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HomeMy WebLinkAboutLU03-04-02_ordinanceOFFICE OF THE CITY MANAGER LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS BOARD OF DIRECTORS COMMUNICATION May 6, 2003 AGENDA Subject Action Required Submitted By Land Use Plan Amendment — 40rdinance Heights Hillcrest Planning Resolution District — LU03-04-02 at Van Approval Buren at "A" Street Information Report Bruce Moore City Maria er SYNOPSIS Land Use Plan amendments in the Heights Hillcrest Planning District from Office to Commercial for future development. FISCAL IMPACT N/A RECOMMENDATION Planning Staff recommends denial. Planning Commission recommended approval on April 3, 2003 (6-2-3 in favor). CITIZEN Notices were sent to the following neighborhood associations: PARTICIPATION Heights Neighborhood Association, Cedar Hill Terrace Property Owners Association, Hillcrest Residents Neighborhood Association, Prospect Terrace Neighborhood Association, Inc., and Sherrill Heights Garden Club. BACKGROUND The property is currently a parking lot zoned R-3 Single Family and is approximately .13+ acres in size. The property on the north side of "A" Street is zoned R-3 and developed with single-family housing a clinic further north on Van Buren is zoned Planned Commercial Development. Across the street to the east is a clinic and a store zoned C-3 General Commercial and a convenience store zoned 0-3 General Office at the corner of Van Buren and Markham Street. The neighboring property to the south is a sandwich shop zoned C-3 and owned by the applicant. The property to the west is zoned C-3 along Markham Street for a restaurant while the remainder of the property to the west is currently zoned 0-3 for property owned by the former Markham Street Inn and is now the subject of a BACKGROUND Planned Commercial Development application, which has been CONTINUED forwarded to the Board of Directors at the time of the PC hearing. The applicant's property is shown as Office on the Future Land Use Plan. The property to the north is shown as Single Family. The land to the east is shown as Office, Single Family, and Commercial. The land to the south fronting Markham Street is shown as Commercial. The neighboring land to the west is shown as Office, which was the subject of a Land Use Plan Amendment for a change to Mixed Use and was withdrawn on February 6, 2003. "A" Street has traditionally served as the boundary between the residential and non-residential uses located in the neighborhood. A change to Commercial at this location would expanded the area shown as Commercial located at the northwest corner of Markham and Van Buren to "A" Street. The Office currently shown provides a transition between the Commercial located on Markham Street and the Single Family Located north of "A" Street. This transition between Office and Commercial assists in establishing "A" Street as a boundary between the residential and non-residential areas of the neighborhood. In addition, the applicant's property is located in the recently approved Midtown Redevelopment District. The redevelopment district is primarily focused on issue effecting the frontage along Markham Street but may result in future recommendations for Land Use Plan changes at the Markham / Van Buren intersection. The district has not developed any specific plans, which include this property. A Plan is not expected for several more months. FILE NO.: LU03-04-02 Name: Land Use Plan Amendment - Heights/Hillcrest Planning District Location: 5101 N. Van Buren Street Request: Office to Commercial Source: Morris N. Harper, Trustee PROPOSAL / REQUEST: Land Use Plan amendment in the Heights/Hillcrest Planning District from Office to Commercial. The Commercial category includes a broad range of retail and wholesale sales of products, personal and professional services, and general business activities. Commercial activities vary in type and scale, depending on the trade area they serve. The applicant wishes to use the property for a parking lot and possibly to move a commercial building from the neighboring lot to the south to the lot covered by the application. EXISTING LAND USE AND ZONING.- The ONING: The property is currently a parking lot zoned R-3 Single Family and is approximately .13± acres in size. The property on the north side of "A" Street is zoned R-3 and developed with single-family housing a clinic further north on Van Buren is zoned Planned Commercial Development. Across the street to the east is a clinic and a store zoned C-3 General Commercial and a convenience store zoned 0-3 General Office at the corner of Van Buren and Markham Street. The neighboring property to the south is a sandwich shop zoned C-3 and owned by the applicant. The property to the west is zoned C-3 along Markham Street for a restaurant while the remainder of the property to the west is currently zoned 0-3 for property owned by the former Markham Street Inn and is now the subject of a Planned Commercial Development application, which has been forwarded to the Board of Directors. FUTURE LAND USE PLAN AND RECENT AMENDMENTS: On June 20, 2000 a change was made from Single Family to Suburban Office in the 200 block of McKinley Street about 9/10 of a mile west of the applicant's property to accommodate a proposed development. On April 20, 1999 two changes were made from Single Family to Mixed Use on the north side of W. 11th Street between Elm and Lewis Streets and on the south side of W. 12th Street between Elm and Lewis Streets about 1 mile southeast of the application area to strengthen and protect the integrity of neighboring residential areas. FILE NO.: LU03-04-02 Cont. On March 16, 1999 multiple changes were made from Office and Multi -family to Single Family, Multi -family, Mixed Use, and Office in the vicinity of University Avenue and "C" Streets to reflect existing conditions and protect the integrity of the neighboring residential areas about 1/3 of a mile west of the study area. The applicant's property is shown as Office on the Future Land Use Plan. The property to the north is shown as Single Family. The land to the east is shown as Office, Single Family, and Commercial. The land to the south fronting Markham Street is shown as Commercial. The neighboring land to the west is shown as Office, which was the subject of a Land Use Plan Amendment for a change to Mixed Use and was withdrawn on February 6, 2003. MASTER STREET PLAN: The Master Street Plan shows Van Buren Street as Minor Arterial and is built to a modified standard with a 70 -foot right-of-way with three -lane cross sections. "A" Street is a local street and has partial curb and gutters installed. There are no bikeways shown that would be affected by this amendment. PARKS: The Little Rock Parks and Recreation Master Plan of 2001 shows the War Memorial Park is located half a block south of the application area on the south side of Markham Street. The plan describes War Memorial Park as providing special facilities such as the zoo, fitness center, and a golf course designed to serve the entire city. This amendment is not likely to affect the large facilities at War Memorial Park. HISTORIC DISTRICTS: There are no historic districts that would be affected by this amendment. CITY RECOGNIZED NEIGHBORHOOD ACTION PLAN: The applicant's property is located in an area covered by "The Hillcrest Neighborhood Plan: a `Blueprint' of Our Community." The chapter on zoning and land use contains a goal of creating a different set of guidelines with which to govern the development of Hillcrest. Under this goal, is two objectives advocating the preservation of the aesthetic nature of the neighborhood and establishing design standards consistent with the character of the neighborhood. Two action statements listed under these goals include revising the land use map for the neighborhood to consolidate and eliminate certain land uses, and to discontinue the use of commercial structures on Markham Street that do not fit the character of the neighborhood. The plan also contains a list of supplemental issues, which includes a land use objective of limiting Mixed Uses to the 2 FILE NO.: LU03-04-02 (Cont. Kavanaugh commercial area and to control the edge erosion of the neighborhood caused by incompatible uses. ANALYSIS: The applicant's property is located in a highly developed urban area. The non- residential buildings fronting Markham Street are oriented and accessed from Markham Street. The houses neighboring the study area on Van Buren between "A" and "B" Streets are oriented toward the streets. The properties on the east side of Van Buren consists of a clinic zoned 0-3 located north of "A" Street, a clinic and gift shop zoned C-3 located south of "A" Street, and an ice cream parlor / gas station / convenience store zoned 0-3 at the corner of Markham Street. The neighboring houses located near the area currently shown as Single Family is accessed from "A" Street and face the rear portions of the non- residential properties across the street. The non-residential uses on the west side of Van Buren Street north of "A" are located in houses converted to non- residential uses, which match the scale of the neighboring residential properties. The non-residential structures on the east side of Van Buren Street are commercial in character and do not match the scale or character of houses located in the residential areas. "A" Street has traditionally served as the boundary between the residential and non-residential uses located in the neighborhood. A change to Commercial at this location would expanded the area shown as Commercial located at the northwest corner of Markham and Van Buren to "A" Street. The Office currently shown provides a transition between the Commercial located on Markham Street and the Single Family Located north of "A" Street. This transition between Office and Commercial assists in establishing "A" Street as a boundary between the residential and non-residential areas of the neighborhood. The neighboring property located to the west of the applicant's property is undergoing a state of change with the proposed renovation of the Markham Street Inn. The Planning Commission considered an application for a Land Use Plan Amendment and Planned Commercial Development covering the site of the former Markham Street in and properties north of "A" Street. The Land Use Plan Amendment covered property north of "A" Street, which staff felt would introduce incompatible uses north of "A" Street inconsistent with the existing residential area. The Plan Amendment application was withdrawn, with the Planned Commercial Development application was altered to allow development of the Markham Street Inn property. Although the property to the west will continue to be shown as Office on the Future Land Use Plan the PCD application pending before the Board of Directors, if approved, is likely to replace a vacant motel with a new extended stay facility located on the neighboring property fronting Markham Street. The PCD application originally included property north of "A" Street but was modified to gain approval for development south of "A" Street and to allow future changes north of "A" Street that would be compatible with surrounding existing residential uses. 3 FILE NO.: LU03-04-02 In addition, the applicant's property is located in the recently approved Midtown Redevelopment District. The redevelopment district is primarily focused on issue effecting the frontage along Markham Street but may result in future recommendations for Land Use Plan changes at the Markham / Van Buren intersection. The district has not developed any specific plans, which include this property. A Plan is not expected for several more months. EIGHBORHOOD COMMENTS: Notices were sent to the following neighborhood associations: Heights Neighborhood Association, Cedar Hill Terrace Property Owners Association, Hillcrest Residents Neighborhood Association, Prospect Terrace Neighborhood Association, Inc., and Sherrill Heights Garden Club. Staff has not received any comments from area residents at this time STAFF RECOMMENDATION Staff believes the change is not appropriate. The Office category shown at this location provides a transition between the areas shown as Single Family and Commercial while buffering the residential uses to the north from the intense commercial uses to the south. PLANNING COMMISSION ACTION: (APRIL 3, 2003) Brian Minyard, City Staff, made a brief presentation to the commission. Monte Moore made a presentation of item 1.1 so the discussion could coincide with the discussion for item 1. See item 1.1 for a complete discussion concerning the rezoning from R-3 to C-3. James Metzger, Board Member of Hillcrest Residents Neighborhood Association spoke in support of the application. Mr. Metzger stated that the neighborhood association reviewed the land use and zoning at the corner of W. Markham and Van Buren Streets and decided that the R-3 zoning was antiquated and that the association was not opposed to the land use plan amendment or the zoning request. Morris Harper, Trustee representing the property owner, addressed the three issues of impact on single-family homes, impact on the Hillcrest Residents Neighborhood Association, and the classification of the lot as Office on the Future Land Use Plan. Mr. Harper stated that the Planned Residential Unit north of "A" street would remove the single-family uses on "A" street. The Hillcrest Residents Neighborhood Association voted unanimously to not oppose the land use plan amendment or zoning request. Mr. Harper closed by stating that the 12 FILE NO.: LU03-04-02 (Cont.) size of the lot was not large enough to develop the property for Office uses and therefore the property should not be shown as Office on the Future Land Use Plan. Ruth Bell representing the League of Women Voters of Pulaski County spoke in opposition to the land use plan amendment and zoning application. Ms. Bell opened her comments by stating that the lot in question was small and surrounded by non-residential uses but that any development of the property would affect the houses fronting "B" Street. Ms. Bell stated that the houses north of the alley between "A" and "B" Streets are in good condition. Ms. Bell stated that the League feels that the development of the applicant's property should be done within the context of a Planned Zoning Development application to protect the integrity of the housing located to the north. In addition, a PZD would target a specific use for the applicant's property. Ms. Bell pointed out that the Hillcrest Residents Neighborhood Association voted not to oppose the applications but did not vote to support the applications. The League, according to Ms. Bell, supported staff recommendations concerning the land use plan amendment and zoning application. James Metzger responded that the Hillcrest Residents Neighborhood Association does not as policy support changes; instead they do not oppose changes. Mr. Harper stated that residents on "B" Street received notification of his applications and did not respond and that his applications would not change the use of the property. Mr. Harper closed with a statement that he wanted his application to receive the same consideration as any other application before the Planning Commission. Commissioner Bill Rector stated that the change from Office to Commercial on the Future Land Use Plan was appropriate. A motion was made to approve the item as presented. The item was approved with a vote of 6 ayes, 2 noes, and 3 absent. 5 ORDINANCE NO. AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND THE LAND USE PLAN (16,222) IN THE HEIGHTS HILLCREST PLANNING DISTRICT FROM OFFICE TO COMMERCIAL; AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES. WHEREAS, as the Little Rock Planning Commission believes it appropriate to amend the plan. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE CITY OF LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS. SECTION 1. That Office at the southwest corner of A Street and Van Buren be amended to Commercial. SECTION 2. That the ordinance shall take effect and be in full force from and after its passage and approval. PASSED: ATTEST: City Clerk APPROVED: Mayor B R3 ^ -- R3 I 03 PR U, "IC3 7C3 MAl�K PR R3 03 r� C3 R3 R 03 PR S <JCli �RtCKi"+aN R3 1p S R3 3 03 03 C3 PR / PR PR PR PR PR Q"� �'�`� PR_ Area Zoning 11' PR I Case# LU 03-04-02 N 5101 "A" Street 0 To C CT: 15 TRS: T1NR12W6 0 200 400 Feet PD: 4 Vicinity Map Ward: 3 Item # I IC MARKHAM PK/OS PK/OS r I PK/OS 'S PK/OS Land Use 0 Rpm E? D El SF MARKHAM PK/OS PK/OS Aw Case# LU 03-04-02 N 5101 "A" Street 0 TO C CT: 15 TRS: T1NR12W6 0 200 400 Feet PD: 4 Vicinity Map Ward: 3 Item # 1