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HomeMy WebLinkAboutdraft Item AluChem annex and zoningNAME: AluChem Annexation And AluChem Planned Industrial District (PID) REQUEST: Accept 18 acres plus or minus to the City and Zoning to PID LOCATION: West of Arch Street Pike near Dixon Road intersection (10500 Arch Street) SOURCE: Stephen Joiner, Rose Law Firm agent SURVEYOR /ENGINEER: Heritage Engineering GENERAL INFORMATION: • The County Judge's Annexation Order was filed on June 17, 2019. • The area is developed with an industrial processing plant on the site. • There is a single property owner of the area requesting annexation. • The annexation request is basically triangular in shape with a small square area on one point. • The annexation request is to obtain City services — Sewer, Police and Fire. • The larger portion of the site is some 1542 plus or minus feet along the east side, 814 feet along the north side with 213 feet along the old railroad right-of-way then 1517 feet in a southeastern direction. There is a one acre square at the southeast point of the triangular parcel. • The entire site shall be zoned for Planned District Industrial with a related action to the annexation. They are requesting I-3, Heavy Industrial Uses with that application and some additional structures on the site. No use change is proposed at this time. AGENCY COMMENTS: Public Safety: Fire: No comment received Arch Street Fire Protection District (current provider) indicates they have no issues or concerns with the proposed annexation request. Police: The Little Rock Police Department has indicated they have no issues or concerns with the proposed annexation. Infrastructure and Communitv Facilities: Rock Region METRO Transit: No comment received Parks and Recreation: No comment received. Public Works: Little Rock Solid Waste has indicated they have no concerns or issues with the annexation request. Little Rock Public Works Department has indicated they have no issues or concerns with the proposed annexation. Pulaski County Planning: Pulaski County Planning has indicated they have no concerns or issues with the annexation. Arkansas Geographic Information Office: AGIO confirmed the applicant had followed ARK CODE 14 -40-101. UtilitIes: Central Arkansas Water (CAW): No comment received. Entergy: No comment received. CenterPoint- Energy: No comment received. Little Rock Water Reclamation Authority (LRWRA): No comment received. AT &T: No comment received. Schools: Little Rock: No comment received. The annexation area is not within the Little Rock School District. Pulaski County Special: No comment received. The annexation area is within the Pulaski County Special School District. ANNEXATION ANALYSIS (A -335): The annexation is continuous to the City on its eastern and northern boundaries. The area to the east and north was brought into the City in 2008 and 2009 in two annexations. This was done to bring the Porocel Company property into the City of Little Rock. There has been some material storage and processing on this site for many years. This site is a developed industrial plant. Several buildings make up the plant 'campus'. The site is not on a street, but has access through the industrial property to its east to Arch Street Pike. The cluster of small buildings is located west and behind 2 the Porocel plant on Arch Street Pike at the Dixon Road intersection. One office building with a second small office, five warehouse buildings and a processing plant make up the campus. There are both paved and gravel roads within the plant campus, as well as both paved and gravel parking areas. The Little Fourche Creek is to the north of the site within Little Rock and its flood plain does cover much of the site (500 year floodplain). The rail spur that serves this site is between the creek and the area requesting annexation. The land to the north and east is zoned some form of industrial. The land to the south and west is not zoned is outside of the Little Rock zoning area but within Little Rock's subdivision review area. Much of these areas are ponds. The annexation area is not zoned but as noted above is developed with an industrial use. The applicant has filed an accompanying Planned Industrial District to recognize the industrial use, allow future I-3 Heavy Industrial uses and to allow for some expansion of the existing use. The company processes inert, non - hazardous aluminum oxide powder. Raw materials are delivered via closed rail popper cars. Approximately eighty -five percent of the finished product is shipped out in closed popper cars and 15 percent by truck. The company plans an expansion with this annexation and the receipt of sewer, police and fire services. The expansion will exceed the company's internal ability to process the waste water produced and therefore there is a need to connect to the City waste water system. The county review has found that the annexation area meets all the requirements for annexation — is contiguous, petitioners represent majority of the land to be annexed, the land will be used for an urban purpose and the documents filed are correct and accurate representations of the area. The Pulaski County Judge signed the Annexation Order on June 17, 2019. The annexation request includes the provision of police and fire protection and connection to the Little Rock Waste Water System. The access to the property is through property already annexed to the City of Little Rock. By annexing the property there should be less confusion from a public safety stand point of who should respond to an emergency. There is no roadway involved with this annexation and the existing use is an industrial business which would have to have private waste disposal. There should be no new road or solid waste costs to the City do to this annexation. The Public Works Department has no comments or concerns with the annexation. The Little Rock Police Department has indicated no issues with this annexation. The Arch Street Fire Department (current provider) has no issues with the proposed annexation. The closest fire station (Station 19) is located at 3515 West 69th Street. From this station via existing streets is just approximately 4.0 miles to the annexation area. Station 17 located at 10621 Chicot Road, is the next closest station with runs of 5.5 miles to the annexation area. 3 There is a 12-inch water main along Arch Street Pike east of the annexation area. There is also a 16-inch water main along the rail spur which is along the northwest boundary of the annexation area. A 16 -in wastewater line crosses the Little Fourche Creek just north of the annexation area (to the north and west). The property owner will have to provide the connections to these service lines at their cost. PLANNED DEVELOPMENT ANALYSIS (z-9432): A. PROPOSAL /REQUEST /APPLICANT'S STATEMENT: The applicant is requesting approval of a PID zoning to allow for I-3, Heavy Commercial uses. They do not plan to change the use of the property, but do plan to add additional structures to allow for more production capacity of the plant. B. EXISTING CONDITIONS: This site is a developed industrial plant. Several buildings make up the plant 'campus'. The site is not on a street, but has access through the industrial property to its east to Arch Street Pike. The cluster of small buildings is located west and behind the Porocel plant on Arch Street Pike at the Dixon Road intersection. One office building with a second small office, five warehouse buildings and a processing plant make up the campus. There are both paved and gravel roads within the plant campus, as well as both pathed and gravel parking areas. C. NEIGHBORHOOD COMMENTS: Notice of the public hearing was sent to all owners of properties located within 200 feet of the site and Southwest United for Progress. D. ENGINEERING COMMENTS: PUBLIC WORKS CONDITIONS: 1. With annexation into the City of Little Rock, the subject property will be subject to compliance with the City of Little Rock municipal codes. 2. Portions of the property appear to be within the 100 year floodplain. The floodplain delineation is not shown nor referenced on the site plan (C-2b). Finished floors of future structures must be elevated to at least 1 foot or more above the base flood elevation. E. UTILITIES /FIRE DEPARTMENT /PARKS /COUNTY PLANNING: Little Rock Water Reclamation Authority: 4 Sewer unavailable to parcels outside City Limits. Entergy: No comments received. Centerpoint Energy: Centerpoint Energy currently owns and operates below ground natural gas facilities near the "Existing City Limit" boundary described on sheet C-2a. Currently the surveys attached to File Number: Z-9432 do not indicate the presence of below ground natural gas facilities in this location which Centerpoint Energy believes to be located in dedicated easement, and may possibly be in conflict with future proposed construction on the site that is depicted. Therefore, Centerpoint Energy requests that our facilities, and record of easements be depicted on the survey. AT & T: No comments received. Central Arkansas Water: NO OBJECTIONS; All Central Arkansas Water requirements in effect at the time of request for water service must be met. Fire Department: Full plan review Maintain Access: Fire Hydrants. Maintain fire apparatus access roads at fire hydrant locations as per Appendix D of the 2012 Arkansas Fire Prevention Code Vol. 1 Section D103.1 Access road width with a hydrant. Where a fire hydrant is located on a fire apparatus access road, the minimum road width shall be 26 feet, exclusive of shoulders. 5 Grade Maintain fire apparatus access roads as per Appendix D of the 2012 Arkansas Fire Prevention Code Vol. 1 Section D103.2 Grade. Fire apparatus access roads shall not exceed 10 percent in grade except as approved by the fire chief. Loading Maintain fire apparatus access road design as per Appendix D of the 2012 Arkansas Fire Prevention Code Vol. 1 Section D102.1 Access and loading. Facilities, buildings or portions of buildings hereafter constructed shall be accessible to fire department apparatus by way of an approved fire apparatus access road with an asphalt, concrete or other approved driving surface capable of supporting the imposed load of fire apparatus weighing at least 75,000 pounds. Commercial and Industrial Developments — 2 means of access. - Maintain fire apparatus access roads as per Appendix D of the 2012 Arkansas Fire Prevention Code Vol. 1 Section D104.1 Buildings exceeding three stories or 30 feet in height. Building or facilities exceeding 30 feet or three stories in height shall have at least two means of fire apparatus access for each structure. Section D104.2 Building exceeding 62,000 square feet in area. Buildings or facilities having a gross building area of more than 62,000 square feet shall be provide with two separate and approved fire apparatus access roads. Exception: Projects having a gross building area of up to 124,000 square feet that have a single approved fire apparatus access road when all building are equipped throughout with approved automatic sprinkler systems. D104.3 Remoteness. Where two fire apparatus access roads are required, they shall be placed a distance apart equal to not less than one half of the length of the maximum overall diagonal dimension of the lot or area to be served, measured in a straight line between accesses. 30' Tall Buildings - Maintain aerial fire apparatus access roads as per Appendix D of the 2012 Arkansas Fire Prevention Code Vol. 1 Section D105.1 — D105.4 D105.1 Where Required. Where the vertical distance between the grade plane and the highest roof surface exceed 30', approved aerial fire apparatus access roads shall be provided. For the purposes of this section the highest roof surfaces shall be determined by measurement to the eave of a pitched roof, the intersection of a roof to the exterior wall, or the top of the parapet walls, whichever is greater. D105.2 Width. Aerial fire apparatus access roads shall have a minimum unobstructed with of 26', exclusive of shoulders, in the immediate vicinity of the building or portion thereof. 6 D105.3 Proximity to building. At least one of the required access routes meeting this condition shall be located within a minimum of 15 feet and a maximum of 30 feet from the building, and shall be positioned parallel to one entire side of the building. The side of the building on which the aerial fire apparatus access road is positioned shall be approved by the fire code official. D105.4 Obstructions. Overhead utility and power lines shall not be located over the aerial fire apparatus access road or between the aerial fire apparatus road and the building. Other obstructions shall be permitted to be places with the approval of the fire code official. Dead Ends. Maintain fire apparatus access roads at dead end locations as per Appendix D of the 2012 Arkansas Fire Prevention Code Vol. 1 Section D103.4 Dead Ends. Dead -end fire apparatus access roads in excess of 150 feet shall be provided with width and turnaround provisions in accordance with Table D103.4. Requirements for Dead -end fire apparatus access roads. Gates Maintain fire apparatus access road gates as per Appendix D of the 2012 Arkansas Fire Prevention Code Vol. 1 Section D103.5 Fire apparatus access road gates. Gates securing the fire apparatus access roads shall comply with all of the following criteria: 1. Minimum gate width shall be 20 feet. 2. Gates shall be of swinging or sliding type. 3. Construction of gates shall be of material that allow manual operation by one person. 4. Gate components shall be maintained in an operable condition at all times and replaces or repaired when defective. 5. Electric gates shall be equipped with a means of opening the gate by fire department personnel for emergency access. Emergency opening devices shall be approved by the fire code official. 6. Manual opening gates shall not be locked with a padlock or chain and padlock unless they are capable of being opened by means of forcible entry tools or when a key box containing the keys to the lock is installed at the gate location. 7. Locking device specifications shall be submitted for approval by the fire code official. 8. Electric gate operators, where provided, shall be listed in accordance with UL 325. 9. Gates, intended for automatic operation shall be designed, constructed and installed to comply with requirements of ASTM F 2200. Fire Hydrants 7 Locate Fire Hydrants as per Appendix C of the 2012 Arkansas Fire Prevention Code. Section C101 — C105, in conjunction with Central Arkansas Water (Daniel Tull 501-377-1245) and the Little Rock Fire Marshals' Office (Capt. Tony Rhodes 501-918-3757 or Capt. John Hogue 501-918-3754). Number and Distribution of Fire Hydrants as per Table C105.1. Parks and Recreation: No comments received. County Planning: No comments received. F. BUILDING CODES /LANDSCAPE: Building Code: Project is subject to full commercial plan review and approval prior to issuance of a building permit. For information on submittal requirements and the review process, contact a commercial plans examiner: Curtis Richey at 501.371.4724; crichey@littlerock.gov or Steve Crain at 501-371-4875; scrain _littlerock.gov Landscape: 1. Any new site development must comply with the City's minimal landscape and buffer ordinance requirements. 2. The City Beautiful Commission recommends preserving as many existing trees as feasible on this site. Credit toward fulfilling Landscape Ordinance requirements can be given when preserving trees of six (6) inch caliper or larger. G. TRANSPORTATION /PLANNING: Rock Region Metro: No comments received. Planning Division: This request is located in the Geyer Springs East Planning District. The Land Use Plan shows Residential Low Density (RL) for this property. The Residential Low category provides for single family homes at densities not to exceed 6 units per acre. Such residential development is typically characterized by conventional single family homes, but may include patio or garden homes and cluster homes, provided that the density remain less than 6 units per acre. The applicant has applied for a zoning PID, Planned Industrial District to recognize the existing use and allow for some expansion of the facilities on the site. The majority of the site is not currently zoned. Master Street Plan: There is no street bounding the application area. 8 Bicycle Plan: There are no bike routes shown in the immediate vicinity. Revised plat /plan: Submit responses to staff issues and four (4) copies of a revised preliminary plat /plan (to include the additional information as noted above) to staff on or before July 17, 2019. If you have any questions please contact Walter Malone, wmalone(a)_littlerock.gov or 501.371.6819 or Jamie Collins, gcollins(a-) Iittlerock.gov or 501.371.6818. H. SUBDIVISION COMMITTEE COMMENT: (July 10, 2019) The applicants were present. Staff presented the item and explained to the committee the connection between the proposed PID zoning request and the associated annexation. Comments from the various city departments and reviewing agencies were noted and discussed. It was determined that the survey needed to be revised to indicate floodplain areas and to locate CenterPoint Energy facilities and record of easements. Staff noted the fire department requirement of providing a minimum gate width of 20 feet. The applicant stated they would comply with that requirement. The committee determined there was no other outstanding issues and forwarded the item to the full commission. The applicant has filed the Planned Industrial District as the initial zoning of their property. In addition to recognizing the existing use and buildings on the site, this is to allow for an expansion of a second production line, new washing building and expansion of a storage building. Several buildings make up the plant `campus'. The site is not on a street, but has access through the industrial property to its east to Arch Street Pike. The cluster of small buildings is located west and behind the Porocel plant on Arch Street Pike at the Dixon Road intersection. One office building with a second small office, five warehouse buildings and a processing plant make up the campus. All raw materials are delivered via rail and the vast majority leaves the site via rail. There are both paved and gravel roads within the plant campus, as well as both pathed and gravel parking areas. The type and nature of the business does not result in many visits to the site and access to the site is controlled via a gate. This use is a 24/7 365 day a year use. No other changes are proposed at this time to the existing facilities. The Planned Industrial District zoning will allow all I-3, Heavy Industrial Uses. Applicant submitted responses to issues from the Subdivision Committee. The floodplain boundary has been added to the survey and the location of an underground gas main has been identified. The applicant also noted that they would meet all the comments in paragraph E of the staff report. There were no 9 further issues that needed to be addressed from the subdivision committee comments. J. STAFF RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends approval of the PID subject to compliance with the comments and conditions outlined in paragraphs D, E and F and the staff analysis in the agenda staff report. PLANNING COMMISSION ACTION: (AUGUST 1, 2019) The item was placed on the consent agenda for approval. By a vote of 8 for, 0 against, 2 absent and 1 open position the consent agenda was approved. 10