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HomeMy WebLinkAboutminutes deniedJuly 22, 1999 ITEM NO.: 2 FILE NO.: LU99-09-04 Name: Land Use Plan Amendment - I-630 Planning District Location: 1908 Green Meadow Drive Request: Single Family to Mixed Source: Rose Johnson Grant PROPOSAL / REQUEST: Land Use Plan amendment in the I-630 Planning District from Single Family (SF) to Mixed Use (MX). The Mixed -Use category provides for a mixture of uses such as residential, office and commercial uses to occur. A Planned Zoning District is required of the use if entirely office or commercial or if the use is a mixture of the three. The applicant proposes to establish a professional hair salon. EXISTING LAND USE AND ZONING: The property sits in an R-3 zone and is approximately 0.15+ acres in size. The site in question is currently a single- family dwelling located in an established neighborhood area. Single family residences occupy all of the surrounding properties. All of the property bordering the site in question lies in an R-3 Single Family residential zone. A small tract of C-3 zoning sits one block to the west on the south side of the 20th Street and Boulevard Avenue intersection. A small barbershop sits in a small zone of C-3 on the southwest corner of 20th and Boulevard in the rear of a single-family house. To the west is a small neighborhood store, which appears to be vacant. The Arkansas Veterans Retirement Home is located to the southeast of the site at the southeast corner of the 20th Street - Madison Street intersection. FUTURE LAND USE PLAN AND RECENT AMENDMENTS: On April 20, 1999, a change was made from Single -Family (SF) to Public Institutional (PI) between 17th and 18th Street on July 22, 1999 ITEM NO.: 2 (Cont.) FILE NO.: LU99-09-04 the east side of Pine Street while at the same time three Single -Family (SF) land use areas located: on the west side of Pine Street at 18th Street; the intersection of Pine Street and 20th Street; and the west side of Cedar Street and 23rd Street; were changed to Mixed Use (MX). The applicant's property lies in a Single Family land use area. All of the property surrounding the site lies in a large Single Family future land use area that covers most of the area between Fair Park Boulevard and Cedar Street. The main exception is the area of Public Institutional (PI) located on the southeast corner of the 20t` Street - Madison Street intersection. MASTER STREET PLAN: Green Meadow Drive and South 20u` Street are both shown as neighborhood streets by the plan. Both Green Meadow Drive and S. 20th Street are paved but do not have curbs, gutters, or sidewalks. PARKS SYSTEM MASTER PLAN: There are no parks near the area covered by this proposed amendment. BACKGROUND: The site in question sits in a fully developed urban residential area. The area is an older neighborhood with existing structures in varying states of repair. Recent development has not occurred in the area. One of the commercial buildings in the C-3 zone to the west of the applicant's property is vacant. Sub -standard residential streets service the applicant's property. Any development of this kind would need careful review to insure that the development in fact be a true small-scale neighborhood development. Such a development should have a small service area of a 1-� mile radius and serve walk up traffic . CITY RECOGNIZED NEIGHBORHOOD ACTION PLAN: The applicant's property lies inside the area covered by the Oak Forest Neighborhood action plan. The Oak Forest plan contains an objective of expanding the presence of neighborhood oriented businesses in the area but wishes to E July 22, 1999 ITEM NO.: 2 (Cont.) FILE NO.: LU99-09-04 concentrate these uses along 12th Street and other commercial streets. The plan also desires to amend the zoning pattern to make the area more compatible for residential uses. NEIGHBORHOOD COMMENTS: Notices were sent to the following neighborhood associations: Capital View Stifft Station Neighborhood Association, Curran -Conway Neighborhood Association, Forest Hills Neighborhood Association, Hope Neighborhood Association, Love Neighborhood Association, Midway Neighborhood Association, Oak Forest Neighborhood Association, Pine to Woodrow Neighborhood Association, Stephens Area Faith Neighborhood Association, War Memorial Neighborhood Association, and Capital Hill Neighborhood Association. Staff has received one comment from area residents. The comment was neutral. STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS: Staff believes the change is not appropriate at this time. PLANNING COMMISSION ACTION: (JULY 22, 1999) Mr. Brian Minyard, Planner II, made the staff presentation. Rose Johnson Grant, the applicant, stated her case before the Commission. She said she desires to operate a beauty shop on the property. The applicant used to live on the property but felt that using the property for a beauty shop is a more efficient and profitable use of the property as opposed to residential use. The applicant stated that the neighborhood is not a safe place to live. In addition, Ms. Grant noticed deterioration in the area since she first lived there. Ms. Grant concluded that the house is no longer profitable as a rental property. Connie Hamzy spoke in support of the application. Mrs. Hamzy lives in the neighborhood and stated that her neighbors are in favor of a neighborhood beauty salon. In addition, the proponent stated that women living in the veterans home could use the hair salon. There are an 3 July 22, 1999 ITEM NO.: 2 (Cont.) FILE NO.: LU99-09-04 increasing number of abandoned homes located in the neighborhood. Use of this property would prevent abandonment of the applicant's structure and improve the quality of the neighborhood. Finally, the establishment of a beauty salon would provide a service needed by neighborhood residents. Commissioner Nunnley asked if the application addressed the issue of parking. Walter Malone, Planning Manager, stated that questions such as parking would be addressed when the applicant applies for rezoning. Commissioner Nunnley asked the applicant what the scope of the business would be and what type of parking would be provided. Ms. Grant stated that she would employ three hair stylists at the salon. The applicant added that she would add a parking area and landscaping to the property so customers would not have to park on the street. The applicant also wants to install security lighting on the property. Commissioner Faust asked the applicant if she lived in the house. Ms. Grant stated that she moved out of the neighborhood seven years ago. Her daughter previously lived in the neighborhood but moved out of the neighborhood because it was not a safe place to live. Commissioner Lowry asked staff if this would require a PZD. Mr. Malone stated that in a MX area the property would require a PZD unless the use was residential. Commissioner Putnam commented that the Planning Commission should support the neighborhood's desires on this case. Commission Earnest asked Mr. Minyard about the encouragement of neighborhood business in the Oak Forest neighborhood on 12th Street and of expansion of the area. Mr. Minyard stated that city staff discusses the application and the boundaries covered by the application. Staff also makes an interpretation of any applicable neighborhood action plans for the area in question during the Inter -Departmental staff meeting and the Plans Committee meeting. Commissioner Putnam reminded his colleagues that the meeting should remain focused on topic of Land Uses and not the zoning issues involved. 4 July 22, 1999 ITEM NO.: 2 (Cont.) FILE NO.: LU99-09-04 Commissioner Rahman asked staff what were the C-3 uses to the southwest of the property. Mr. Minyard stated that there was a house with a sign advertising a hair salon near a vacant store. Single family houses occupy the rest of the C-3. Commissioner Nunnley commented that the Oak Forest Plan specifically stated the desire to preserve the residential character of the neighborhood and limit commercial development in this area. He stated his intention to vote against this and encouraged the other commissioners to vote against this. Commissioner Hawn expressed concern that instead of preserving residential areas, the city was preserving vacant lots and that he had trouble with land use plans covering an area only the size of a single lot. Commissioner Hawn felt more comfortable with planned developments. Commissioner Adcock asked Mr. Lawson about the viability of the applicant returning with a conditional use permit to allow a beauty parlor if this land use plan amendment failed. Mr. Lawson stated that the applicant could return to file for a POD or PCD. Commissioner Berry felt that the Land Use Planning process was inadequate for this case. Commissioner Berry stated his opposition to this land use plan amendment but would support a PCD. Commissioner Lowry asked if an additional filing fee would be required. Mr. Malone replied that no matter what happened at this meeting, the applicant would have to file for rezoning. Commissioner Nunnley stated that he would support a planned development but not a land use change. A discussion between the Commission and staff took place about the merits of having all applicants apply for a land use change. Commissioner Hawn made a motion to approve the land use plan amendment as stated on the application. The motion was made for approval of the item as presented and failed with a vote of 1 ayes, 9 nays and 1 absent. 0