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HomeMy WebLinkAboutLU04-04-01 Staff Report-Analyses-minutesApril 22, 2004 ITEM NO.: 18 FILE NO.: LU04-04-01 Name: Land Use Plan Amendment - Heights Hillcrest Planning District Location: Northeast corner of W. Markham Street and University Ave. Request: Multifamily and Office to Community Shopping Source: Brian Dale, White - Daters & Associates PROPOSAL / REQUEST: Land Use Plan amendment in the Heights Hillcrest Planning District from Multifamily and Office to Community Shopping. The Community Shopping category provides for shopping center development with one or more general merchandise stores. The applicant wishes to build a commercial retail development for retail space and restaurants. Prompted by this Land Use Amendment request, the Planning Staff expanded the area of review to include the area shown as Office at the northeast corner of the University Avenue and W. Markham Street intersection. EXISTING LAND USE AND ZONING: The property is a mixture of small offices and both single family and multifamily housing stock currently zoned Planned Commercial Development, 0-3 General Office, and R-3 Single Family and is 10.5 acres t in size. The area North of the application area is zoned PCD, 0-3 and R-3 and consists of small offices along University Avenue and both single family and multifamily housing stock along "C" Street. The neighboring area to the east consists of both single family and multifamily housing stock zoned R-5 Urban Residence along Fillmore Street and offices fronting W. Markham Street zoned 0-3 including a retirement/rehab center. A large tract of land to the South is zoned 0-2 Office and Institutional for St. Vincent's Hospital. A large area to the west of University Avenue is zoned C- 3 General Commercial for the Park Plaza and University Malls with out parcels fronting W. Markham Street. One apartment tower is located on C-3 zoned land on W. Markham Street between the malls. The 0-3 area to the northwest consists of office buildings and an apartment tower north of Park Plaza Mall. The northeast corner of W. Markham Street and University Avenue, not included in the original amendment area, is a full service restaurant. April 22, 2004 SUBDIVISION ITEM NO.: 18 (Cont.) FILE NO.: LU04-04-01 FUTURE LAND USE PLAN AND RECENT AMENDMENTS: On March 5, 2002 a change was made from Commercial and Office to Mixed Use on the Northwest corner of University Avenue and W. Markham Street, across the street to the west of the amendment area, to allow flexibility of uses for future development. On June 20, 2000 a change was made from Single Family to Suburban Office in the 200 block of N. McKinley Street to accommodate proposed development. On March 16, 1999 multiple changes were made from Office and Multifamily to Single Family, Multifamily, Mixed Use, and Office within a 1/3 -mile radius of, and including, the applicant's property for future development and to recognize existing conditions. The applicant's property is shown as Multifamily and Office on the Future Land Use Plan. The land north of the application area is shown as Mixed Use and Office fronting University Avenue and Multifamily along "C" Street. The land to the east is shown as Multifamily, with the properties fronting W. Markham Street are shown as Office. The land to the south on the corner of W. Markham Street and University Avenue is shown as Public Institutional, while Commercial is shown to the southwest. The northeast corner of W. Markham Street and University Avenue not included in the original application area is shown as Office. MASTER STREET PLAN: University Avenue is shown as a Principal Arterial on the Master Street Plan with a modified 100 -foot right-of-way standard between W. Markham and Lee Streets and is built to the standards specified. W. Markham Street is built to a modified standard of a four -lane cross-section and is shown as a Minor Arterial on the plan. "A," "B," "C," Pierce and Fillmore Streets are Local Streets which may be redesigned as a result of this application. 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 located two blocks east of the application area on the south side of W. 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. 2 April 22, 2004 SUBDIVISION ITEM NO.: 18 HISTORIC DISTRICTS: FILE NO.: LU04-04-01 There are no city recognized historic districts that would be affected by this amendment. City Recognized Neighborhood Action Plan: The applicant's property lies in the area covered by the Hillcrest Neighborhood Action Plan. The applicant's property lies in the area covered by the Hillcrest Neighborhood Plan a "Blueprint" of our Community. The list of supplemental issues listed a land use objective of encouraging new buildings to relate to the architecture of the neighborhood and a community development objective stating that commercial uses should not be open later than midnight. The Zoning & Land Use chapter listed a goal of enforcing the city's land -use and zoning policies to preserve the unique scale of the neighborhood. ANALYSIS - The application area is located in the Primary study area identified in the Urban Land Institute Advisory Services Panel Report published in April 2001. The report identified a Primary study area consisting of the four super -blocks designated as "Park Plaza Parcel," "University Mall Parcel," "Sears / Medical Center Parcel," and the "Hillcrest / Lifestyle Parcel." The applicant's property is in the area designated as the "Hillcrest / Lifestyle Parcel." Although the ULI study recommended locating most of the proposed retail for the "Hillcrest / Lifestyle Parcel" along University Avenue, this application would provide retail frontage along W. Markham Street. Since the area covered by this application would provide more land available further to the east than recommended by the ULI study, it will be crucial to implement the study's recommendation that new development fit the character of the neighborhood to the north and east. The Community Shopping category is generally intended for shopping malls, big box retail, and associated out -parcels. However, in spite of the location of two shopping malls located near the study area, Community Shopping is not shown at the intersection of W. Markham and University Avenue. The change from Commercial to Mixed Use on the northwest corner of the intersection was a decrease of intensity of uses to allow the possibility of future office and other non -retail developments in the neighborhood. In addition, the northeast corner of the University / W. Markham originally developed as a residential area with office and commercial uses fronting W. Markham slowly developing in the neighborhood. Currently, most of the housing stock within the application area has been removed, or is in the process of being removed at the time of this 3 April 22, 2004 SUBDIVISION ITEM NO.: 18 (Cont.) FILE NO.. LU04-04-01 writing. The ULI study has identified the northeast corner of University / W. Markham as an underused area which could be redeveloped with retail uses. The current land use plan limits commercial uses to the area shown as Mixed Use on the east side of University Avenue between "B" and "C" Streets but does not include the restaurant located a block to the south on the northeast corner of W. Markham and University. A change to Community Shopping could allow for future changes in development, which would be larger in scale than the small- scale developments currently located in the subject area. Future development in the amendment area needs to respect the unique character of the Hillcrest neighborhood. Since most of the retail development in the Hillcrest neighborhood traditionally occurred at a small scale intensity of development, any new development should be designed in such a manner, which would preserve the neighborhood's tradition of small scale retail design. The ULI study made the following recommendations: new developments which preserve the integrity nearby residential areas, provide a visible identity, and improve pedestrian safety. NEIGHBORHOOD 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., Sherrill Heights Garden Club, Forest Park Neighborhood Assoc., Briarwood Neighborhood Association, Evergreen Neighborhood Association, Meriwether Neighborhood Association, Normandy -Shannon Property Owners Association, South Normandy Property Owners Association, Forest Hills Neighborhood Association, Hope Neighborhood Association, Oak Forest Neighborhood Association, War Memorial Neighborhood Association, and University Park Neighborhood Association. Staff has not received any comments from area residents of Neighborhood Association at this time. STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS: Staff believes the change is consistent with the proposals for the area. PLANNING COMMISSION ACTION: (APRIL 22, 2004) The item was placed on the consent agenda for approval. A motion was made to approve the consent agenda and was approved with a vote of 10 ayes, 0 noes and 1 absent. 4