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HomeMy WebLinkAboutminutesMarch 15, 2007 ITEM NO.: G FILE NO.: LU07-09-02 Name: Land Use Plan Amendment - 1-630 Planning District Location: 5801 Asher Avenue Request: Industrial, Commercial and Park/Open Space to Multi Family Source: Tim Daters, White-Daters PROPOSAL / REQUEST: Land Use Plan amendment in the 1-630 Planning District from Industrial, Commercial and Park/Open Space to Multi Family. Multi Family accommodates residential development of ten to thirty-six dwelling units per acre. The application is for a large apartment complex marketed toward UALR students. EXISTING LAND USE AND ZONING: The property is the site of the old Coleman Dairy plant and the old Asher Drive -In. It is currently zoned 1-2 Light Industrial and C-3 General Commercial. The amendment area is approximately 20 acres. The property on the north side of Asher across from this site is currently zoned C-3 General Commercial for a large strip mall. There are still a few commercial uses in the strip mall, but UALR has purchased the northeast corner of Asher and University. This area is shown as campus on the UALR master plan, and eventually it will all be used for Public/Institutional uses. The C-3 to the west of the amendment area is another large strip center which includes many stores and several restaurants. East of the application area along Asher is zoned C-4 with many varieties of auto shops. The area to the south of the amendment area is zoned R-2 Single Family and is currently undeveloped. FUTURE LAND USE PLAN AND RECENT AMENDMENTS: The site is currently shown on the Future Land Use Plan as Industrial to recognize the old Coleman Dairy use. The amendment area also includes a strip Park/Open Space and Commercial. It is surrounded on the south and east sides by Park/Open Space. A large strip of Commercial is shown on the north side of Asher Avenue across from this site. West and adjacent to the site is planned for Commercial. Ordinance 18,373 was passed on October 17, 2000. This was the result of the Asher Corridor Study as requested by the Planning Commission. In the immediate vicinity, this amendment changed part of the Commercial to the west of the application area to Park/Open Space. Many other areas were changed further northeast along Asher March 15, 2007 ITEM NO.: G Cont. FILE NO.: LU07-09-02 Avenue with the goal of keeping Industrial uses south of Asher Avenue and Commercial uses north of Asher. MASTER STREET PLAN: Asher Avenue is shown as a Principal Arterial on the plan. The primary function of a Principal Arterial is to serve through traffic and to connect major traffic generators or activity centers within urbanized areas. Entrances and exits should be limited to minimize negative effects of traffic and pedestrians on Asher since it is a Principal Arterial. This street may require dedication of right-of-way and may require street improvements for entrances and exits to the site. BICYCLE PLAN: There is no bike route in the immediate vicinity according to the Master Street Plan bicycle section. According to the Master Parks Plan, the application area is within eight blocks of existing parks or open spaces. To the north is Curran Conway Park and to the west is the Jack Stephens Youth Park. HISTORIC DISTRICTS: There are no city recognized historic districts that would be affected by this amendment. CITY RECOGNIZED NEIGHBORHOOD ACTION PLAN: The Oak Forest Neighborhood Action Plan covers the application area. Their community image goal states a need to "eliminate vacant or blighted structures." The housing goal also calls for the construction of new residential units. This application would help achieve both of these goals with the removal of the vacant Coleman Dairy site and the addition of new multi family residences. ANALYSIS: The application area is in a part of Little Rock that has been fully developed for many years. Just west of this application area is the Asher Avenue and University Avenue intersection. Both of these roads are Principal Arterials and have been used for Commercial and Industrial uses in the past. The Coleman Dairy and the Asher Drive -In had been in place for many years but have since closed. The amendment area has been shown on the Future Land Use Plan as Industrial, Commercial and Park/Open Space for many years to recognize existing uses. The amendment area is 2 March 15, 2007 ITEM NO.: G (Cont. FILE NO.: LU07 approximately 20 acres. Most of this 20 acres is either Industrial or Park/Open Space and only one acre of this area is currently shown as Commercial on the Future Land Use Plan. This one acre is relatively insignificant considering the large amount of Commercial shown along both Asher and University Avenues. The area just north of this amendment area is shown as Commercial and Public Institutional on the Future Land Use Plan. The Public Institutional is shown to recognize the UALR campus. Currently there are still several commercial uses in this shopping center including Big Lots, two banks and a Mexican restaurant. This Commercial area shown at the northeast corner of Asher Avenue and University Avenue is actually owned by the University and will eventually be used for only campus purposes. The redevelopment of this shopping center and this old industrial site will help improve the appearance of this part of Asher Avenue and the overall vitality of the area. The redevelopment of the old Coleman Dairy to a multi family complex would help reduce the amount of vacant structures in the area, which is one of this area's Neighborhood Action Plan's goals. This area and the intersection of Asher and University are in need of redevelopment to bring investment and people back to this part of the city. The proposed Multi Family would be south and adjacent to the future UALR campus. The applicant plans to market these apartments to UALR students and staff. There is a demand for more residential density near campus since the campus has only limited on - campus housing. The only other Multi Family shown in this vicinity is west of campus on Colonel Glenn Road for the Bradford Place Townhomes and Chateau De Ville Apartments and east at Fair Park for the Fair Oaks Apartments. All of these apartment complexes appear occupied and in varying states of repair. There is no vacant Multi Family shown in this vicinity. The amount of Industrial that this amendment would change is fairly insignificant because of the large amount of land planned for Industrial in this region. The Industrial shown on the plan at the amendment location is only eleven acres. There are more than 300 acres planned for Industrial or Light Industrial east of this location along the south side of Asher. This part of Asher was one of the main routes into Little Rock for many years, but with changes such as the interstate the use pattern has changed for Asher Avenue. With the expansion of the University to the south and alternative traffic routes, this area is less desirable as a manufacturing and distribution area than in the past. There is less demand for Industrial in this area. Even though this section of Little Rock has been developed for many decades, the Plan shows areas yet to develop for industrial use. A portion of the amendment area and south of the application area is shown on the Future Land Use Plan as Park/Open Space. The Future Land Use Plan currently shows more than 200 acres of Park/Open Space in this area. UALR owns the property immediately to the south of the amendment area and plans to use it as intramural fields in the future. This would extend the UALR campus to the south side of Asher Avenue. 3 March 15, 2007 ITEM NO.: G (Cont.) FILE NO.: LU07-09-02 NEIGHBORHOOD COMMENTS: Notices were sent to the following neighborhood associations: Curran Conway and South of Asher. Staff has not received any comments from area residents. STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS: Staff believes the change is appropriate. PLANNING COMMISSION ACTION: (MARCH 1, 2007) The applicant on February 27, 2007 requested this item be deferred to the March 15, 2007 Planning Commission Hearing. The item was placed on the consent agenda for deferral. The consent agenda was approved by a vote of 9 for, 0 against with 2 absent. STAFF UPDATE: There has been no change to this application. PLANNING COMMISSION ACTION: (MARCH 15, 2007) The item was placed on consent agenda for approval. 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