HomeMy WebLinkAboutminutes May 25 meetingMay 25, 2006
ITEM NO.: M FILE NO.: LU06-18-03
Name: Land Use Plan Amendment - Ellis Mountain Planning District
Location: South of Chenal-Kanis, west of Kirk Road
Request: Multifamily to Commercial
Source: Robert Brown, Development Consultants
PROPOSAL / REQUEST:
Land Use Plan amendment in the Ellis Mountain Planning District from Multifamily to
Commercial. Commercial represents a broad range of retail and wholesale sales of
products, personal and professional services and general business activities. Future
commercial development of the site. No rezoning has been filed at this time.
STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS:
At the request of the Planning Commission this item will be deferred to May 11, 2006,
PLANNING COMMISSION ACTION: (APRIL 13, 2006)
The item was placed on the consent agenda for deferral to May 11, 2006. By a vote of
8 for, 0 against the consent agenda was approved.
STAFF UPDATE:
EXISTING LAND USE AND ZONING:
The property is vacant and a golf driving range currently zoned R-2 Single Family and
PDC Planned Development Commercial and is 20.5 acres f in size. South and west of
the site is zoned R-2 Single Family and is either vacant or rural developed as large lot
single-family. To the east is a Planned Commercial Development, partially developed
as a shopping center. To the northeast are several Planned Commercial
Developments for small offices and auto dealerships. Beyond this to the north is 0-2
Office & Institutional and Planned Office Districts. Most of the 0-2 land is vacant while
the Planned Office Developments are office buildings. To the north is C-3 General
Commercial land, which is currently vacant. Beyond this are two Planned Office
Developments, one is an office building the other is a commercial center with both
office and retail uses. Beyond this is a large area of vacant C-2 Shopping Center
zoned land.
May 25, 2006
ITEM NO.: M Cont. FILE NO.: LU06-18-03
FUTURE LAND USE PLAN AND RECENT AMENDMENTS:
July 20, 2004, a change was made from Mixed Use to Mixed Office Commercial along
the north side of 36th Street between Bowman Road and 1-430, over a mile southeast of
the site. This change was made as a result of a rezoning request for office zoning.
April 6, 2004 a change was made from Single Family to Suburban Office at the
southeast corner of Kanis and Pride Valley Road, to the southeast of the site. This
change was for redevelopment of a structure for an office use.
February 4, 2003, a change was made from Multifamily to Mixed Office Commercial
south of Brodie Creek west of 1-430, about a mile to the southeast of the site. This
change was made to incorporate all the land south of Brodie Creek into one large
proposal for a shopping center development.
January 7, 2003, a change was made from Low Density Residential to Multifamily at
Cooper Orbit and Capital Lakes Blvd., to the south of the site. This change was made
to accommodate a planned development for apartments.
July 3, 2001, a change was made from Low Density Residential, Mixed Office
Commercial, and Neighborhood Commercial to Single Family — over a mile to the
southeast of the site. This change was made to replace the proposed `Brodie Creek
New Towne' development with the 'Woodlands Edge' residential subdivision.
The site is shown for Multifamily use. To the east is a Mixed Office Commercial area.
Beyond this is a small commercial area at Kanis and Chenal Parkway. To the south is
a Park/Open Space corridor along Rock Creek, then a large area of Single Family use.
To the north is a Commercial node at Chenal Parkway and Kanis Road, beyond this is
a large Office area. To the west is an area shown for Public Institutional. This site was
proposed on a consultant study done in the mid-1980s. Further to the west is
Multifamily around a Commercial node at the intersection of Kanis with the west Loop
(Rahling Road).
MASTER STREET PLAN:
Kanis Road is shown as a Minor Arterial and Kirk Road extension is shown as a
Collector on the plan. A Minor Arterial is designed to move vehicles and goods in and
around the urban area. A Collector functions to move traffic from neighborhoods to the
Arterial system and to provide access to adjacent land. Neither road is currently built to
design standard. There are not public projects scheduled for these roads. Additional
right-of-way and road improvements will be required with new developments.
E
May 25, 2006
ITEM NO.: M (Cont.
BICYCLE PLAN:
FILE NO.: LU06-18-03
The Master Street Plan, Bicycle section, proposes a Class I bike route along Kanis
Road and Chenal Parkway. A Class I route has a separate pavement for the sole use
of bicycles.
PARKS:
The Little Rock Parks and Recreation Master Plan indicates this site is currently within
8 -blocks of an existing public park or open space.
HISTORIC DISTRICTS:
There are no city recognized historic districts that would be affected by this amendment.
CITY RECOGNIZED NEIGHBORHOOD ACTION PLAN:
The property under review is not located in an area covered by a City of Little Rock
recognized neighborhood action plan.
ANALYSIS:
The site is vacant and has been most recently used as a golf driving range. The Land
Use Plan shows the area for Multifamily. There is a small commercial 'node' at Kanis
and Chenal Parkway. This is 'T' intersection of two arterials. Most of the Commercial
use is shown for the Rahling Road — Chenal Parkway intersection. In addition there are
small 'commercial nodes' at Chenal and Kanis/Wellington Hills to the east and Kanis-
West Loop (Rahling/Edswood) to the west. Most of the Commercial land is zoned, but
little is developed to the north and west.
The site is along the southern edge of Little Rock's development area. Most of the
denser, Suburban type of development has been north of this area. It has moved from
east to west passed this site. The city limits is near the southern boundary and western
boundary of the application area. Development of single-family subdivisions has been
occurring for the last decade to the northeast, north and northwest of this site. These
homes are priced at the upper end of the housing market. To the north between Kanis
Road and Rahling Road several moderately sized office buildings have been
constructed and occupied. In more recent years apartment developments have
occurred to the north and northeast of the site.
To the south of the site is the floodplain of Rock Creek with large lot subdivisions
beyond that, e.g. large high-end homes on 3 to 10 acre tracts. With this development
pattern well established it is unlikely that much dense development will occur
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May 25, 2006
ITEM NO.: M (Cont.) FILE NO • LU06-1 8-03
immediately to the south and southwest. A quarter mile further south, with larger
ownerships, the possibility still exists for a more urban or suburban development
density.
The City approved the golf driving range as a 'holding' use. A driving range is mostly
open green space and could be redeveloped in to any other use from Single Family to
Industrial. As the result of a Planned Commercial Development approved on the north
side of Kanis Road between Chenal Parkway and Rock Creek, the Little Rock Board of
Directors asked Staff to review the Kanis corridor to prevent 'Strip Commercial' along
Kanis Road from Chenal Parkway to Dennis Road.
The Plan as currently proposed shows this area for Multifamily. This Multifamily is
designed to be a transition from the commercial node at Kanis Road and Chenal
Parkway to the single-family south of Rock Creek. The Plan had envisioned the
primary commercial area to be around the Chenal Parkway — Rahling Road
intersection. The use pattern is very intense from this site north to beyond Rahling
Road, with the area shown for Office or Commercial.
During the review of the Kanis Corridor Staff has been conducting with the Plans
Committee, the idea of Mixed Office Commercial has been viewed favorably for this
site. The designation allows for a portion of this land to be put with the existing
Commercial node at the Kanis-Chenal intersection to make a better overall
development. The City and Staff have expressed concerns about the development of a
commercial strip along Kanis west of Chenal Parkway. A Mixed Office Commercial
designation does not encourage the stripping of Kanis Road. At the same time it allows
for a business developed with predominate commercial use at the intersection.
In order to discourage further commercialization along Kanis Road the future
development should be oriented to the east and north rather than west. The design of
the Mixed Office Commercial development should be done to assure most of the
commercial activity is directed away from Kanis Road. This use should be
concentrated on the Kirk-Chenal intersection. The massing orientation and landscaping
should be such that residential or office can comfortably be located to the west along
Kanis Road.
NEIGHBORHOOD COMMENTS:
Notices were sent to the following neighborhood associations: St Charles Community
Association and Parkway Place Property Owners Association. Staff has received no
comments from area residents.
STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS;
Staff believes the amended change to Mixed Office Commercial is appropriate.
M
May 25, 2006
ITEM NO.: M (Co
FILE NO.: LU06-18-03
PLANNING COMMISSION ACTION: (MAY 11, 2006)
At the request of Staff to allow time to resolve issues the item was placed on consent
agenda for deferral to May 25, 2006. By a vote of 10 for 0 against (1 absent) the
consent agenda was approved.
PLANNING COMMISSION ACTION: (MAY 25, 2006)
Items K, L, M, 2 and 3 were combined for presentation by Staff. Walter Malone,
Planning Staff, reviewed this the Commission the Land Use Study begun along Kanis
Road from Chenal to Dennis Road. This study was begun at the request of the Board
of Directors as a result of a Land Use Plan change between Rock Creek to Kanis Road
from Multifamily to Commercial. After reviewing the Study proposals, Mr. Malone
reviewed each of the Land Use Plan requested changes and the surrounding Land Use
Plan. Staff is supported of the changes proposed in items K, L and M. Staff does not
support the changes requested in items 2 and 3. Staff could support a change from
Office to Mixed Use for the area within item 3.
Ms. James next made a staff presentation for the Planned Zoning District applications,
items N, O and P (see minutes of those items for presentation). Mr. Moore, Planning
Staff made the presentation on items J, 2.1 and 3.1 (see minutes of those items for
presentation). Mr. Ernie Peters, Peters and Associates presented the traffic study
information completed for both applicants. In short the development would add 500
(Deltic) and 1000 (Wisenhunt) to the PM peck. The improvements each would make
would more than off set the increased demands on the road network. This is not to say
that other intersection in the network would not need further improvements.
Commission Allen indicated he had been called away for another meeting and thus the
commission was going to have only 6 members for these items. Commissioner
Rahman expressed concerns about moving foreword since the Traffic Study had just
become available and he wished to have time for a more complete review. (He
indicated he might now not be able to support any of the requests). Each applicant was
asked if they wished to defer. After some discussion Mr. Spivey and Mr. Daters for the
Deltic applicants agreed to defer items J, K, 2, 2.1, 3 and 3.1. By a vote of 6 for and 0
against the commission voted to defer these items to July 6, 2006.
Mr. Downing representing the Wisenhunt applications spoke to the Commission about
the issues. He indicated that he did not have the time for a deferral and wished to
proceed. The Commission recessed at this point. Upon reconvening the Commission
heard from the applicants and their representative on the applicants for items L, M, N,
O and P. See items N, O and P for minutes record. A motion was made to approve
item L. By a vote of 6 for 0 against the motion was approved.
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