shall be thirty (30) feet on center and no closer than thirty (30) feet to a street intersection with a water source provided. The tree canopy shall be maintained at least eight (8) feet above the sidewalk. The applicant is providing street trees with this project, however, existing utility lines will prohibit the planting of three (3) of the required trees around the perimeter of the lot west of the alley. One (1) street tree at the northeast corner of the lot and two (2) street trees at the southwest corner of the lot will not be allowed due to existing utility lines. The second variance is from Section 36-342.1 (c )(10)b. This section states that "surface parking is to be located behind or adjacent to a structure, never between the building and abutting street." The property owners are requesting the new JULY 25, 2011 ITEM NO.: D (CON'T parking lot in order to provide a secure parking area for their employees, with the lot located between two (2) buildings and the W. 3rd Street right-of-way. The next requested variance is from Section 36-342.1 (c )(11). This section prohibits ground -mounted signs in the UU zoning district, except as approved by the Board of Adjustment. The applicant is requesting the two (2) ground -mounted signs as part of the fence construction for the lot east of the alley. These signs will be located on the lot adjacent to the Hatcher Agency office building and will aid in identifying the facilities. The next requested variance is from the parking design standards of Section 36- 511. This section requires right angle parking spaces to have a width of nine (9) feet and a minimum depth of 20 feet. The applicant is proposing parking stall depths of 18 feet for the spaces on both lots. The spaces within the lot west of the alley are proposed with widths of 8.5 feet. The spaces within the lot east of the alley will be nine (9) feet wide. The final requested variance is from the street buffer provisions of Section 36- 522(b)(3)b. This section requires a minimum street buffer width of nine (9) feet. The proposed plan provides a six (6) foot wide street buffer along W. 3rd Street for the lot west of the alley, and a street buffer width of eight (8) feet along W. 3rd Street for the lot east of the alley. Tie proposed street buffers along Center and Louisiana Streets will be nine (9) feet in width. Staff is supportive of the requested variances from the UU zoning district development standards, as well as the parking design and buffer variances. Staff views the rer9uest as reasonable. Existing paved surface parking lots are located across W. 3� Street to the north. The Board of Adjustment recently approved variances from the UU district standards for a future parking lot directly across Center Street to the west. Staff feels the proposed parking lot will be a quality addition to the area. The lot will be landscaped with a decorative iron fence with masonry columns. The proposed lot will be similar in size to other surface parking lots in this general area which contain little or no landscaping and street trees. Staff believes the proposed parking lot will have no adverse impact on the adjacent properties or the general area. The applicant will also need to apply to the City Beautiful Commission for variances related to building and interior landscaping. D. Staff Recommendation: Staff recommends approval of the requested variances from the UU zoning district development standards, and the parking design and buffer standards, subject to compliance with the City's Landscape and Buffer Ordinance requirements. Any variance from the Landscape Ordinance must be approved by the City Beautiful Commission prior to issuance of a building permit. JULY 25, 2011 ITEM NO.: D [CON'T. BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT: (JUNE 27, 2011) Staff informed the Board that the application needed to be deferred to the July 25, 2011 agenda based on the fact that notices to surrounding property owners were not correct/complete. Staff noted that the applicant's list of surrounding property owners obtained from an abstract company did not include all of the owners within 200 feet of the entire site. The item was placed on the Consent Agenda and deferred to the July 25, 2011 agenda with a vote of 5 ayes, 0 nays and 0 absent. BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT: (JULY 25, 2011) The applicant was present. There were no objectors present. Staff presented the application with a recommendation of approval, with conditions. The item was placed on the Consent Agenda and approved, as recommended by staff with a vote of 5 ayes, 0 nays and 0 absent.