HomeMy WebLinkAboutminutesFebruary 20, 2003
ITEM NO.: B FILE NO.: LU03-11-01
Name: Land Use Plan Amendment - 1-430 Planning District
Location: Aldersgate Rd. at 18th St.
Request: Single Family to Office
Source: Matthew Finley, Finley & Company
PROPOSAL/REQUEST:
A Land Use Plan amendment in the 1-430 Planning District is for a change from
Single Family to Office. The Office category represents services provided directly
to consumers (e.g., legal, financial, medical) as well as general offices, which
support more basic economic activities. The applicant wishes to develop the
property for office uses.
EXISTING LAND USE AND ZONING:
The property is vacant land zoned R-2 Single Family and is approximately 1.94+
acres in size. The land to the north, east, and south is zoned R-2 Single Family
and is occupied by houses. Further to the north is a vacant fifty -foot strip of land
zoned OS Open Space between the R-2 zoned houses to the north of the
applicant's property and the land zoned 0-2 Office and Institutional, occupied by
two office buildings. One lot to the northeast is zoned R -7A for a manufactured
home. The land to the west across Aldersgate Road is zoned Planned Office
Development for two office buildings.
FUTURE LAND USE PLAN AND RECENT AMENDMENTS:
On November 4, 2002 a change was made from Office to Commercial on John
Barrow Road north of Kanis Road about 1 mile northeast of the study area to
reflect existing conditions.
On September 4, 2001 a change was made from Park/Open Space to Multi -
Family at 24th Street and Junior Deputy Road about'/ of a mile to the southeast
of the applicant's property to accommodate new multi -family residential
development.
On July 17, 2001 a change was made from Single Family and Commercial to
Park/Open Space on Birchwood Drive about 1 mile northwest of the application
area to reflect existing conditions.
On March 6, 2001 a change was made from Single Family to Office at 1911
John Barrow Road about 1 mile east of the application area to accommodate a
proposed office development.
February 20, 2003
ITEM NO.: B(Cont.)FILE NO.: LU03-11-01
On September 19, 2000 a change was made from Single Family to Office at
2109 John Barrow Road about 1 mile east of the study area to accommodate a
proposed office development.
The applicant's property is shown as Single Family on the Future Land Use Plan.
All of the land to the north, east, and south is shown as Single Family while the
land to the west across Aldersgate Road is shown as Suburban Office. About a
block north of the applicant's property, north of the neighboring residences, the
land is shown as Suburban Office.
MASTER STREET PLAN:
Aldersgate Road is a two-lane street with open drainage and is shown as a
Collector Street on the Master Street Plan and would require improvements in
order to conform to design standards. West 18th and Perry Streets are
residential streets with open drainage that need improvements to conform to
design standards for standard residential streets. There are no bikeways shown
in the Master Street Plan that would be affected by this amendment.
PARKS:
The Little Rock Parks and Recreation Master Plan of 2001 shows that the
applicant's property lies in a service deficit area. Adequate park facilities would
need to be developed in order to meet any new demands created by
development on the applicant's property.
HISTORIC DISTRICTS:
There are no historic districts that would be affected by this amendment.
CITY RECOGNIZED NEIGHBORHOOD ACTION PLAN:
The applicant's property lies in an area covered by the John Barrow
Neighborhood Area Plan. The business and commercial development goal
contains the objectives of attracting job -generating businesses to the area and
encouragement of land assembly guidelines for construction of new business
and commercial facilities.
ANALYSIS -
This application would place an intense use in an area, which is surrounded on
three sides by less intense uses. Although the area shown as Single Family
contains vacant pieces of property, new housing is being constructed in this
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February 20, 2003
ITEM NO.: B Cont.) FILE NO.: LU03-11-01
neighborhood. The Plan has tried to keep the non-residential uses west of
Aldersgate Road. Even when allowing these non-residential uses, they were to
be designed such that residential could be a viable option on the east side of
Aldersgate. The Office use along Kanis Road includes an open space strip as a
boundary or barrier to further non-residential use along the east side of
Aldersgate Road. This amendment would extend non-residential use in a
residential area that is currently buffered from more intense land uses.
In addition, this amendment area is located in an area of revitalizing single-family
development. The property in question is located in the Hicks Interurban
Addition, a neighborhood that has seen an increase in building permit activity
within the past five years. Thirteen building permits for new single-family houses
have been issued for the neighborhood within the past five years. Four of those
permits were issued in 2001, while five were issued during 2002. The trend of
increasing building permits for single family housing east of Aldersgate.Road
indicates that this neighborhood is a growing and viable single-family residential
area. This amendment would introduce a use that is incompatible with the
current trend of single-family residential development in the area.
NEIGHBORHOOD COMMENTS:
Notices were sent to the following neighborhood associations: Campus Place
Property Owners Association, Kensington Place Property Owners Association,
Pennbrook/Clover Hill Place Property Owners Association, Twin Lakes "A"
Neighborhood Association, Twin Lakes "B" Special Improvement District, Twin
Lakes "B" Prop. Owners Association, Westbrook Neighborhood Association,
Birchwood Neighborhood Association, and John Barrow Neighborhood
Association. Staff has received has not received any comments from area
residents or Neighborhood Associations at this time.
STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS:
Staff believes the change not appropriate. This amendment would introduce a
non-residential use in an area of increasing single-family residential
development.
PLANNING COMMISSION ACTION: (JANUARY 9, 2003)
The item was placed on the consent agenda for deferral to the February 20,
2003 Planning Commission meeting. A motion was made to pass the by-laws
waiver for a five-day notice to defer prior to the Planning Commission meeting.
That motion was approved with a vote of 10 ayes, 0 noes, and 1 absent. A
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February 20, 2003
TEM NO.: B (Cont.
FILE NO.: LU03-11-01
motion was made to approve the consent agenda and was approved with a vote
of 10 ayes, 0 noes and 1 absent.
STAFF UPDATE:
Upon further review, the Planning Staff expanded the area of review to include
area to the north between the applicant's property and the area currently shown
as Suburban Office. With this change, the entiret� of the Single Family between
Aldersgate Road and Perry Street north of W. 18t Street would be changed to
Suburban Office. The applicant's property has remained undeveloped while the
new residential development has occurred south of W. 18th Street. The
development that has occurred in the area neighboring the applicant's property,
developed with non-residential uses. This expansion and change would
establish W. 18th Street as a boundary between the non-residential and
residential uses located on the east side of Aldersgate Road. A change to
Suburban Office would also afford protection of the integrity of neighboring
Single Family uses through the use of Planned Zoning Districts, which would limit
the impact of new office development.
STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS:
Staff believes the change to Suburban Office is appropriate with the expansion
of the study area and establishing W. 18th Street as a boundary between non-
residential and residential uses. Suburban Office would also allow non-
residential development to take place within the context of Planned Zoning
Districts.
PLANNING COMMISSION ACTION:
(FEBRUARY 20, 2003)
The item was placed on the consent agenda for approval. A motion was made
to approve the consent agenda and was approved with a vote of 10 ayes, 0 noes
and 1 absent.
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