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HomeMy WebLinkAboutminutesSeptember 1, 2005 ITEM NO.: 3 FILE NO.: LU05-10-01 Name: Land Use Plan Amendment - Boyle Park Planning District Location: Southeast Corner Kanis and John Barrow Roads Request: Mixed Office Commercial to Commercial Source: Eugene G. Eberle, Jr. PROPOSAL/REQUEST: Land Use Plan amendment in the Boyle Park Planning District from Mixed Office Commercial to Commercial. The Commercial category includes a broad range of retail and wholesale sales of products, personal and professional services, and general business activities. Commercial activities vary in type and scale, depending on the trade area that they serve. The applicant plans future Commercial development at the site. Prompted by this Land Use Amendment request, the Planning Staff expanded the area of review to include area west of the application. This expansion would expand the existing Commercial node to the west to join with the existing commercial node. The result will be a larger Commercial node at the John Barrow - Kanis Road intersection. EXISTING LAND USE AND ZONING: The property is undeveloped, currently zoned C-3 (General Commercial District) and R-2 (Single Family District) and is 4.6 acres t in size. Immediate lands to the north, east, and west of the application are all zoned C-3. North of the property is developed with a variety of different professional office uses and further north is land developing with a new office strip center adjacent to Business Park Drive. To the northeast, the C-3 land is developed with a pipe supply company. East of the property at Michael Drive, is land zoned 0-3 (General Office District) partly developed with a vacant office building and a daycare on the north side of Kanis Road. Also at Michael Drive is a PDO (Planned Development Office) for an animal hospital. The C-3 land east of the property and on the south side of Kanis Road is undeveloped. Southeast of the property is zoned MF -12 (Multifamily District) and developed with apartments. South of the property is undeveloped 0-3 (General Office District) land followed by R-2 land developed with a large church. The C-3 land to the west is developed with several commercial strip centers, individual offices, a fast food September 1, 2005 ITEM NO.: 3 (Cont.) FILE NO.: LU05-10-01 restaurant, and a car wash. At the Kanis - John Barrow Roads intersection are three gas station sites, one of which was recently demolished. The C-3 land northwest of the property is developed with a bank and a vacant structure formerly a medical equipment company. FUTURE LAND USE PLAN AND RECENT AMENDMENTS: On November 4, 2002 multiple changes were made from Commercial to Mixed Office Commercial; Single Family and Multifamily to Office; Single Family to Office; Single Family to Multifamily; Single Family to Low Density Residential; and Office to Commercial between Interstate 630 and Kanis Road east of John Barrow Road northeast of the application to recognize existing conditions and provide for future development. On September 4, 2001 a change was made east Junior Deputy Road near 24th Avenue from Park/Open Space to Low Density Residential approximately one half mile southwest of the application to accommodate a proposed development. The property is shown as Mixed Office Commercial on the Plan. A Commercial Node is illustrated at the John Barrow and Kanis Road intersection. Northeast is land identified as Mixed Use followed by Low Density Residential. East of the application is shown as Mixed Office Commercial followed by Single Family. Immediately southeast of the application is a Multifamily area. South of the application is additional Mixed Office Commercial and land shown as Public Institutional. Southwest is additional Multifamily and Mixed Office Commercial land. Immediately to the east is Commercial, which is part of the Commercial node at John Barrow and Kanis Roads. Master Street Plan: Kanis and John Barrow Roads are shown as Minor Arterials on the Master Street Plan. The purpose of a Minor Arterial is to provide connections to and through an urban area. Immediately north of the site is Business Park Drive, which is shown as a Local Commercial Street on the Plan. The primary function of a Local Commercial Street is to provide access to adjacent properties. Local Commercial Streets are built to Collector standards because of adjacent Commercial zoning. Entrances and exits to this site should be located away from the John Barrow and Kanis Road intersection, and have a positive relationship to Business Park Drive to minimize potential traffic conflicts. Kanis Road may require dedication of right-of-way and may require half street improvements. 2 September 1, 2005 ITEM NO.: _3 fCont.) _ FILE NO.: LU05-10-01 BICYCLE PLAN: Existing or proposed Class I, II, or III bikeways are not in the immediate vicinity of the development. PARKS: This application is in the West Central Parks Planning District. The Plan designates land for parks which are predominately located in flood plains. This application is not located in a service deficit area and is less than a half -mile from two large parks, Kanis Park, and Boyle Park. Kanis Park is a community Park and Boyle Park is a Large Urban Park. Kanis and Boyle Parks feature a variety of elements for users including, baseball fields, basketball courts, playgrounds, picnic areas, restrooms, and gazebos. Both parks provide pedestrian and bicycle trails for the area. Kanis Park is also connected to the Interstate 630 Bicycle Trail and has bicycle connections to Markham Street along Rock Creek. HISTORIC DISTRICTS: There are no city recognized historic districts that would be affected by this amendment. CITY RECOGNIZED NEIGHBORHOOD ACTION PLAN: The applicant's property lies in the area covered by the John Barrow Neighborhood Action Plan. The Business and Commercial goal is "to enhance the climate directed towards encouraging new businesses and commercial establishments to located in the area as well as retention of existing businesses." One objective "Identify areas for potential development," states a desire for new businesses to locate in the area. The proposed location of this use is in an area indicated for office and commercial growth in the John Barrow Neighborhood and this development could help fulfill that goal. ANALYSIS: This development is located in an area of Little Rock that is experiencing a variety of new infill developments that vary in use and scale. Examples of this include new single family development east of the property in the Kanis Village Subdivision, a new apartment complex east of the application near Leander Drive, plans for a new church northeast of the application, and additional office developments that have occurred west of the node relating to medical and health services. Some of this growth in this area could be attributed to the nearby 3 September 1, 2005 ITEM NO.: 3 (Cont.) FILE NO.: LU05-10-01 Baptist Medical Center, the areas close proximity to Interstate 630, and the availability of vacant land that development had previously jumped over. This growth may result in additional demand for commercial services to service new development in the area. The current area shown as Commercial represents an area roughly 28 acres in size. A majority the land shown as Commercial has been developed with individual commercial, office, or residential uses at one time. Recent trends west of the application have indicated reinvestment in property, which has resulted in the construction of new buildings or the conversion of old buildings into commercial, or office uses. This particular application would add approximately five acres of Commercial node at the intersection, expanding the commercial node by just fewer than 15%. In this node, two parcels of land are vacant which could justify a reason for not expanding. One of these parcels is the old Chief Gas Station, which has recently been demolished, and the other is a vacant office building a business has relocated from. The vacant properties in the node may indicate that commercial expansion is not necessary at this time and that the current vacancies could absorb any additional commercial activities in the future. However, expansion of the commercial node on the south side of Kanis Road may allow for larger scale commercial development to occur without displacing existing businesses. Development trends west of the application have resulted in several new office buildings, and the conversion of old homes into office uses. This growth could be a result of the presence of Baptist hospital nearby. Pulaski Tech College also has recently moved into one building west of John Barrow. This growth, coupled with future residential growth anticipated for the area, may indicate that more commercial area will be needed. Part of the land proposed for change is zoned C-3 and the plan amendment would recognize existing zoning. Staff is not encouraging expansion to the east even though lands are similarly zoned. In keeping with the existing Mixed Office Commercial area between the new and larger commercial node, adequate separation of nearby land uses can be provided. In essence the edge of the node would be Business Park Drive. This would balance the eastern edge of the Commercial node on the north and south sides of Kanis Road. This change could be considered appropriate and would leave the Mixed Office Commercial area to provide a step-down in use intensities between the Commercial node and the Single Family areas shown at Michael Drive. NEIGHBORHOOD COMMENTS: Notices were sent to the following neighborhood associations: Westwood Neighborhood Association, Broadmoor Neighborhood Association, University 4 September 1, 2005 ITEM NO.: 3 (Cont.) FILE NO.: LU05-10-01 Park Neighborhood Association, John Barrow Neighborhood Association, Brownwood Terrace Neighborhood Association, Leander Neighborhood Association, Point O'Woods Neighborhood Association, College Terrace Neighborhood Association, SW Little Rock UP, WCLR Coalition of Neighborhoods, Neighborhood Connections, Barrow Action Group, Briarwood Neighborhood Association, Pennbrook/Clover Hill Property Owners Association, Campus Place Property Owners Association, Twin Lakes "A" Neighborhood Association, Twin Lakes "B" Special Improvement District, Twin Lakes B Prop. Owners Association. Staff has not received any comments regarding this application STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS: Staff believes the change is appropriate. Staff believes that the added Commercial area will better concentrate the Commercial Node at Kanis and John Barrow Road intersection, partly recognize existing zoning, and will clarify Business Park Drive as the node's eastern edge. PLANNING COMMISSION ACTION: (SEPTEMBER 1, 2005) 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 11 ayes, 0 noes and 0 absent. 5