HomeMy WebLinkAboutstaff report for LU20-15-01 with LettersMarch 12, 2020
ITEM NO.: 1 FILE NO.: LU 20-15-01
Name: Land Use Plan Amendment – Geyer Springs West Planning District
Location: 10217 Chicot Rd
Request: SO & RL to NC & PK/OS
Source: Mark Hicks, Attorney at Law
PROPOSAL / REQUEST:
Land Use Plan amendment in the Geyer Springs West Planning District from SO
(Suburban Office) & RL (Residential Low) to NC (Neighborhood Commercial) and
PK/OS (Park Open Space). Neighborhood Commercial (NC) category includes
limited small-scale commercial development in close proximity to a neighborhood,
providing goods and services to that neighborhood market area. Park Open Space
(PK/OS) includes all public parks, recreation facilities, greenbelts, flood plains, and
other designated open space and recreational land.
EXISTING LAND USE AND ZONING:
The property is currently undeveloped and wooded zoned R-2, Single Family
District and is 5 acres ± in size. To the north are R-2 zoned lots with single family
houses on them except the two lots adjacent to Chicot Road which are vacant.
To the south there is C-3 (General Commercial District) with a convenience store
with gas pumps and car wash and east along Mabelvale Cutoff Road is a mini-
warehouse development. To the east is R-2 and currently vacant. To the west,
across, Chicot Road is mostly C-3 between Rebecca Drive and Mabelvale Cutoff
Road. The property at the north-west corner of Chicot Road & Mabelvale Cutoff
Road is a Family Dollar. Along Chicot Road to the north of this are a Bail Bond
business, a bakery shop, a restaurant, and a tire shop.
FUTURE LAND USE PLAN AND RECENT AMENDMENTS:
The property is currently shown as SO (Suburban Office) and RL (Residential
Low Density) on the Plan. It is vacant and wooded and 5 acres ± in size. North
of the property is SO, along Chicot Road at Vega Drive, and RL to the northeast
with single family homes on it. South is shown as Commercial with a
convenience store with gas pumps and carwash, with a mini-warehouse
development further east along Mabelvale Cutoff. East is shown as RL and it is
currently undeveloped. West across Chicot Road is shown as Commercial on the
Plan as a commercial strip along Chicot Road from Mabelvale Cutoff to Rebecca
Drive. The following commercial uses are in this commercial strip: a dollar store,
a bail bond, a restaurant and a tire shop.
August 6, 2013, a change was made from RH (Residential High Density) to RL
(Residential Low Density) south east of subject area, south of Mabelvale Cutoff.
MASTER STREET PLAN:
Chicot Road is shown as a Principal Arterial on the Plan. The primary function
of a Principal Arterial is to serve through traffic and to connect major traffic
generators or activity centers within urbanized areas. Entrances and exits should
be limited to minimize negative effects of traffic and pedestrians on Chicot Road
since it is a Principal Arterial. This street may require dedication of right-of-way
and may require street improvements for entrances and exits to the site.
BICYCLE PLAN:
There are no bike lanes/paths/routes shown on the Plan in the immediate vicinity.
PARKS:
There is a city park 0.7 miles to the northeast of subject area.
HISTORIC DISTRICTS:
There are no city recognized historic districts that would be affected by this
amendment.
ANALYSIS:
The property requesting the Land Use Plan change is northeast of intersection of
Chicot Road and Mabelvale Cutoff. It is currently shown as Suburban Office (SO)
and Residential Low Density (RL) on Land Use Plan, vacant and wooded. The
request is to amend +5 acres of SO and RL to Neighborhood Commercial (NC)
with a 20-foot wide strip along the north of the property as Park Open Space
(PK/OS). The site is part of a large Residential Low Density area to the north and
east of the subject area. There is also an underutilized, partially developed
Commercial (C) area southwest of the amendment area at this intersection. To
the southwest and northwest of this intersection along Mabelvale Cutoff on both
sides are shown as Mixed Uses (MX) with single families on it. To the north along
east side of Chicot Road is shown as Suburban Office (SO) to Vega Drive, and
shown as a Commercial (C) along west side of Chicot Road northwest of the
same intersection.
The applicant has asked to amend the Land Use Plan for their property to
Neighborhood Commercial (NC). This is a new Land Use Classification in the
immediate vicinity. NC category includes limited small scale commercial
development in close proximity to a neighborhood, providing goods and services
to that neighborhood market area. To the north of the subject property are
prominently Residential Low Density (RL) use with single family homes on it,
except the properties adjacent to Chicot Road south of Milford Drive. They are
currently undeveloped Suburban Office. This SO use continues as a strip along
Chicot Road north to Vega Drive. To the east of the property is shown as RL on
the Plan and currently undeveloped.
Prominent commercial area is around the Mabelvale Cutoff/Chicot Road
intersection. The northwest quadrant of the intersection, along Chicot Road to
Rebecca Drive is a commercial strip and currently there are a Family Dollar, a
Bond Bail business, a restaurant, and a tire shop on it. There is an available +2.3
acres of undeveloped Commercial land in this strip. To the west of this
commercial strip along Mabelvale Cutoff is shown as Mixed Use on the Plan and
mostly SF homes on it. To the northeast of the same intersection is Commercial
on the Plan. There is a convenience store with gas pumps and car wash along
Chicot Road and further east is mini-warehouse development . These uses are
directly south of the amendment area. Between these two use areas, there is a
+1.5 acre undeveloped commercial lot. To the east of these commercial lands
are mostly single family homes along Mabelvale Cutoff on RL shown land. In
addition to these SF homes there is a church on two lots shown as PI (Public
Institution). To the southeast of the same intersection is a strip of commercial
land with a vacant commercial lot, another dollar store, and then a vacant
commercial lot on it. There is +3 acres of available undeveloped Commercial
land in this commercial strip. To the east of this commercial area are single
family homes on RL shown land along Mabelvale Cutoff. To the southwest of the
same intersection is shown as Commercial on the Plan. It is mostly vacant and
there is an unoccupied/vacant commercial building, previously a dairy shop.
There are two churches on the two lots of PI to the south of this mostly vacant
commercial land. To the west of this vacant commercial land is shown as a
Mixed Use strip along south of Mabelvale Cutoff to Legion Hut Road. There is
+1.7 acres of undeveloped Commercial land at this quadrant of the intersection.
The total Commercial Land Use is +22 acres at the intersection and +9 acres of it
is vacant. That means 60% percent of the Commercial land in the immediate
vicinity is occupied and 40% percent of the commercial land is vacant.
The applicant has revised the application to include a 20-foot sprit along the
north boundary of the property. This is intended to help buffer the existing
homes along Milford Drive from any future commercial uses of this property. The
houses have existed for decades with this site being wood land in their
backyards shown as future single-family development on the City’s Plan.
The available RL in the immediate vicinity is +10 acres to the east, +10 acres to
the south of the amendment area, south of Mabelvale Cutoff. The loss of RL use
from the subject area on Plan is +4 acres. For the last five years, between 2015
and 2019, only four new residential buildings were constructed (SFs) within a half
mile radius of the amendment property. There was no non-residential new
building construction within the same radius of the subject property during last
five years.
NEIGHBORHOOD COMMENTS:
Notices were sent to the following neighborhood associations: Chicot, Legion
Hut, and West Baseline. Staff has received no comments from area residents.
STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS:
Staff believes the change is appropriate.
PLANNING COMMISSION ACTION: (MARCH 12, 2020)
The item was placed on the consent agenda for approval. By a vote of 7 for,
0 against and 4 absent the consent agenda was approved.
2/7/2020
Dear Mr. Hicks,
Your application for a Land Use Plan Amendment, LU20-15-01, at 10217 Chicot
Road will be heard before the Planning Commission on March 12, 2020. The
hearing will be held in the Board Room on the second floor of City Hall at 500
West Markham. The meeting will begin at 4:00 p.m. Your amendment will be
item number 1 on the agenda. The Planning Commission does request that you
or your agent be present.
Below are neighborhood associations (within 0.5 miles) that we encourage you to
contact concerning your application:
Chicot Neighborhood Association
9810 Capella Drive
LR 72209
Email: fistintheair@sbcglobal.net
Tel: 501-707 5330
Legion Hut NBHD Association
PO Box 278
Mabelvale 72103
Email: colesia@att.net
Tel: 501-565 5576
West Baseline NBDH Association
9225 Merrivale Drive
LR 72209
Email: tinatrigleth@gmail.com
Tel: 565-744-4525
Sincerely,
Ozlem Polat
Planner
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING BEFORE THE LITTLE
ROCK PLANNING COMMISSION ON A REQUEST
FOR USE CHANGE OR DEVELOPMENT OF LAND
Tashan O'Neal
Chicot Neighborhood Association
9810 Capella Drive
LR 72209
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT an application for a Land Use Plan Amendment at 10217
Chicot Rd property has been filed with the Department of Planning and Development. The
proposed change is from SO & RL to NC. The application was filed by Mark Hicks, an Attorney
at Law. A public hearing will be held by the Little Rock Planning Commission in the Board of
Directors Chamber, second floor, City Hall, on March 12 at 4:00 P.M. This notice is provided in
order to assure that neighborhood associations are aware of issues that may affect their
neighborhood. Information requests should be directed to the Planning staff at 371-4790.
Sincerely,
Ozlem Polat
Planner
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING BEFORE THE LITTLE
ROCK PLANNING COMMISSION ON A REQUEST
FOR USE CHANGE OR DEVELOPMENT OF LAND
Colesia Perry
Legion Hut NBHD Association
PO Box 278
Mabelvale 72103
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT an application for a Land Use Plan Amendment at 10217
Chicot Rd property has been filed with the Department of Planning and Development. The
proposed change is from SO & RL to NC. The application was filed by Mark Hicks, an Attorney
at Law. A public hearing will be held by the Little Rock Planning Commission in the Board of
Directors Chamber, second floor, City Hall, on March 12 at 4:00 P.M. This notice is provided in
order to assure that neighborhood associations are aware of issues that may affect their
neighborhood. Information requests should be directed to the Planning staff at 371-4790.
Sincerely,
Ozlem Polat
Planner
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING BEFORE THE LITTLE
ROCK PLANNING COMMISSION ON A REQUEST
FOR USE CHANGE OR DEVELOPMENT OF LAND
Frances Trigleth Dockery
West Baseline NBDH Association
9225 Merrivale Drive
LR 72209
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT an application for a Land Use Plan Amendment at 10217
Chicot Rd property has been filed with the Department of Planning and Development. The
proposed change is from SO & RL to NC. The application was filed by Mark Hicks, an Attorney
at Law. A public hearing will be held by the Little Rock Planning Commission in the Board of
Directors Chamber, second floor, City Hall, on March 12 at 4:00 P.M. This notice is provided in
order to assure that neighborhood associations are aware of issues that may affect their
neighborhood. Information requests should be directed to the Planning staff at 371-4790.
Sincerely,
Ozlem Polat
Planner
3/6/2020
Dear Mr. Hicks,
Enclosed is a copy of your item that is a part of the agenda for the March 12, 2020
Planning Commission meeting.
If there are any questions, please call me at 371-4483.
Sincerely,
Ozlem Polat
Planner
March 17, 2020
Dear Mr. Hicks,
On March 12, the Planning Commission heard your request for a Land Use Plan
Amendment, LU20-15-01, at 10217 Chicot Rd. This action was approved by the
Planning Commission that evening.
This item has been forwarded to the Board of Directors for a hearing. This letter is to
inform you that the item will be heard at April 21st, 2020 at Little Rock City Board of
Directors meeting.
The Board of Directors meets on the second floor of City Hall, 500 West Markham
Street, and starts at 6:00. This is a public meeting, and you are encouraged to attend.
Other Interested parties are allowed to speak in favor or opposition to the plan change.
Please be prepared to answer questions if they arise.
Sincerely,
Ozlem Polat
Planner