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HomeMy WebLinkAboutStaff Report_MinutesSeptember 4, 2003 ITEM NO.: 6 FILE NO.: LU03-01-05 Name: Land Use Plan Amendment - River Mountain Planning District Location: Sam Peck Road & Cantrell Road Request: Transition to Mixed Office Commercial Source: Henry Kelley, Flake & Kelley Real Estate PROPOSAL/REQUEST: Land Use Plan amendment in the River Mountain Planning District from Transition to Mixed Office Commercial. Mixed Office Commercial category provides for a mixture of office and commercial uses to occur. Acceptable uses are office or mixed office and commercial. A Planed Zoning District is required of the use is mixed office and commercial. The PZD is being revised to change the mix of commercial and office uses in the individual buildings. EXISTING LAND USE AND ZONING: The applicant's property is vacant land currently zoned POD and is 10.76± acres in size. The eastern half of the applicant's acreage is in the amendment area while the remaining western half is located outside the study area. The north side of Cantrell Road consists of vacant land zoned R-2 Single Family across from Crocket Street, 0-2 Office and Institutional for Offices across from Sam Peck Road, and MF -12 Multifamily for the Grace Community Church. The south side of Cantrell Road consists of an area zoned 0-2 Office and Institutional for medical offices along Cantrell Road and the Westside YMCA on Sam Peck Road. The apartments to the south are zoned MF -12 Multifamily along Sam Peck Road and Planned Development -Residential further to the west. The property to the west consists of vacant land zoned R-2, a dentist office zoned Planned Office development, and property zoned R-2 along Crocket Street. FUTURE LAND USE PLAN AND RECENT AMENDMENTS: On February 18, 2003 multiple changes were made from Transition to Single Family, Park / Open Space, Low Density Residential, Office and Public Institutional within a 1 mile radius of the applicant's property to recognize existing conditions. On July 17, 2001 a change was made from Single Family to Park / Open Space at Pankey Park less than '% of a mile west of the application area to recognize existing conditions. On April 20, 1999 multiple changes were made from Single Family and Low Density Residential to Park / Open Space, Multifamily, Office and Commercial at Cantrell and Black Road about % of a mile west of the amendment area to accommodate proposed development. The applicant's property is shown as Transition on the Future Land Use Plan. The north side of Cantrell Road is shown as Park / Open Space across from Crocket Street, Office and Public Institutional across from Sam Peck Road. The area to the east is shown as Office along Cantrell Road and Public Institution to the southeast along Sam Peck Road. The land to the south is shown as Multi- family and Low Density Residential is shown to the west along both sides of Crocket Street. MASTER STREET PLAN: Cantrell Road is shown as a Principal Arterial and is built to a width of four lanes plus an extra center turn lane. Sam Peck Road is shown as a Collector Street and is built as a two-lane road with open drainage fronting the applicant's property. South of the applicant's property Sam Peck Road is built to Collector Street standards. The portion of Sam Peck Road fronting the applicant's property would require half street improvements with the goal of making Sam Peck Road conform to the standards outlined for a Collector Street outlined in the Master Street Plan. There are no bikeways shown that would be affected by this application. PARKS: The applicant's property is located in close proximity to River Mountain, Pankey, and Conner Park. The largest park, River Mountain Park, is listed in the Little Rock Parks and Recreation Master Plan of 2001 as a Large Urban Park in the inventory list of undeveloped parks. Pankey Park located at Russ and Piggee Streets is listed as a Neighborhood Park of 5 — 20 acres and provides, a playground, a basketball pad, and picnic tables. Conner Park is shown on the map of existing parks but is not listed in the inventory of parks. All three parks are located within a distance to fulfill the plan's Eight -Block Strategy of providing park facilities within eight blocks of all Little Rock residents. However, the only developed park facilities are located at Pankey Park. The park is designed to serve the current residents of the area. HISTORIC DISTRICTS: There are no 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 River Mountain Neighborhood Action Plan. The plan includes an action statement that recommends the preservation of the integrity of the Highway 10 design Overlay District. ANALYSIS: The applicant's property could develop as office uses in the area currently shown as Transition on the Future Land Use Plan. A change to Mixed Office Commercial would allow for the development of some commercial uses on the applicant's property that would not be allowed in the Transition or Suburban Office categories. The applicant's property was the subject of a Land Use Plan Amendment for a change from Transition to Suburban Office was a part of a Future Land Use along Cantrell Road presented to the Planning Commission on January 9, 2003. The change to Suburban Office was denied at that meeting. It was determined that the Transition land use category allowed for office development similar to the requirements found in the Suburban Office category but also allowed residential development. The application area is located in the Highway 10 Design Overlay District. Any development of the property in question would need to conform to the design standards of the Highway 10 DOD. In areas shown as Transition, a Planned Zoning District is required unless an application conforms to the Design Overlay standards. The design standards of the Highway 10 DOD are intended to protect the scenic value of the Highway 10 DOD through the requirement of PZD's. A revision of the POD is a separate item on this agenda. The POD is a mixed office commercial PUD. This land use plan amendment would acknowledge that while still providing Transition on the west. NEIGHBORHOOD COMMENTS: Notices were sent to the following neighborhood associations: Pleasant Valley Property Owners Association, River Valley Property Owners Association, Pankey Community Improvement Association, Piedmont Neighborhood Association, Pleasant Forest Neighborhood Association, Secluded Hills Property Owners Association, Walton Heights-Candlewood Neighborhood Association, Westbury Neighborhood Association, and Westchester/Heatherbrae Property Owners Association. Staff has received 1 comment from area residents with questions about the application. STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS: Staff believes the change is appropriate. A change to Mixed Office Commercial would allow some commercial uses on a limited scale while avoiding the creation of a commercial node. September 4, 2003 SUBDIVISION ITEM NO.: 7 (Cont.) FILE NO.: LU03-01-05 Pleasant Forest Neighborhood Association, Secluded Hills Property Owners Association, Walton Heights-Candlewood Neighborhood Association, Westbury Neighborhood Association, and Westchester/Heatherbrae Property Owners Association. Staff has received 1 comment from area residents with questions about the application. STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS: Staff believes the change is appropriate. A change to Mixed Office Commercial would allow some commercial uses on a limited scale while avoiding the creation of a commercial node. PLANNING COMMISSION ACTION: (SEPTEMBER 4, 2003) 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.