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HomeMy WebLinkAboutstaff reportMay 25, 2006 ITEM NO.: 4 FILE NO.: LU06-15-01 Name: Land Use Plan Amendment - Geyer Springs West Planning District Location: Along Preston and Aktins Drives Request: Multifamily to Single Family Source: Pat Joyner PROPOSAL/REQUEST: Land Use Plan amendment in the Geyer Springs West Planning District from Multifamily to Single Family. Single Family represents densities not to exceed 6 dwellings per acre with types ranging from single-family detached, attached, patio or garden homes and cluster homes. There is an accompanying application to reclassify the land to R-3 Single Family for future development. EXISTING LAND USE AND ZONING: The property is former tracts where apartment buildings have been removed currently zoned R5 Urban Residence and is 8.9 acres t in size. Almost all the land to the east, west and south is zoned R-2 Single Family. To the east and south are single-family subdivisions. To the immediate west is C-3 General Commercial land with a car repair and retail business. Across Chicot Road is R- 2 land with a single-family subdivision. To the north is C-3 General Commercial and along Baseline Road. There are various retail uses along Baseline Road. Across Baseline Road behind the commercial businesses is another single- family subdivision zoned R-2. This is a developed part of southwest Little Rock. FUTURE LAND USE PLAN AND RECENT AMENDMENTS: June 21, 2005, a change was made from Single Family and Mixed Commercial Industrial to Suburban Office, Mixed Use and Community Shopping along Baseline Road west of 1-30. This is about a mile to the west of the application area. The areas south of Baseline Road were changed to reflect the zoning and use of the land. The changes to the north of Baseline Road were to allow for future redevelopment of the vicinity. August 4, 2003, a change from Light Industrial to Commercial to the southwest of the Mabelvale Pike- 1-30 interchanges. This is about a mile to the west of the application area. The change was made to reflect the existing use of some of the area and allow for future development of the site. April 2, 2002, a series of changes developed with a Neighborhood Plan Review. Single Family, Multifamily, Office and Commercial to Mixed Use along the west May 25, 2006 ITEM NO.: 4 FILE NO.: LU06-15-01 side of Chicot Road from Knollwood to Caylor. This is just south of the site. Other changes were made in the Mabelvale area, over a mile to the southwest to both allow redevelopment and recognize existing uses. The change was made to allow for future redevelopment. April 2, 2002, a change from Single Family to Suburban Office, along the east side of Chicot Road was made. This is to the south of the application area. The change was made to allow for future redevelopment of the site. The site is shown for Multifamily use. To the south and east is Single Family use. To the north and west is Commercial use. The Commercial is along Baseline And Chicot Roads. Beyond each of these roads are areas of Single Family on the Plan. MASTER STREET PLAN: Baseline and Chicot Roads are shown as Arterials on the plan. An Arterial functions to move traffic through and around the urban area or from activity centers to the Arterial system. These roads are designed to be four or more lanes and move large numbers of vehicles at high speed. They are not intended to provide access to adjacent land. BICYCLE PLAN: The Master Street Plan, bicycle section, proposes a Class III bike route along Oak Grove Lane to the east. A Class III route shares the road with motorized vehicles with no additional pavement provided for bicycles. PARKS: The Little Rock Parks and Recreation Master Plan shows this location to be 'deficient'. That is there is not a public or private recreation or open space within 8 -blocks of this application area. There is a need for additional recreation or open space in the vicinity. HISTORIC DISTRICTS: There are no city recognized historic districts that would be affected by this amendment. 2 May 25, 2006 ITEM NO.: 4 Cont. FILE NO.: LU06-15-01 CITY RECOGNIZED NEIGHBORHOOD ACTION PLAN: The application area is within the Cloverdale -Watson Neighborhood Plan area. The Plan has several objectives that are some what related to this application. The Plan suggests protesting any new Multifamily in the area and to support 'Land Use' and 'Zoning' changes that will improve the community with minimum negative impacts. The Plan also calls for making infill housing compatible with existing neighborhood with similar bulk, mass, building materials, style, setback, etc. ANALYSIS - The site requesting a Plan change and reclassification is the former site of apartments. These apartment buildings had a long history of drug and other problems. As a result of this, the structures became abandoned and the City removed most of them in the 1990s. The land remains zoned R-5 Urban Residential, one of Little Rock's most density residential classifications. The vicinity has been developed for several decades and is an established area. This site, due to the demolitions, is one of the largest available land areas in the vicinity. To the south and east are established single-family neighborhoods. At the entry to this area off of Chicot Road is a small area of C-3, General Commercial, zoning. There are three existing businesses and one vacant tract at this location. Two of the businesses are commercial and zoned C-3. One of these is an auto repair garage. The other business is a mini -warehouse development and is a legally non -conforming use zoned R-2 Single Family. To the northwest is a tract of R-2 land, annexed to the City in the late 1990s. Most of this land is vacant and had been used for fireworks stands and similar uses. There is a commercial building as part of this site on Chicot Road just south of Baseline Road. The larger commercial uses are located along Baseline Road in shopping centers and other commercial structures around the Chicot- Baseline intersection. With the past history and development pattern of the application site, apartments would likely be a detrimental use for this site. The existing zoning and use pattern makes this site inappropriate for commercial development. The existing commercial structures hide this area. Access and parcel size would not be favorable for such development. In addition it would introduce commercial use further in the neighborhood. 3 May 25, 2006 ITEM NO.: 4 (Cont.) FILE NO.: LU06-15-01 The lack of recent development does not help provide a guide for need of any type of use. Since the area has historically been residential, it would appear to be appropriate to keep the site residential. Residential use helps provide the demand for the businesses in the vicinity. This area had added to the demand in the past and to restore residential units to the site should help businesses in the area. To reduce the density of the residential on this site should be of benefit to the single-family homes to the south and east. EIGHBORHOOD COMMENTS: Notices were sent to the following neighborhood associations: Chicot, Cloverdale, & West Baseline Neighborhood Associations and Southwest United for Progress. Staff has received two calls requesting information from area residents. STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS: Staff believes the change is appropriate. 4 Vicinity Map PLAN AMENDMENT N Case: LU06-15-01 MF TO SF Location: BASELINE AND CHICOT ROADS Ward: 7 PD: 15 0 495 990 Feet CT: 41.06 TRS: TISR13W1 AREA ZONING N Case: LU06-15-01 MF TO SF Location: BASELINE AND CHICOT ROADS Ward: 7 PD: 15 0 495 990 Feet CT: 41.06 TRS: TISR13WI