HomeMy WebLinkAboutBear Den A336 pc itemJanuary 9, 2020
ITEM NO. 15: FILE NO.: A-336
NAME: Bear Den Annexation
REQUEST: Accept 80 acres plus or minus to the City
LOCATION: Along the north side of Chenal Drive, at Gordon Road (across from
Germay and Sologne neighborhoods of Chenal)
SOURCE: Bradford Gaines, Colliers International agent
GENERAL INFORMATION:
• The County received the annexation request November 22, 2019.
• The Tract is undeveloped and wooded. The proposed used for area is
single - family homes.
• There is one property owner. This is a 100 percent property Owner
annexation.
• The site is contiguous to the City of Little Rock along the west, south and
east sides.
• The annexation request is to obtain City services.
• The site is basically rectangular, approximately 2640 feet along the north
and south property lines and approximately 1289 and 1340 feet
respectively along the west and east property lines.
• The site is zoned R-2, Single Family District.
AGENCY COMMENTS:
Public Safety:
Fire: No Comment Received.
Police: Little Rock Police Department had no comments or recommendations on
the proposed annexation.
Infrastructure and Community Facilities:
Rock Region METRO Transit: No Comment Received.
Parks and Recreation: No Comment Received.
Public Works: Little Rock solid Waste Division indicates they have no issues or
concerns with the proposed annexation. The Engineering Division has indicted
that their understanding is that Gordon Road will be improved to City Standard by
January 9, 2020
ITEM NO. 15: (Cont.) FILE NO. A-336
the property owner /developer of the land. And this this will commence without
delay after annexation and purchase of the land.
Pulaski County Planning: No Comment Received.
Arkansas Geographic Information Office: AGIO expressed no concerns with the
annexation and noted the applicant had followed ARK CODE 14-40-101.
Utilities:
Central Arkansas Water: No Comment Received.
Entergy: Entergy has indicated they have not concerns or issues with that
annexation, but that at time of subdivision additional easements may be required.
Reliant-Energy: No Comment Received.
Little Rock Water Reclamation Authority: No Comment Received.
AT&T: No Comment Received.
Schools:
Little Rock: No Comment Received.
The annexation areas are not within the Little Rock School District.
Pulaski County Special: No Comment Received.
The annexation areas are within the Pulaski County Special School District.
ANALYSIS:
The City of Little Rock has annexed two areas in 1989 (ordinance 15631) and
1999 (ordinance 18146) which bound the application area on the west, south and
east. The southern boundary is just north of Chanel Valley Drive. The only
access is via Gordon Road which enters the annexation area near the southeast
corner for the area. The area requesting annexation is partly wooded and
undeveloped. Bear Den Mountain is located in the northeast section of the
annexation area. Bear Den Mountain is a rocky peak and it would be on the new
City Limits if approved. Gordon Road enters the property near the southeast
corner and moves in a northwesterly direction circling to the west of Bear Den
Mountain and proceeding north to Two Towers Road.
There are several large electric easements with high power transmission lines
through the property. There is a 100 foot wide easement shown on the survey
from southeast to northwest. It enters on the south Boundary (6060 plus feet
from the southeast corner and moves to north of the center of the tract asking for
annexation. This easement does not appear to have a utility in it currently.
There is a 180 foot wide easement with transmission line from southwest to
2
January 9, 2020
ITEM NO. 15: (Cont.) FILE NO. A-336
northeast, entering the west boundary just north of the midpoint and moving to
just north of the midtown of the tract. The largest easement is 280 feet wide and
contains a transmission line. The easement is basically north -south and starts
that the confluence of the other two easements, just north of the center and
moves north out of the tract asking for annexation.
The property is currently zoned R-2, Single Family Residential District. It is
wooded and undeveloped at this time. South of the property is R-2 zoned land
with single - family subdivisions — the Germany and Sologne Neighborhoods of
Chenal. To the west is undeveloped R-2 zoned land (within the City Limits)
owned by Deltic Real Estate LLC. To the north is the ridge line with Shinall
Mountain and Crystal Mountain where several radio and TV transmission towers
are located. This area is outside the City Limits but zoned R-2 Single Family
Residential District. To the east is wooded vacant land. The southern portion is
zoned MF-12, Multifamily Residential District Twelve Units Per Acre and the
northern portion is zoned OS, Open Space District. The MF-12 area has an
approved site plan for an apartment development (approved in January 2019).
The transmission lines with easements and the steep grades of Bear Den
Mountain will make portions of the annexation hard to develop if they can be
developed at all. The full 80 acres will not be able to be developed at the
densities allowed by the R-2 zoning. The owners of the property have indicated
that they would be developing the land as zoned, i.e. for single - family homes.
Between Bear Den Mountain and the easements on the property just over half of
the area should be developable. This would result in less than 300 houses on
this land. Based on the lot sizes of the subdivisions nearby this would result in
120 to 175 houses.
Just under a half mile of Gordon Road would be included in this annexation.
Gordon Road is a public county road with a `Mackey Order' 50 foot right-of-way.
It is a chip seal road with open shoulders. The road does not meet Little Rock
Master Street Plan standards. The applicant has provided the City with a letter
indicating that once the land has been annexed and purchased, they intend to
begin development of the area. At the time of subdivision and development of
the area, Gordon road will be rebuilt by the property owner /developer to City
standards in the approximate alignment of the current road. The Public Works
Department is satisfied with this commitment.
There are 8-inch waste water lines along Chenal Valley Drive south of the
annexation area. And there is a 12-inch water main along Chenal Valley Drive,
as well as a 12-inch line along the eastern line of this tract from the water tower
along Two Towers Road to Chenal Valley Drive. As part of the development of
the land the developer will have to extend these services to the new
development.
The Pulaski County received the annexation petition on Friday November 22,
2019. The County Clerk has 15 working days to process and verify the petition
meets the requirements of a 100 percent owner annexation. The County Judge
3
January 9, 2020
ITEM NO. 15: (Cont.) FILE NO. A-336
has another 15 days to review all the documents and, if correct, sign the Order.
If the County uses its full time allowed, the City would not receive the singed
Judge's Order prior to the writing of this report.
The closest fire station (Station 21) is located at 17000 Chenal Valley Drive.
From this station via existing streets is just approximately 1.8 miles to the
annexation area. Station 23, Rahling Road, is the next closest station with runs
of approximately 4.6 miles to the annexation area. Areas beyond the annexation
area already must be serviced from these two stations. With land both east and
west of the annexation area within the city limits; current police patrols would
already naturally pass on Chenal Valley Drive. The Fire Department made no
comment on the proposed annexation. The Little Rock Police Department
responded with `no recommendations' on this annexation. The police currently
patrol along Chenal Valley Drive in front of the annexation site but do not patrol
within the area — no businesses or homes current exist in the area to be
annexed.
Staff Recommendation:
Approval of the annexation contingent on the county Judge's signing the Order.
PLANNING COMMISSION ACTION: (January 9, 2020)
4