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HomeMy WebLinkAboutLetter to ApplicantCity of Little Rock Department of Planning ana DevelopmentPlanning Zoning and 723 West Markham Subdivision Little Rock, Arkansas 72201-1334 (501) 371-4790 April 26, 1999 Gyst House 2200 Wright Ave. Little Rock, Arkansas 72202 Dear Mr. Gyst House, Enclosed is a copy of your item that is a part of the agenda for the April 29, 1999 Planning commission meeting. If there are any questions, please call me. Sincerely, Brian Minyard Planner II encl. 1BRIANIU9808-07 DOC April 29, 1999 ITEM NO.: 2 FILE NO.: LU99-08-07 Name: Land Use Plan Amendment - Central City Planning District Location: North side of 2200 block of Wright Ave. Request: Single Family to Mixed Use Source: Gyst House PROPOSAL / REQUEST: Land Use Plan amendment in the Central City Planning District from Single Family to Mixed Use. Mixed Use provides for a mikture of residential, office and commercial uses to occur. A Planned Zoning District is required if the use is entirely office or commercial or if the use is a mixture of the three. The applicant wishes to "expand car wash and detail shop." Prompted by this Land Use Amendment request, the Planning Staff expanded the area of review to include property on the north side of Wright Ave to Dennison Street. With these changes, the eastern boundary of the MX area on the north side of Wright Avenue would move from Dennison Street to a new location at Park Street. This would recognize existing uses of an antique store and a vacant commercial building. Staff also expanded the request to include expansion of the Public Institutional to recognize an existing church on the west half of the block bounded by Roosevelt, 26th, Park Street and Howard Streets. EXISTING LAND USE AND ZONING: The property is currently zoned C-3 Commercial and R-3 residential and is approximately .44 acres in size. Nearby zoning includes a R-3 Single Family District to the north, a C-3 General Commercial District to the south, a R-3 Single Family District to the east, and a R-3 Single Family District to the west. Currently, a car wash and detail shop is located at the site in question. Neighboring the proponents' property is a small barbershop. On the same block further to the west is an antique shop on the corner of Wright Ave. and Dennison Street. Across the street is the New Hope Baptist Church. Across the street from the antique shop is an auto glass shop. April 29, 1999 ITEM NO.: 2 (Cont_) FILE NO.: LU99-08-07 LAND USE PLANS & RECENT AMENDMENTS: The property is located in a larger area of Single Family on the Land Use Plan. MX Mixed Use is shown west of Dennison Street on both sides of Wright Avenue. Mixed Use is also shown on the south side of Wright Avenue ending half way between Dennison and Howard Streets. PI Public Institutional is shown on the southwest corner of Wright Avenue / Park Street intersection. Recent land use changes have not taken place in the area. MASTER STREET PLAN: The plan shows Wright Avenue as a minor arterial. The street is built as a four lane arterial with curbs, gutters, and sidewalks. The street plan makes no indication of proposed changes to Wright Avenue. PARKS: The master parks plan does not display any existing or proposed parks in the area. BACKGROUND: This urban neighborhood serves as an entry into the historic area around Little Rock Central High School. Little Rock Central High School received notoriety during the Civil Rights Movement. Mixed Use Land Use designation of Wright Avenue would reflect current commercial land uses in the area and allow greater control of non-residential development through the use of PZD zoning. A MX designation recognizes current land uses on the north side of Wright Avenue and creates a buffer to protect the historic integrity of the neighborhood to the north. A change is to Public Institutional recognizes the current land use on the southeast corner of the Wright Avenue / Park Street intersection. Park Street serves as an entry into the Central High Neighborhood. Both Wright Avenue and Park Street are shown on the Centennial Park Neighborhood map as routes leading into the Central High Neighborhood. Streetscape development on both streets should protect the residential and historical character of the neighborhood. Single Family houses are located on Park Street. Development of property bordering on Park Street should by compatible with the 2 April 29, 1999 ITEM NO.: 2 (Cont.) FILE NO.: LU99-08-07 character of the neighborhood. Siting of buildings & parking lots at the corner of Wright Avenue and Park Street should not interfere with the residential character of the neighborhood. Commercial buildings should be buffered from the neighboring residential land uses. Parking lots for commercial uses should be situated in a manor to encourage access to the property from Wright Avenue, not Park Street. Wright Avenue is shown as a minor arterial serving as a route connected the Central High neighborhood to the rest of the city. Wright Avenue also serves as a by-pass for traffic skirting the neighborhood. As a minor arterial, Wright Avenue is the ideal choice for business access. Park Street serves as a neighborhood collector in a residential area. THE CITY RECOGNIZED NEIGHBORHOOD ACTION PLAN: None. NEIGHBORHOOD COMMENTS: Notices were sent to the following neighborhood associations: Meadowbrook Neighborhood Association, Central High Neighborhood Association, South End Neighborhood Association, East of Broadway N.A., Capitol Hill N.A., Community Outreach N. A., South Little Rock Community Development, and South End Neighborhood Developers. Staff has not any received comments from area residents at the time of this printing. STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS: Staff believes change is appropriate. 3