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HomeMy WebLinkAboutStaff Report_MinutesJune 22, 2006 ITEM NO.: 22 FILE NO.: LU06-02-02 Name: Land Use Plan Amendment - Rodney Parham Planning District Location: Southeast corner Donna Drive and Markham Request: Single Family to Suburban Office Source: Ross Phillips PROPOSAL/REQUEST: Land Use Plan amendment in the Rodney Parham Planning District from Single Family to Suburban Office. Suburban Office represents low intensity development of office or office parks in close proximity to lower density residential areas to assure compatibility. The proposal is to construct a new structure for professional office use — Insurance Agency. Staff could not identify an easy way to expand this application at this time. EXISTING LAND USE AND ZONING: The property is developed with a single-family home currently zoned R-2, Single Family and is 0.7 acres t in size. R-2, Single Family is located to the north, east and south with homes located on the land. To the north, south and east area existing developed single-family subdivisions. Further to the east along the southside of Markham at Brookside/John Barrow Road is a C-3 General Commercial area with a shopping center, west of John Barrow and various retail businesses to the east. There is a small amount of R-3 zoning with homes to the west. Beyond this is 0-3 General Office, Planned Office Districts, a small amount of C-3 land along either side of Markham. Most of the uses are office or churches. There are two small commercial centers in this area as well. The general area is a developed portion of Little Rock. FUTURE LAND USE PLAN AND RECENT AMENDMENTS: On December 12, 2000, several changes were made to the Land Use Plan to more accurately reflect the existing and likely future development of the area. One change was to the west on Markham from Suburban Office to Public Institutional; one was south of the site from Single Family to Public Institutional; one was east of the site from Single Family to Commercial and the last was southeast of the site from Single Family and Multifamily to Low Density Residential. All these changes surround the application area along Markham. On May 6, 2003, a change was made from Single Family and Low Density Residential to Multifamily Low Density Residential and Public Institutional. These June 22, 2006 SUBDIVISION ITEM NO.: 22 (Cont.) FILE NO.: LU06-02-02 changes were made to more accurately reflect the current and likely future development of the areas along Mara Lynn Road over a mile to the north west of the site. The Land Use Plan shows this site for Single Family. Single Family is indicated to the north and south as well as east. Further to the east along the southside of Markham at John Barrow Road, Commercial is shown on the Plan. To the west is a small amount of Single Family. However most of the land along Markham west of the site is shown for Suburban Office or Public Institutional use. MASTER STREET PLAN: Markham is shown as a Minor Arterial, with Donna Drive a Local Street on the plan. A Minor Arterial is designed to provide connections to and through the urban area, with a primary function to move traffic not provide access to adjacent properties. A Local Street is to provide access to adjacent properties; movement of vehicles is a secondary function. There are no plans at this time to make further street improvements to either roadway. As a result of this application additional right-of-way or widening may be requested. BICYCLE PLAN: There are no Bike routes shown on the City Master Bike Plan adjacent to the area under review. The closest routes are proposed to be along Rock Creek to the south and Brushy Flat Creek to the east. PARKS: The Little Rock Parks and Recreation Master Plan indicates there is a deficient area on the south of Markham. However there is an existing public or private recreation or open space within 8 -blocks of this site as recommended by the Plan. HISTORIC DISTRICTS: There are no city recognized historic districts that would be affected by this amendment. CITY RECOGNIZED NEIGHBORHOOD ACTION PLAN: The site is within the area covered by the West Markham Neighbrhoods Plan. The Plan does not address the issue of converting a single-family house to non-residential. However it does call to"Limit expansion of non-residential 2 June 22. 2006 SUBDIVISION ITEM NO.: 22 (Cont.) FILE NO.: LU06-02-02 development to areas shown as non-residential on the Future Land Use Plan as well as limiting businesses to areas zoned for non-residential activity." The Plan also recommends repair and replacement of sidewalks along Arterials (Markham). ANALYSIS: The site is within a developed portion of Little Rock. Currently there is a single- family home on a large lot at this location. This structure faces Markham, which is an Arterial. There are single-family homes to the east and west along Markham. Donna is a local street, a cul-de-sac. There are less than eighteen homes along Donna. Along the north side of Markham there are single-family homes either backing or fronting to Markham. This site recently was approved for the construction of five single-family homes. The general area is single family homes with offices/institutional uses to the west. The structures in the area appear to be in good condition and occupied. This is true for both the residential and non-residential uses in the area. To the east along Markham, the City has opposed the conversion of single-family homes to non-residential uses. To the south and north of Markham are single-family subdivisions that are fully developed with homes. To the east are both small offices and large office buildings. The non -single family use pattern starts about a block to the west with a church on the south side of Markham and small office buildings on the north. Further west is a church and a retail center also located in this corridor. To the east is all Single Family until you get to the southwest corner of Markham and John Barrow Road where a commercial center has been located for many years. The tenant mix has changed significantly over the years but the occupancy rate is high for the center. Markham is a minor arterial. The function of a minor arterial is to move vehicles around the city not to provide access to adjacent land. It is important that developments along Markham be designed to limit access and signage which might reduce the efficiency of the road to move vehicles. In a developed area with homes fronting a major street, the City is continually pressured to allow the conversion of the residential to non-residential uses. The City policy is not to line major roads with retail or non-residential uses. This is to discourage some of the negative affects on the street of such uses lining them. It should be noted that there are several other homes which front Markham both to the east and west of the site. The City policy does not recognized that just because a home is on a major street it can no longer be residential. For that 3 June 22, 2006 SUBDIVISION ITEM NO.: 22 (Cont.) FILE NO.: LU06-02-02 matter there are many homes on Cantrell Road, Markham and other main roads in Little Rock. Based on a review of the structures in the area, there does appear to be demand for office space in the area. There are not a large number of vacant office structures or space. However the homes in the area are also in good condition and there does not appear to be a single-family vacancy or abandonment issue in this area. Thus there is demand for both uses in the area. The only reason given to make a change is that the current owners of the property would like to use it for an office. There is no non-residential use adjacent to this site, zoned or land use. NEIGHBORHOOD COMMENTS: Notices were sent to the following associations: Santa Fe Heights & Treasure Hills Neighborhood Associations as well as the Pennbrook/Clover Hill Property Owners Association. Staff has received no comments from area residents. STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS: Staff believes the change is not appropriate. V G1 � Zai ou IL A w� Y C/) ° s � o Z a o 0 C) 0 o FAIRHAVEN pL� �- w Y J WIGGINS ° �r O a _ QYNTHIA� � � w � SF MP.YFLOWE 9 P _ o PK/OS m^LU LOVER HILL PENROSEAN ' 96 p p It f Vicinity Map Plan Amendment Case: LU06-02-02 Location: SEC W. Markham N Street & Donna Drive SF to SO Ward: 6 PD: 2 0 250 500 Feet CT: 22.05 TRS: T1NR13W3 H 4Y." n4 p I IIY / f(•� A Or,,( �g 9 S ml Area Vicinity Map '�Vlllll Case:LU06-02-02 Location: SEC W. Markham N Street & Donna Drive SF to SO n Ward: 6 ,/\\V FD: 2 0 250 500 Feet CT: 22.05 TRS: TINR13W3 i • • • m 4Y." n4 p I IIY / f(•� A Or,,( �g 9 S ml Area Vicinity Map '�Vlllll Case:LU06-02-02 Location: SEC W. Markham N Street & Donna Drive SF to SO n Ward: 6 ,/\\V FD: 2 0 250 500 Feet CT: 22.05 TRS: TINR13W3 June 22, 2006 SUBDIVISION ITEM NO.: 22 (Cont.) FILE NO.: LU06-02-02 matter there are many homes on Cantrell Road, Markham and other main roads in Little Rock. Based on a review of the structures in the area, there does appear to be demand for office space in the area. There are not a large number of vacant office structures or space. However the homes in the area are also in good condition and there does not appear to be a single-family vacancy or abandonment issue in this area. Thus there is demand for both uses in the area. The only reason given to make a change is that the current owners of the property would like to use it for an office. There is no non-residential use adjacent to this site, zoned or land use. NEIGHBORHOOD COMMENTS: Notices were sent to the following associations: Santa Fe Heights & Treasure Hills Neighborhood Associations as well as the Pennbrook/Clover Hill Property Owners Association. Staff has received no comments from area residents. STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS: Staff believes the change is not appropriate. PLANNING COMMISSION ACTION: (JUNE 22, 2006) Walter Malone, Planning Staff reviewed the existing use pattern and Land Use Plan. This is a developed area in which there is demand for both single-family and office. There is no adjacent non-residential and Staff does not see a justification to change the Plan. Ms. Donna James presented the related Planned Zoning District request. See item 22.1 for a full meeting summary. A motion for approval was made. By a vote of 0 for 9 against the Land Use Plan Amendment was denied.