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HomeMy WebLinkAboutminutesMarch 28, 2002 ITEM NO.: 3 FILE NO.: LU02-10-01 Name: Land Use Plan Amendment - Boyle Park Planning District Location: West side of 2000 block of S. University Ave. Request: Office to Multi -Family Source: Joe White, White-Daters & Associates, Inc. PROPOSAL / REQUEST: Land Use Plan amendment in the Boyle Park Planning District from Office to Multi -Family. The Multi -Family category accommodates residential development of ten (10) to thirty-six (36) dwelling units per acre. The applicant wishes to develop the property for apartments. EXISTING LAND USE AND ZONING: The property is currently vacant land zoned R-2 Single Family and is approximately 10 + acres in size. Most of the land to the north consists of houses zoned R-2 while the property along University Avenue is occupied with small businesses and eating establishments zoned C-3 General Commercial. The land to the east across University Avenue is the campus of UALR, which is, zoned R-2. The land to the south and west consists of property zoned R-2 and developed with single-family houses. FUTURE LAND USE PLAN AND RECENT AMENDMENTS: On July 17, 2001 a change was made from Single Family to Park/Open Space at W. 14th Street and Pierce Street about a 1"f? mile northeast of the application area. On October 17, 2000 multiple changes were made from Public Institutional and Multi -Family to Commercial and Light Industrial at the intersection of Fair Park Boulevard and Asher Avenue about 1 mile southeast of the property in question. The applicant's property is shown as Single Family on the Future Land Use Plan. The area to the north is shown as Single Family with Commercial shown along University Avenue. The land to the east of University is shown as Public Institutional. The remainder of the land to the south and west is shown as Single Family. March 28, 2002 SUBDIVISION ITEM NO.: 3 {Cont.} MASTER STREET PLAN: FILE NO.: LU02-10-01 University Avenues is shown on the Master Street Plan as a Principal Arterial and is built to a four -lane width. Half street improvements would be needed to improve this section of University Avenue to Principal Arterial design standards. There are no Bikeways shown on the Master Street Plan that would be effected by this amendment. PARKS: There are four parks shown on the Little Rock Parks and Recreation Plan of 2001 that are located within an eight -block distance of the applicant's property. Boyle Park, located at W. 36th Street and Boyle Park Road, as a 50+ acre Large Urban Park located west of the applicant's property. University Park, located at W. 12th Street and Leisure Lane, as a 20-50 acre Community Park northwest of the study area. Boyle Park provides a mixture of active and passive recreational opportunities, while University Park is the site of the Raymond Rebsamen Tennis Center. Oak Forest Park, located at W. 14th Street and Pierce Street, is shown as a mini -Park under 5 acres northeast of the property in question and is design specifically to serve the needs of the Oak Forest neighborhood, which surrounds the park. Curran -Conway Park, located at W. 24th Street and Monroe Street, and is shown as a as a 20-50 acre Community Park located east of the UALR campus and is located the furthest distance from the amendment area. Since Boyle Park is classified as a Large Urban Park, and is the most accessible park to the amendment area, the park should be able to accommodate the neighborhood needs for open space and recreation areas. HISTORIC DISTRICTS: There is not any historic districts near -by that would be effected by this amendment. City Recognized Neighborhood Action Plan: The property under review is not located in an area covered by a City of Little Rock recognized neighborhood action plan. E March 28, 2002 SUBDIVISION ITEM NO.: 3 (Cont. ANALYSIS: FILE NO.: LU02-10-01 The applicant's property is located in an area that is physically separated from the neighboring Single Family uses based on the street pattern. The only practical access to the property in question is from University Avenue. The neighboring houses are oriented in such a way that the back yards face the applicant's property. The Commercial uses to the north face University Avenue. The UALR campus is accessed majority of the buildings on directly from University isolates the applicant's residential areas. from University Avenue; however, the campus are not accessed The street pattern of the from the neighboring Avenue. property the area The effects on the neighborhood would include four issues: traffic, topography, scale, and massing. Development on this property would increase traffic on University Avenue. Construction on this property would result in the alteration of the hillside on which this property is located. Development on this property would also need a sufficient buffer between any buildings and parking lots and the neighboring single-family residences to compensate for the scale and massing of future buildings built on the property. Without sufficient buffers, the neighboring properties would be impacted by intense residential uses on the applicant's properties. Although there is a change in topographical elevation between the site and the surrounding neighborhood, this application would allow development that could result in a visual intrusion into the neighborhood. The massing and scale of any development on this site should be complimentary and sympathetic to the surrounding single family development. A change at this location would establish University Avenue as the boundary between the non-residential to the east and the residential to the west. However, development at this location would need to fit the character of the neighborhood. NEIGHBORHOOD COMMENTS: Notices were sent to the following neighborhood associations: Broadmoor Neighborhood Association, Brownwood Terrace Neighborhood Association, College Terrace Neighborhood 3 May 9, 2002 SUBDIVISION ITEM NO.: A (Cont. FILE NO.: LU02-1 the property. Without sufficient buffers, the neighboring properties would be impacted by intense residential uses on the applicant's properties. Although there is a change in topographical elevation between the site and the surrounding neighborhood, this application would allow development that could result in a visual intrusion into the neighborhood. The massing and scale of any development on this site should be complimentary and sympathetic to the surrounding single family development. A change at this location would establish University Avenue as the boundary between the non-residential to the east and the residential to the west. However, development at this location would need to fit the character of the neighborhood. NEIGHBORHOOD COMMENTS: Notices were sent to the following neighborhood associations: Broadmoor Neighborhood Association, Brownwood Terrace Neighborhood Association, College Terrace Neighborhood Association, Point O'Woods Neighborhood Association, University Park Neighborhood Association, Westwood Neighborhood Association, Curran -Conway Neighborhood Association, and Oak Forest Neighborhood Association. Staff has received 3 comments from area residents. None are in support, 3 are opposed to the change and none were neutral. STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS: Staff believes the change to Multi -Family is not appropriate. Staff does support the Office or a change to Low Density Residential with a smaller scale of development that would conform to residential character of the surrounding neighborhood. PLANNING COMMISSION ACTION: (MARCH 28, 2002) The item was placed on the consent agenda for deferral to the May 9, 2002 Planning Commission meeting. A motion was made to approve the consent agenda and was approved with a vote of 7 ayes, 0 noes and 4 absent. PLANNING COMMISSION ACTION: (MAY 9, 2002) The item was placed on the consent agenda for withdrawal. A motion was made to approve the consent agenda and was approved with a vote of 10 ayes, 0 noes and 1 absent. 3