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Home My WebLink Aboutstaff reportAugust 17, 2006 ITEM NO.: 4 FILE NO.: LU06-16-03 Name: Land Use Plan Amendment - Otter Creek Planning District Location: Southeast and southwest corner of Alexander Road and Vimy Ridge Road Request: Mixed Office Commercial to Commercial Source: James L. McCarley, Sr., Cornerstone Investment Properties, LLC PROPOSAL ! REQUEST.- Land EQUEST;Land Use Plan amendment in the Otter Creek Planning District from Mixed Office Commercial to Commercial. Commercial includes a broad range of retail.and wholesale of products, personal and professional services, and general business activities. They vary in type and scale, depending on the trade area that they serve. Prompted by this Land Use Amendment request, the Planning Staff expanded the area of review to include the southwest corner of this same intersection. The area will be expanded to include approximately two acres of the southwest corner. It is thought that the additional area will also be needed in the future for commercial uses. EXISTING LAND USE AND ZONING: The expanded site is currently zoned R-2 Single Family. There appear to be two vacant houses on the application site and an occupied house on the expanded area. To the north and east of the area is zoned 1-2 Light Industrial. The 1-3 area directly across from the application site is mostly open space. The areas to the south and _west -of the Site are zoned R-2 -Single-Family. The property at the northwest corner of Vimy Ridge Road and Alexander Road is zoned C-3 General Commercial. There is a gas station with a convenience store at this location. FUTURE LAND USE PLAN AND RECENT AMENDMENTS: The expanded application area is shown as Mixed Office Commercial. To the south of this site is Single Family, to the north of the area is Industrial, and to the west is more Mixed Office Commercial and Low Density Residential. The property to the northwest of the site is Commercial. To the south is Mixed Office Commercial then Single Family east of Vimy Ridge and Low Density Residential west of Vimy Ridge. There has been no recent activity in this area. August 17, 2006 ITEM NO.: 4. CONT FILE NO.:LU06-16-03 MASTER STREET PLAN: Vimy Ridge Road and Alexander Road are both Minor Arterials on the Master Street Plan. A Minor Arterial provides connections to and through an urban area and their primary function is to provide short distance travel within the urbanized area. Both of these arterials are substandard and would require improvements at the time of development. This intersection is south of Interstate 30, which is a Freeway on the Master Street Plan. BICYCLE PLAN: The Master Street Plan bicycle section proposes a Class I bike route along Alexander Road. A Class I route has a separate pavement area for the sole use of bicycles. PARKS: There is parkland located off Alexander Road on Hall Lane. The Little Rock Parks and Recreation Master Plan indicates this site is currently within eight blocks of an existing public or private 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 expanded area is located within the Chicot West- 1-30 South Neighborhood Plan area. The Neighborhood Plan references this area multiple times. The plan calls for the expansion of Neighborhood Commercial uses at the intersections of arterials. Specific uses mentioned include the need for restaurants and a grocery store in this area. The Plan also calls for the widening of Alexander Road and Vimy Ridge Road. These roads both need sidewalks, curb, gutters, and bicycle lanes. Also, the Neighborhood Plan requests that the intersection at Vimy Ridge Road and Alexander Road be redesigned for more efficient drainage and safer traffic. The Plan asks that the City of Little Rock review the zoning and Land Use Plan for this area every three to five years. ANALYSIS: The application property currently has two houses on it. The houses both appear to be vacant and in need of repair. The expanded area has one occupied house on it. The Land Use Plan shows these areas for Mixed Office Commercial (MOC). The proposed amendment would change approximately four acres on the southern side of Alexander Road from Mixed Office Commercial to Commercial. Only a small portion of the Mixed Office Commercial will be changed in order to leave a buffer of MOC between the Commercial and Single Family. 2 August 17, 2006 ITEM NO- 4.(CONT) _ FILE.NO.:LU06-1G-a3 The site is located at the intersection of Vimy Ridge Road and Alexander Road. These are both classified as Minor Arterials in the Master Street Plan, and this is a highly used intersection. A convenience store and gas station is currently located at the northwest corner of this intersection. That corner is already zoned C-3 to permit this usage. Approximately a mile south of this site is the Vimy Ridge Road and County Line Road intersection. That intersection was changed to Commercial on the Land Use Plan, and it now has a Dollar General store and a convenience store. If the proposed site is approved for Commercial, the neighborhood might be able to acquire new or different types of businesses to the area. The area has a real need for more commercial sites. Residents have to drive either to Otter Creek, Baseline, or Saline County for most of their local commercial needs. Much of the area to the east and north of this site is zoned 1-2 or 1-3 for Industrial uses. The property to the east of this site is not likely to change in the near future since it is used for an electric substation. Most of the land to the north that is zoned Industrial is currently open space, but it could be developed eventually. The next closest site for the residents or industrial employees of the area to access commercial property is approximately a mile south of this intersection at County Line Road. This area has been mostly dormant for the past twenty years, but new residential developments are currently moving to this area. One large subdivision south of this site on the west side of Vimy Ridge Road is in the final plat stage. Two more subdivisions are being proposed to the west of this site off of Alexander Road. One of these would be just west of the Wilbur Vault Planned Industrial Development site. In the past five years, many new houses have developed south of County Line Road in the Shannon Hills area. New residents in this area will increase the community's need for more commercial development. The C icor West 1-30- Neighborhood -Action Plan addresses many issues concerning this intersection. The Plan is in favor of Neighborhood Commercial development at the intersection of arterials and also states the need for more restaurants in the area. Another important goal of the Plan is to widen and improve the intersection at Vimy Ridge Road and Alexander Road. NEIGHBORHOOD COMMENTS: Notices were sent to the following neighborhood association: Alexander Road. Staff has received no comments as of this printing. STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS: Staff believes the change is appropriate. Vicinity Map Plan Amendment Case: LU06-16-03 Location: Intersection of Vimy Ridge Road N and Alexander Road MOC to C Ward: 7 PD: 16 CT: 41.04 0 250500 1,000 Feet TRS: T1SR13W16 --- T R1 r R2� R2 :os sAcv2zl 1 �q ?1 12 � r • is • R jig �. 'L PLEASANT HIL6t r S�Dw F+ SHER IWA Area Vicinity Map 12 EXAN.D.ER ,' — r}�l Jr pit s )N rY DAMON, 1 -12 r . { T1s- �' •� . rJUlllll Case: LU06-16-03 Location: Intersection of Vimy Ridge Road N and Alexander Road MOC to C Ward: 7 PD: 16 CT: 41.04 0 250500 1,000 Feet mmmmc� TRS: T1SR13W16