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HomeMy WebLinkAboutstaff report julyJuly 6, 2006 ITEM NO.: C FILE NO.: LU06-16-02 Name. Land Use Plan Amendment - Otter Creek Planning District Location: South of Alexander Road, east of Otter Creek Request: Light Industrial to Single Family Source: Paul Keith Everett PROPOSAL/REQUEST: Land Use Plan amendment in the Otter Creek Planning District from Light Industrial to Single Family. Single Family represents residential single-family developments not to exceed 6 dwelling units per acre, such as single-family detached, attached, patio or garden homes and cluster homes. The accompanying application is to rezone a tract to R-2 Single Family for a single- family home. Prompted by this Land Use Amendment request, the Planning Staff expanded the area of review to include all the Light Industrial land south of Alexander Road and east of Otter Creek. This would result in a more logical Plan pattern if approved. EXISTING LAND USE AND ZONING: The property is rural with a business and a house, currently zoned 1-2 Light Industrial and 1-1 Industrial Park with 26.25 acres ± in size. North and west of the area is zoned 1-2 Light Industrial, 1-1 Industrial Park and 1-3 Heavy Industry. The 1-1 and 1-2 north of the site is rural pastureland. The 1-3 Heavy Industrial to the northwest is rural wooded land east of Otter Creek and partial developed with an industrial plant west of Otter Creek. The 1-2 land west and southwest of the site is mostly open land with generators for Entergy (APL). Beyond this is all zoned R-2 Single Family and are rural large -lot home sites for the most part. To the southeast is a large tract of PR, Park zoning for an undeveloped park owned by the City. To the east is R-2 Single Family zoning with a Mobile Home Park and non -conforming business as well as rural pastureland and homes. FUTURE LAND USE PLAN AND RECENT AMENDMENTS.- July MENDMENTS: July 16, 2002, a change was made from Single Family to Low Density Residential, west of Heike Road at the County Line. This area is several miles to the southeast of the site. The change was made to allow for a proposed development. July 6, 2006 ITEM NO.: C (Cont. FILE NO.: LU06-16-02 April 2, 2002, a package of changes was made at the intersection of Vimy Ridge and County Line Road. A change from Single Family, Low Density Residential to Single Family, Suburban Office and Neighborhood Commercial. This area is a mile to the south of the application area. The changes were made to allow for future development. The Plan shows this site for Light Industrial use. North of the site is Light Industrial use. To the east is Low Density Residential and Single Family use. South of the site is Park Open Space and Public Institutional use. To the west is Mixed Office Commercial and Light Industrial use with a little Industrial use. MASTER STREET PLAN: Alexander Road is shown as an Arterial on the plan. An Arterial functions to move traffic in and through the urban area. Alexander Road is currently a two- lane road with ditches. The City has no funds designated for the improvement of this Arterial at this time. It is not built to standard, additional right-of-way and street improvements may be required. BICYCLE PLAN: The Master Street Plan, Bicycle section, calls for Class I Bike Routes along Alexander Road and along Otter Creek. Class I Bike Routes have a separate pavement area for the sole use of bicycles. PARKS: The Little Rock Parks and Recreation Master Plan shows this site to be within 8 - blocks of a public park or open space. Alexander Park is to the southeast. It is 80 acres and undeveloped. HISTORIC DISTRICTS.- There ISTRICTS: There are no city recognized historic districts that would be affected by this amendment. CITY RECOGNIZED NEIGHBORHOOD ACTION PLAN: The Site is within the Chicot West, 1-30 East Neighborhood Plan. The Neighborhood Plan identified two infrastructure needs in this area: to widen Alexander Road with sidewalk, curb, gutter and bicycle lane, and to correct flooding problem at the bridge over Otter Creek on Alexander Road. 2 July 6, 2006 FILE NO.: LU06-16-02 ANALYSIS: The application area is in a section of Little Rock that has remained in a rural form. There has been minimal new development in the area of the last decade. There is a scattering of structures on the land requesting a Plan change. A portion of the site was a Light Industrial type of use. The applicant has now purchased this tract. Arkansas Power and Light owns the western -most section of the amendment area. Alexander Road remains a two -land road. The volume is reported to be just over 2000 vehicle trips a day (in 2004). This road is classified as an Arterial and any future development on this land should be constructed assuming that Alexander Road will be a four to six land road. To the north is rural pastureland, but this land is zoned Industrial (1-2, Light Industrial and 1-1, Industrial Park). There is a scattering of structures on the land requesting a Plan change. The property is currently zoned Industrial, both 1-2 and 1-1. East of the site is rural home sites zoned R-2 Single Family and shown on the Plan for Single Family. There is a small mobile home park immediately to the east with a small non -conforming business. The applicant has requested this Plan change and reclassification in order to construct a new home on the property. Generally south of Alexander Road and east of Otter Creek is planned as residential with Light Industrial to the north of Alexander Road. There is an area of Low Density Residential to the east of this site in the location of a mobile home park. Beside this property there is no Industrial south of Alexander Road. There is additional 1-2 land however, this land is all owned by Arkansas Power and Light. The Plan shows it for Public institutional. The actual use is for a storage facility, emergency generator capacity and electrical sub -station. The large area of industrial south of the railroad line, north of Alexander Road has been zoned for many years with no activity. This land was originally intended to be a rail -switching yard with related uses. Since that time the railroad has divested itself of the property. Thus the area is not likely to become a switching yard. The lack of development proposals and the large amount of Light Industrial on the Plan and zoned, does raise the question, if the industrial is still needed. Several years ago the City did initiate a Land Use review of the property to the north and did modify a large area to Mixed Commercial Industrial and Light Industrial from Industrial and Light Industrial. With the zoning pattern the City did not feel it could change the Plan further. In the past at least one property owner 3 July 6, 2006 ITEM NO.: C (Cont. FILE NO.: LU06-16-02 has discussed the idea of large -lot residential for a portion of this property. However no activity resulted from this talk. Currently the Plan goes from Single Family to Light Industrial with no transition or buffer. A change for this property would remove all the Light Industrial south of Alexander Road for the Plan. While there would be some industrial zoning still in-place, it would be all Arkansas Power and Light ownership. Otter Creek would make a good buffer. Since the Public Institutional area is a power generation area a buffer would be appropriate. A modification to the Plan would appear to result in a more defensible and appropriate land use configuration. Using a major road as a land use change line is more appropriate than having two such dissimilar uses contiguous. An Arterial could create a large gap between the uses as long as the orientation of the uses on either side is complimentary. NEIGHBORHOOD COMMENTS: Notices were sent to the following neighborhood associations: Alexander Road, Meyer Lane, and Quail Run Neighborhood Associations and SW Little Rock UP. Staff has received one request for additional information from area residents. STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS: Staff believes the change is appropriate. PLANNING COMMISSION ACTION: (MAY 25, 2006) The applicant failed to provide the required notice and the item was placed on consent agenda for Defer. By a vote of 7 for 0 agianst the consent agenda was approved. STAFF UPDATE: At the request of a property area the amendment area has been reduced. The ownership of AP&L will not be included in this change. At a later date, Staff will bring a change from Light Industrial to Public Institutional for this land. (Over 90% of AP&L land is current shown as Public Institutional.) Staff recommends approval of the modified Land Use Plan amendment from Light Industrial to Single Family. CI Vicinity Map PLAN AMENDMENT N Case: LU06-16-02 LI TO SF Location: SOUTH OF ALEXANDER ROAD EAST OF OTTER CREEK Ward: 7 PD: 16 0 1,000 2,000 Feet CT: 41.04 TRS: T1SR13W16 C_7 Vicinity Map AREA ZONING N Case: LU06-16-02 LI TO SF Location: SOUTH OF ALEXANDER ROAD EAST OF OTTER CREEK Ward: 7 PD: 16 0 1,000 2,000 Feet CT: 41.04 TRS: T1SR13W16