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HomeMy WebLinkAboutminutesMarch 2, 2000 ITEM NO.: 1 FILE NO.: L000-16-02 Name: Land Use Plan Amendment - Otter Creek Planning District Location: 13600 Vimy Ridge Road Request: Low Density Residential to Commercial Source: Ken Harper, Harper Development PROPOSAL / REQUEST: Land Use Plan amendment in the Otter Creek Planning District from Low Density Residential to Commercial. The Commercial category includes a broad range of retail and wholesale of products, personal and professional services, and general business activities. Commercial activities very in type and scale, depending on the trade area that they serve. The applicant wishes to develop the property for general retail business. EXISTING LAND USE AND ZONING: The property is currently zoned R-2 Single Family Residential and is approximately 8.41+ acres in size. The property is surrounded on the north and west side by vacant tracts of land zoned R-2 Single Family Residential. The Quail run subdivision is located in the R-2 zone about a half mile north of the applicant's property. Vacant land to the east is zoned R-2 Single Family Residential while to the Southeast is a piece of property cleared for retail development zoned C-1 General Commercial. A gas station / convenience store is also located in a C-3 General Commercial zoning district located across the street to the southeast. The property to the south is located in Saline County. It is zoned R-1 Single Family. FUTURE LAND USE PLAN AND RECENT AMENDMENTS: On November 4, 1997 three changes took place from Low Density Residential to Single Family along both sides of Vimy Ridge Road within a mile north of the applicant's property. On November 4, 1997 a change was made from Low Density Residential to Commercial at the northwest corner of the Vimy Ridge / County Line Road intersection east of the applicant's property. In November 21, 1995 various changes were made on both sides of Vimy Ridge Road on large tracts of land within a mile north of the applicant's property, one of those changes included the change from Single Family to Low Density Residential on the applicant's property. Areas shown as Single Family surround the site under review on the west, north, and east. Southeast of the applicant's property are two areas shown as Commercial on the northwest and northeast corners of Vimy Ridge Road and County Line Road. The area to the south of the applicant's property is located in Saline County. The Shannon Hills Comprehensive Development Plan shows the southwest corner of the intersection as Commercial and the southeast corner as Park/Elementary School. The remainder of the area along Vimy Ridge Road and County line road is shown as Residential. MASTER STREET PLAN: Vimy Ridge Road is shown as a minor arterial from Alexander Road to the Saline County line. County Line Road is shown as a minor arterial from Vimy Ridge Road with a proposed extension east as a minor arterial to connect to the proposed South Loop. Vimy Ridge Road is also shown as continuing south from the County Line through Shannon Hills as a minor arterial on the Central Arkansas Transit System (CARTS) Future Classification Plan. The CARTS Future Classification Plan shows County Line Road as a major collector from Vimy Ridge Road to the Donnie Drive / Joan Drive intersection in Shannon Hills. Both the Master Street Plan and the CARTS Future Classification Plan show County Line Road continuing west from the intersection with Vimy Ridge Road as a residential street. J_1V1"03 The Master Parks Plan does not show any parks, existing or proposed, effected by this amendment. CITY RECOGNIZED NEIGHBORHOOD ACTION PLAN: The Chicot West / 1-30 South Neighborhood Action Plan states the recommendation of concentrating "...development efforts in the more urbanized northern portion of the study area..." and "...view the southern portion of the study area as an 'urban reserve' to be developed as market forces become stronger in the area." This amendment is located next to the southern boundary of the study area. ANALYSIS: Much of the area surrounding the Vimy Ridge / County Line Road intersection consists of large tracts of undeveloped land in a semi -rural setting. This site is located on the southern edge of the city limits as well as the southern edge of the county. Carrington Place and Southfork Ranch subdivisions lie about a half - mile to the west on County Line Road in Saline County. Combined the preliminary plats for the subdivisions show 551 proposed single family homes. Both subdivisions are in the process of developing and have not achieved full build -out. Approximately 165 have been built to date. The southwest corner of the Vimy Ridge / County Line Road intersection is shown as Commercial and is a vacant piece of property that could be zoned for potential commercial development in the future. In addition, the buffer provided by the Low Density Residential located between the applicant's property and the Quail Run subdivision would be greatly reduced. NEIGHBORHOOD COMMENTS: Notices were sent to the following neighborhood associations: Meyer Lane Neighborhood Association, Otter Creek Homeowners Association, Quail Run Neighborhood Association, and Rolling Pines Neighborhood Association. At time of printing, Staff has received no comments from area residents or neighborhood associations. STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS: Staff believes the change is premature and therefore not appropriate. The area shown as Commercial on the southwest corner of the Vimy Ridge / County Line Road intersection provides an area for future Commercial uses. This area will be reviewed in a year or so as part of the Chicot West 1-30 South Neighborhood Action Plan review. PLANNING COMMISSION ACTION: March 2, 2000 Brian Minyard, of Staff, presented the item to the Commission. Randy Manus for Ken Harper Development represented the applicant. Mr. Manus presented the applicant's request to the commission and described the applicant's proposed development. The applicant's representative argued that there is not enough commercial development in the area to meet the growing demands of residence in the area. In addition, Mr. Manus stated that the applicant's proposal had the support of area residents and the Mayor of Shannon Hills. Jeff Harper, the applicant, added that his development would serve the new residential growth occurring in Saline County. Troy Laha spoke in opposition to the item. Mr. Laha expressed a complaint about the width of Vimy Ridge and County Line roads. Mr. Laha argued that property in the area around the Vimy Ridge / County Line intersection violated erosion control ordinances. Mr. Laha stated that the area was not growing because of the schools. The schools in Saline County are already and the Little Rock School District does not have plans for expansion in this area. Norm Floyd spoke in opposition to the item. Mr. Floyd's primary objections centered on the applicant's clearing of land without a grading permit. The buffers were all bulldozed. Mr. Floyd stated that he would only support commercial development in the area as a conditional use permit. Mr. Floyd closed with a comment that area residents did not support the zone change. Janet Berry spoke in opposition to the item. Ms. Berry stated residents in the area struggle with changes caused by developments in the area. Ms. Berry stated a preference for Neighborhood Commercial land uses in the area as opposed to Commercial land uses. Chair Pam Adcock expressed concern about the removal of buffers on the property and asked if a grading permit was issued for the applicant's property. Bob Turner, city staff, stated that a grading permit was not issued. Norm Floyd gave a brief description of the clearing and grading of the property in question and also stated that the Public Works Department issued a stop work order. Commissioner Downing asked a question about who performed the grading on the property. Jim Lawson, city staff, stated that the Landowner cleared the land and a stop work order was issued. Jeff Harper stated not all of the trees were cleared from the land and that he received a permit from the state. Mr. Harper stated that the property on the hill behind the site of the Dollar General Store remained wooded. A motion was made to approve the item as presented and was denied with a vote of 0 ayes, 9 noes and 2 absent.