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HomeMy WebLinkAboutminutesSeptember 4, 2003 ITEM NO.: 4 FILE NO.: LU03-09-02 Name: Land Use Plan Amendment - 1-630 Planning District Location: 1313 S. Tyler Street Request: Single Family to Suburban Office and Commercial. Source: Ramona Elliott PROPOSAL / REQUEST: This application is a Land Use Plan amendment in the 1-630 Planning District from Single Family to Suburban Office and Commercial. The Suburban Office category shall provide for low intensity development of office or office parks in close proximity to lower density residential areas to assure compatibility. A Planned Zoning District is required. 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 wishes to develop a home base office for a physical therapy group. Prompted by this Land Use Amendment request, the Planning Staff expanded the area of review to recognize existing zoning of C-3 at 12th street between Harrison and Tyler Streets and to recognize the entirety of the C-1 zoned Walgreen's site between Fair Park Boulevard and Taylor. Staff also expanded the area to provide a half block buffer of Suburban Office (which includes the original application) to be between the Commercial node at 12th and Fair Park Boulevard and the Single Family. This includes part of the area extending from Harrison to Fillmore Street and southward to the mid -block between 13th and 14th Streets more particularly described as the northeast and southeast corners of 13th and Tyler Streets, the north half of the two blocks bounded by 13th, Tyler, 14th and Taylor Streets and the northwest and northeast corners of 13th and Taylor Streets. This expansion also includes a CUP for a daycare facility. EXISTING LAND USE AND ZONING: The property at 1313 S. Tyler Street is a single family house currently zoned R-3 Single Family and is approximately .32± acres in size. Properties along 12th Street from Harrison Street to Taylor Street and in the 1200 block of Fair Park Boulevard are zoned a variety of C-1, C-3 and C-4 commercial districts and include medical offices, convenience stores, restaurants, and drug store uses to name a few. South of this commercial node, the properties are zoned R-3 Single Family and area comprised of single family residential structures and a day care center. North of this node is a variety of 0-3 Office, C-3 and PCD commercial zonings along Fair Park Boulevard. This area is comprised of single family residential units, multi -family units, convenience stores, offices and the like. FUTURE LAND USE PLAN AND RECENT AMENDMENTS: On March 5, 2002, a change was made from Commercial and Office to Mixed Use about 1 mile northwest of the expanded area at University Avenue and W. Markham Street to accommodate future development. On July 17, 2001, a change was made from Single Family to Park / Open Space at Oak Forest Park about Y4 of a mile west of the applicant's property to recognize existing conditions. On April 20, 1999 changes were made from Single Family to Public Institutional at 17th and Pine and a change to Mixed Use from Woodrow Street to Oak Street along 12th Street to recognize existing conditions and to accommodate future development. On March 16, 1999 multiple changes were made from Office and Multifamily to Single Family, Multifamily, Mixed Use, and Office about 1 mile northwest of the study area in the vicinity of the intersection of University Avenue and C Street to accommodate future development. The applicant's property and most of the property in the expanded area is shown as Single Family on the Future Land Use Plan. The properties at the intersection of Fair Park Boulevard and W. 12th Street, north and west of the expanded area are shown as Commercial. To the north, the north side of W. 12th Street is shown as Commercial between Fair Park Boulevard and Tyler Street, Mixed Use between Tyler and Harrison Streets, and Office between Harrison and Van Buren Streets. The remaining property to the east, south and west is shown as Single Family on the Future Land Use plan. MASTER STREET PLAN: W. 12th Street is shown as a Minor Arterial with a modified standard of a 70 foot - wide right-of-way to accommodate four lanes and a center turn lane at major intersections. Fair Park Boulevard is shown as a Minor Arterial with a modified standard for a 60 foot -wide right-of-way to accommodate four lanes and a center turn lane and additional lanes at major intersections. Fair Park Boulevard has two lanes south of the W. 13th Street intersection and four lanes with a median between W. 13th and W. 12th Streets. S. Tyler Street is a Standard Residential Street built to standard. W. 13th Street is also a Standard Residential Street but is built with open drainage. Any non-residential developments on W. 13th Street would be responsible for half street improvements. A Class III Bikeway is shown on W 12th Street from Rock Creek to the Pine/Cedar intersections. A Class III Bikeway is shown on Fair Park Boulevard from Zoo Drive to Mabelvale Pike. A Class III Bikeway does not require any additional right-of-way or paving. PARKS: The applicant's property is located a little over four blocks east of Oak Forest Park and approximately three blocks west of the Jonesboro Drive leg of War Memorial Park. The Little Rock Parks and Recreation Master Plan of 2001 lists Oak Forest Park as a Mini -Park consisting of less than five acres and is shown as providing a playground for area residents. The Little Rock Parks and Recreation Master Plan of 2001 shows War Memorial Park as the closest park available to provide park facilities within the plan's Eight -Block Strategy of providing park facilities within eight blocks of all Little Rock residents. However, the portion of War Memorial Park along Jonesboro Drive is intended to serve as a formal park entrance. The Jonesboro Drive portion of War Memorial Park is separated from the main facilities of War Memorial Park by 1-630. Oak Forest Park is adequate to serve the current residents of the area. However, the change to Suburban Office would encourage low impact development designed to have a minimal impact on the surrounding neighborhood and should not effect the patronage of either park. The change to Commercial would recognize an existing condition and should not result in a change the patronage of the parks. 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 the area covered by the Oak Forest Area Neighborhood Action Plan "A Guide to Achieve Our Vision". The Housing objectives states to "Encourage more home ownership" and to "Enhance and maintain all housing stock". ANALYSIS: The applicant's property is located in a stable neighborhood. The change to Suburban Office would introduce non-residential uses into an area physically separated from non-residential uses. Although the west side of Tyler Street north of 13th Street is shown as Commercial, the house and large open area acts as a buffer separating the existing residential uses and the existing Commercial uses that front Fair Park Boulevard and W. 12th Street. The existing day care center at the northeast corner of Tyler and W. 13th Street is the only existing non- residential use that is inside the buffer provided by the neighboring residential uses. Currently, West 13th Street is the boundary between the intense Commercial uses on Fair Park Boulevard and the less intense Single Family houses to the south. The commercial uses and houses in the area do not face each other on Fair Park Boulevard nor on 13th Street. With the residential units facing Tyler and Taylor Streets, 13th Street is reinforced as a boundary line separating the uses to the north from the residential to the south. Although concerns generally arise when Commercial is abutting Single Family, this boundary line works because of the orientation of the structures and the access points of each. The changes to Commercial on the south side of W. 12th Street between Tyler and Harrison Streets and the southwest corner of Fair Park Boulevard and 12th Street would recognize existing uses. The clinic between Harrison and Tyler Streets faces, and is accessed from, W. 12th Street. The Walgreen's site is partially shown as Office, Commercial and Single Family. NEIGHBORHOOD COMMENTS: Notices were sent to the following neighborhood associations: Capitol View Stifft Station Neighborhood Association, Curran -Conway Neighborhood Association, Forest Hills Neighborhood Association, Goodwill Neighborhood Association, Hope Neighborhood Association, Eileen Harrison, Love Neighborhood Association, Midway Neighborhood Association, Oak Forest Neighborhood Association, Pine to Woodrow Neighborhood Association, S. O. A. Neighborhood Association, Stephens Area Faith Neighborhood Association, and War Memorial Neighborhood Association. Staff has received 1 comment from area residents that was are opposed to the change to Suburban Office. STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS: Staff believes the change to Suburban Office is not appropriate. This change would introduce an incompatible use into a stable residential area. Staff does believe it is appropriate to recognize the existing uses along 12th as Commercial. September 4, 2003 SUBDIVISION ITEM NO.: 5 (Cont.) FILE NO.: LU03-09-02 PLANNING COMMISSION ACTION: (SEPTEMBER 4, 2003) Brian Minyard, City Staff, made a brief presentation to the commission. Donna James made a presentation of item 5.1 so the discussion could coincide with the discussion for item 5. See item 5.1 for a complete discussion concerning the Short Form Planned Development - Office. Obray Nunnley, Planning Commission Chair, asked why staff made its recommendation to expand the application. Brian Minyard stated that staff's recommendation for Commercial along W. 12th Street would recognize the existing C-1 and C-3 zoning. The recommended expansion of Suburban Office requested in the application would provide a buffer to minimize the impact of non- residential uses on the neighborhood even though staff believes the a change to Suburban Office would not be appropriate. Janelle Romandia spoke in opposition to the application and sited the Oak Forest Neighborhood Action Plan encouragement of home ownership and preservation of housing stock in the neighborhood. Ruth Bell, Pulaski County League of Women Voters, spoke in opposition to the application and stated that the area was viable for residential uses. Deborah White spoke in opposition to the application and stated that she wanted to preserve the residential character of the neighborhood. Joe White spoke in opposition to the application and stated that he wanted to preserve the residential nature of the neighborhood. Roberts Hooks, President of Oak Forest Movers and Shakers Crime Watch, stated that the proposed change did not fit the area and that it was contrary to the home ownership goals of the Oak Forest Neighborhood Action Plan. Ramona Elliot, representative of the applicant, spoke in support of the application and described the nature of the proposed business and explained how the operation of the office would not have a negative impact on the residential quality of the neighborhood. Obrary Nunnley, Planning Commission Chair, explained that a residential area is intended to provide an escape from the hectic pace of life and that the introduction of a non-residential use might disrupt the peaceful integrity of the neighborhood. A motion was made to approve the item as presented. The item was denied with a vote of 0 ayes, 9 noes, and 2 absent.