Z-8794-A Staff AnalysisFILE NO.: Z-8792 A&B),Z-8793 A-C , Z-8794 A&B
Owner: Various
Applicant: City of Little Rock, Planning & Development
Location: Along and north of Kavanaugh Boulevard, from
Ridgeway Drive to Monroe
Area: 4.6 Acres plus or minus
Request: Rezone from R-5 to R-2 and R-3
Purpose: Single -Family houses
Existing Use: Single -Family houses
SURROUNDING LAND USE AND ZONING
North — Single -Family homes and apartments; zoned R-3 & R-2 Single Family, R-4
Two -Family, and R-5 Urban Residential Districts
South — Commercial and office uses along and across Kavanaugh Boulevard; zoned
C-3 General Commercial, and R-5 Urban Residential Districts
East — Single -Family homes and apartments; zoned R-5 Urban Residential and R-2
Single Family Districts
West — Single -Family homes and apartments; zoned R-2 Single Family
A. PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION ELEMENT:
The sites are located on or close to the Pulaski Heights route along Kavanaugh
Boulevard. This CATA bus route goes from the Heights to the northwest along
Kavanaugh Boulevard to downtown to the southeast.
B. PUBLIC NOTIFICATION -
All owners of property located within requested areas and the Hillcrest Residents
Association were notified of the public hearing.
C. LAND USE ELEMENT:
This request is located in the Hillcrest Planning District. The Land Use Plan
shows Residential High Density (RH) for this property. The Residential High
FILE NO.:Z-8792 A&B Z-8793 A-C Z-8794 A&B Cont.
Density category accommodates residential development of more than twelve
(12) dwelling units per acre. The request is along the boundary of these two
categories. The applicant has applied for a rezoning from R-5 (Urban Residential
District) to R-2 and & R-3 (Single -Family) to recognize existing single-family
homes.
Master Street Plan:
All the streets (Ridgeway Drive, Oak, Pine, Walnut, Ash, Beechwood, Palm,
Spruce, Monroe and I Streets) except Kavanaugh Boulevard are Local Streets on
the Master Street Plan. Kavanaugh Boulevard is a Collector on the Master
Street Plan. A Local Street is to provide access to adjacent property. The
primary function of a Collector Street is to provide a connection from Local
Streets to Arterials.
Bicycle Plan:
There is a Class III Bike Route shown along Kavanaugh Boulevard. Bike Routes
require no additional right-of-way or pavement markings, but do require a sign to
identify and direct the route.
D. STAFF ANALYSIS:
In 2011 City Staff presented a package of changes to the City of Little Rock Land
Use Plan in an area that included the Hillcrest neighborhood. At the hearing a
request was made to review the large area of R-5, Urban Residential zoning
north of Kavanaugh Boulevard with an intention to re-classify it to single-family.
Staff agreed to do this review with the neighborhood.
In the Spring of 2012 Staff reviewed the zoning and existing use pattern to see if
there were and how many single-family homes there were within the R-5 Urban
Residential District of Hillcrest. This was based on aerial photographs, the
Pulaski County Assessors data base and the City's zoning map. Several were
noted, so Staff contacted the Hillcrest Residents Association (HRA) to discuss
the proposal.
On June 14 Staff met with the HRA executive committee to discuss the project to
re-classify some of the R-5 area. After some discussion the executive committee
voted to support the City effort to look at the multifamily area along Kavanaugh
Boulevard. Additional field checks were done by Staff to verify single-family use
on lots. The result was forty (40) parcels for possible reclassification.
Letters were sent to the forty (40) parcel owners (based on the Pulaski County
Assessors Office records) at the end of May. This letter informed the property
owners of the possible re-classification and gave them the option to ask to be
removed, by simply telling staff they did not wish to be re-classified. Nine
2
FILE NO.2-8792(AM, Z-8793 A-C Z-8794 A&B Cont.
properties asked to be removed and an additional four called asking questions
about the letter (two of these stated total support for rezoning to single-family).
Staff provided the HRA with the results — that thirty-one (31) parcels would be
considered for re-classification after the initial notification of affected property
owners. In addition the package of changes was presented the Plans Committee
of the Little Rock Planning Commission on July 11, 2012. Notice letters were
developed for the affected property owners and HRA.
Thirty-one (31) property owners have received notice that their property will be
considered for re-classification at the August 30, 2012 Planning Commission
Public hearing. This notice was done by certified return -request US Mail. All
were invited to notify staff to have their properties removed from consideration
and to attend the hearing to give comments. All these properties are existing
single-family homes.
Z-8792, Z-8792-A, Z-8792-B would rezone properties on Hill, Oak and Pine north
of Kavanaugh Boulevard to R-3 Single -Family. This is the 'base' single-family
zoning for this portion of Hillcrest. A total of ten (10) single-family homes would
be reclassified from R-5 Urban Residential to R-3 Single -Family with this action.
Z-8793, Z-8793-A, Z-8793-B, Z-8793-C would rezone properties on Kavanaugh
Boulevard, Walnut, Ash, Beechwood, and I Streets to R-2 Single -Family. This is
the 'base' single-family zoning for this part of Hillcrest. A total of thirteen (13)
single-family homes would be reclassified from R-5 Urban Residential to R-2
Single -Family with this action.
Z-8794, Z-8794-A, Z-8794-B would rezone properties on Palm, Spruce and
Monroe north of Kavanaugh Boulevard to R-2 Single -Family. This is the `base'
single-family zoning for this part of Hillcrest. A total of eight (8) single-family
homes would be reclassified from R-5 Urban Residential to R-2 Single -Family
with this action.
In response to the second mailing, property owner Mr. William Holmes requested
(on August 3, 2012) that his property at 811 North Spruce not be re-classified to
R-2 Single Family. (This is part of Z-8794.) This property is removed resulting in
30 properties to be re-classified to either R-2 or R-3 Single -Family.
E. STAFF RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends approval of the requested R-2 and R-3 rezonings as amended
removing 811 North Spruce.
3
FILE NO.:Z-8792 A&B Z-8793 A-C Z-8794 A&B Cont.
PLANNING COMMISSION ACTION:
(AUGUST 30, 2012)
Mr. Malone indicated this package was the result of a request to review the multifamily
zoning made by the Commission last year. He then reviewed the process used (as
noted in the Staff Analysis section). Two owners, Mr. William Holmes and Ms. Pat Isbell
requested their properties not be re-classified after this item was legal advertised.
Staff recommends that 811 North Spruce and 722 North Ash be removed from the
package and the remaining 29 parcels be re-classified to Single -Family zoning. A
motion was made to approve the zoning item as amended. By a vote 10 for, 0 against
and 1 absent the item was approved.
4