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HomeMy WebLinkAboutminutesMarch 20, 2003 ITEM NO.: 10 FILE NO.: LU03-18-01 Name: Land Use Plan Amendment - Ellis Mountain Planning District Location: Northwest corner of Bowman and Kanis Roads ReqUesf: Mixed Office Commercial to Commercial Source: Joe White, White - Daters & Associates Inc. PROPOSAL / REQUEST: Land Use Plan amendment in the Ellis Mountain Planning District from Mixed Office Commercial to Commercial. The Commercial includes a broad range of retail and wholesale sales of products, personal and professional services, and general business activities. Commercial activities vary in type and scale, depending on the trade area they serve. The applicant wishes to develop the property for home supply/lumber retail sales. Staff expanded the application area to include the C-3 General Commercial zoned big -box retail north of the applicant's property. As a result of this expansion the entirety of the Mixed Office Commercial at the northwest corner of the Bowman and Kanis Road intersection would be eliminated. All of the property fronting Bowman Road between Kanis Road and Chenal Parkway would be shown as Commercial. EXISTING LAND USE AND ZONING: The property is currently zoned C-3 General Commercial, Planned Office Development, and R- 2 Single Family and is approximately 36.81± acres in size. The northern part of the study area is occupied by big box retail with an out parcel along Bowman Road. A retail plant nursery is located in the southeast corner of the property. West of the nursery is a vacant parcel and a larger tract with a single family home. An office building is located in the southwest corner of the study area. The retail uses to the north are zoned C-3 with two Conditional Use Permits to accommodate temporary storage facilities for seasonal sales and a carwash facility. The retail uses on the east side of Bowman Road is zoned Planned Commercial Development at the intersection of Chenal, C-3 south of Hermitage Road, and Planned Commercial Development at Kanis Road. The south side of Kanis Road includes a mixture of retail, office, and storage uses zoned 0-3 General Office, C-1 Neighborhood Commercial, C-3 and PCD from the intersection of Bowman Road to Cherry Brook Drive. A vacant piece of property zoned R-2 sits on the south side of Kanis Road between the businesses located at the intersection of Bowman Road and the land located at the intersection of Pointe West Drive. The land at the intersection of Kanis Road and Pointe West Drive is zoned C-3, 0-1 Quiet Office, and 0-3, but remains largely vacant except for the office located on the property zoned 0-1. The land to the west is zoned R-2 and March 20, 2003 SUBDIVISION ITEM NO.: 10 (Cont.) FILE NO.: LU03-18-01 highly developed with houses in the Pointe West and Timber Ridge additions. A strip of vacant land is zoned Open Space to serve as a buffer between the businesses fronting Bowman Road and the Pointe West and Timber Ridge additions. FUTURE LAND USE PLAN AND RECENT AMENDMENTS: On July 17, 2001 a change was made from Single Family to Park/Open Space about % of a mile northeast of the study area to recognize existing conditions. On February 15, 2000 a change was made from Single Family to Low Density Residential on West Glen Drive at Gamble Road about 3/ of a mile west of the application area to accommodate proposed development. On March 2, 1999 multiple changes were made along Kanis Road from Transition, Office, Multi -family, Mixed Office Commercial, and Suburban Office to Suburban Office, Low Density Residential, Park / Open Space, Service Trades District, Neighborhood Commercial, Office, and Community Shopping within a 1 mile radius of the applicant's property to reflect existing conditions and desired future development. On December 15, 1998 a change was made from Multi -family to Suburban Office west of the study area to accommodate proposed development. On May 20, 1997 a change was made from Office to commercial east of the Chenal Parkway / Bowman Road intersection about 'lz mile north of the application property to accommodate proposed development. The study area is shown as Mixed Office Commercial on the Future Land Use Plan. The property to the north is shown as Commercial. The property on the east side of Bowman Road is shown as Commercial and Mixed Office Commercial with a small area shown as Neighborhood Commercial at the southeast corner of the Bowman and Kanis Road intersection. The south side of Kanis Road is shown as Service Trades District and Suburban Office. The intersection of Kanis Road at the intersection of Pointe West Drive and Kanis Road is shown as Neighborhood Commercial on the south and Suburban Office to the north. The Pointe West and Timber Ridge additions are shown as Single Family with a strip of land shown as Park/Open Space serving as a buffer between the residential area and the study area. MASTER STREET PLAN: Bowman and Kanis Roads are shown as Minor Arterials on the Master Street Plan and would be subject to half street improvements. Portions of Bowman and Kanis Roads developed to Master Street Plan Standards, with segments completed on one side but not the other. There are no bikeways shown that would be affected by this amendment. PARKS: The Little Rock Parks and Recreation Master Plan of 2001 shows a Potential Greenbelt along Rock Creek within eight blocks to the north of the applicant's property. However, the study 2 March 20, 2003 SUBDIVISION ITEM NO.: 10 (Cont. FILE NO.: LU03-18-01 area is adjacent to a Service Deficit Area in which new park facilities would need to be developed. 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 Rock Creek Neighborhood Action Plan. The Office and Commercial Development goal calls for the preservation of as much existing topography, trees and green space as possible. The plan also contains objectives that supports the adoption of a plan for Kanis Road, and encourages all commercial and office development in the community to be subject to neighborhood input prior to City approval. An action statement recommending the aggressive use of Planned Zoning Districts to influence more neighborhood -friendly and better quality development. ANALYSIS - This amendment would replace the Mixed Office Commercial, which is developed with mostly commercial uses, with the Commercial category that would be developed with entirely commercial uses. Although Commercial is not shown south of Kanis Road, the existing uses include intensive non-residential development, with some of the uses (south of Kanis, and west of Bowman) next to residential areas. Although Suburban Office to the south acts as a buffer between the applicant's property and residences located the south, the area shown as Services Trades District does not act as a buffer between residential and non-residential uses. The strip of Park/Open Space along the western boundary of the applicant's property currently serves as a buffer between the area shown as Commercial north of the applicant's property and the Single Family located to the west. A change to Commercial at this location would increase the intensity of non-residential uses in the area. The applicant's property is located in an area that is physically separated from the neighboring Single Family uses based on the street pattern. The neighboring houses are oriented in such a way that the back yards face the applicant's property. The residential areas to the south are connected to Kanis Road by Cherry Brook Drive. An increase in traffic on Kanis Road resulting from uses on the applicant's property could affect the accessibility of Kanis Road from Cherry Brook Drive. The applicant's property is located on a hillside that has a substantial amount of vegetation. The development of the applicant's property could result in the alteration of the hillside and vegetation on the property. A large portion of Chenal Parkway in this area has been shown for Commercial development while Kanis Road has been shown as a Mixed Office Commercial, Suburban Office and Low Density Residential corridor. Due to the lesser intensity of non-residential uses on Kanis 3 March 20, 2003 SUBDIVISION ITEM NO.: 10 (Cont.) FILE NO.: LU03-18-01 Road, this application would be in essence introducing Commercial on Kanis which is contradictory to the overall scheme for the corridor that reduces the intensity of non-residential uses on Kanis Road west of the Bowman intersection. NEIGHBORHOOD COMMENTS: Notices were sent to the following neighborhood associations: Gibraltar/Pt. West/Timber Ridge, Parkway Place Property Owners Association, Spring Valley Manor Property Owners Association, Birchwood Neighborhood Association, and John Barrow Neighborhood Association. Staff has not received comments from area residents. STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS: Staff believes the change not appropriate. A change to Commercial would intensify of non- residential uses in the area, increase traffic, and alter topography. PLANNING COMMISSION ACTION: (MARCH 20, 2003) Brian Minyard, City Staff, made a brief presentation to the commission. Donna James made a presentation of item 10.1 so the discussion could coincide with the discussion for item 10. See item 10.1 for a complete discussion concerning the Long Form Planned Commercial Development. Steve Haralson, Public Works, made a presentation regarding traffic issues. Dixon Flake, representing the applicant, spoke on behalf of the application and addressed the issues of traffic, land use, and noise. Mr. Flake stated that the applicant was willing to make improvements to Kanis and Bowman Roads to improve access and traffic flow, the property was surrounded on three sides by retail uses and would be screened from the neighboring residential areas, and that a noise study was conducted to determine how noise would be abated. Ellen Yehling, spoke in opposition to the application and sited noise and traffic concerns. Jennifer Wilson, spoke in opposition to the application and sited noise, traffic, and drainage concerns. Ruth Bell, representing the League of Women Voters of Pulaski County, spoke in opposition to the application stating that the zoning was not appropriate, the use of the property would be too intense, too much noise would be generated, and that the property should remain designated as Mixed Office Commercial on the Future Land Use Plan. Planning Commission Chair, Obrary Nunnley stated that he did not feel that the site would develop for any other type of possible uses and that he was also concerned about the 24-hour operations of a big -box retail store. 0 March 20, 2003 SUBDIVISION ITEM NO.: 10 (Cont.) FILE NO.: LU03-18-01 Planning Commission Vice Chair, Mizan Rahman asked staff if the recommendation was for denial. Jim Lawson stated that staff based the recommendation for denial on traffic issues and land use with the main reasons centered on land use. Mr. Lawson stated that staff wanted to maintain a step-down approach for the land use patterns in the area with the more intense land uses located at Chenal and less intense uses along Kanis. Commissioner Rahman stated that he wanted to preserve the step down approach for the land use patterns in the area. Commissioner Fred Allen stated that he wanted the developer to work with area residents to resolve any outstanding issues. A motion was made to approve the item as presented. The item was denied with a vote of 5 ayes, 4 noes, and 2 absent. The item failed because of a lack of 6 votes for the change per the commission's bylaws. 5