HomeMy WebLinkAboutstaff reportOctober 30, 2008
ITEM NO.: I
FILE NO.: LU08-09-02
Name: Land Use Plan Amendment - 1-630 Planning District
Location: 3604 West 12th Street
Request: Single Family to Mixed Use
Source: Frank Riggins, Crafton Tull Sparks
PROPOSAL / REQUEST:
The applicant has requested that this item be deferred until the August 21
hearing. This deferral is an effort to have all the issues heard at one time: land
use plan amendment, planned development application and conditional use
permit. Staff is supportive of the deferral request.
PLANNING COMMISSION ACTION:
(AUGUST 7, 2008)
The item was placed on consent for deferral to the September 18, 2008 hearing
at the request of Staff. By a vote of 9 for, 0 against the consent agenda was
approved.
PROPOSAL / REQUEST:
A Land Use Plan amendment in the 1-630 Planning District from Single Family to
Mixed Use along 11th Street from Maple to Valentine. Mixed Use represents a
mixture of residential, office and commercial uses with a required Planned
Zoning District if the use is not entirely residential. The applicant is proposing a
rezoning to a Planned Development to allow an Empowerment Center with
dorms, office and training facilities on site.
EXISTING LAND USE AND ZONING:
This property is zoned R-3 and R-4. It is currently developed with single family
residences and a few empty lots. To the north, west and east is also zoned R-3
for single family residences, the Florence Crittenden Home, and a nonconforming
Kentucky Fried Chicken on the northwest corner of 12th and Maple. South of this
property is zoned R-5 for Will's House group quarters. Southeast is zoned C-3
General Commercial for Associated Plumbing at the corner of Valmar and 12th
Street. The majority of the land in this general area is zoned R-3.
October 30, 2008
SUBDIVISION
ITEM NO.: I (Cont.) FILE NO.: LU08-09-02
FUTURE LAND USE PLAN AND RECENT AMENDMENTS:
The amendment area is shown as Single Family on the Future Plan. The
southern half of this block fronts 12th Street and is shown as Mixed Use. North of
this amendment is shown as Public Institutional. West and east are shown as
Single Family. Southwest is shown as Commercial along 12th Street west of
Maple Street.
MASTER STREET PLAN:
12th Street is a Minor Arterial. A Minor Arterial provides connections to and
through an urban area and their primary function is to provide short distance
travel within the urbanized area. Valentine and Maple Streets are both shown as
Local Streets. The primary function of a Local Street is to provide access to
adjacent properties. Local Streets which are abutted by non-residential
zoning/use or more intensive zoning than duplexes are considered as
"Commercial Streets". These streets have a design standard the same as a
Collector. Entrances and exits should be limited to minimize negative effects of
traffic and pedestrians on 12th Street since it is a Minor Arterial. These streets
may require dedication of right-of-way and may require street improvements for
entrances and exits to the site.
BICYCLE PLAN:
There are no bike routes in this immediate vicinity.
PARKS:
According to the Master Parks Plan, this area is within eight city blocks of a park
or open space. To the northwest there are two playgrounds associated with
churches.
HISTORIC DISTRICTS:
There are no city recognized historic districts that would be affected by this
amendment.
CITY RECOGNIZED NEIGHBORHOOD ACTION PLAN:
This area is covered by the Stephens Neighborhood Plan. Their Housing Goal
states: "Make use of vacant houses" and "Force houses to be fixed or sold."
Several of the houses in this proposed development are unsafe and vacant.
FA
October 30, 2008
SUBDIVISION
ITEM NO.: I (Cont.
ANALYSIS:
FILE NO.: LU08-09-02
This amendment was filed in response to a rezoning request for a Planned Office
Development (POD). The proposed POD is for an Empowerment Center which
would serve as dorms and offices. This proposal would remove all houses and
structures from the block bounded by West 12th Street on the south, West 11 th
Street on the north, South Valentine Street on the east and Maple Street on the
west. The southern half of this block is already shown as Mixed Use on the
Future Land Use plan, and the applicant has filed an amendment to change the
north half from Single Family to Mixed Use to accommodate this new
development.
Immediately north of this application is the Florence Crittendon Home for
children. It is shown as Public Institutional on the Future Land Use Plan and has
been at this location for many years. Immediately south of this amendment is a
small group quarter's facility called Will's House. The other surrounding areas
are still largely residential in nature with the exception of the 12th Street Corridor.
While these two uses are located within the neighborhood, they are relatively
small facilities. Will's House is set back off of 12th Street in an effort to blend in
with the surrounding neighborhood. The Florence Crittendon Home is a large
building, but it is situated in the center of a city block and is surrounded by grass
and trees. The proposed development between 12th and 11th Streets is going to
be comprised of very large buildings. These buildings do not appear to fit with
this neighborhood in terms of bulk and massing.
This single family neighborhood has been in place for many years. The area
between Interstate 630 and 12th Street is composed of single family and two
family residences. This neighborhood needs to be preserved as Single Family
on the Future Land Use plan to prevent futher loss of housing stock. This
amendment would result in a loss of eight residences and three vacant lots. This
is still a viable neighborhood and needs to be protected as such. The Land Use
Plan calls for keeping the non -single family uses on 12th Street as well as
oriented to 12th Street. 11th Street is to be a single family residential street,
neighborhood street. The Plan changes at mid -block on either side of 12th Street
at this location to re -enforce this pattern.
12th Street is shown as a Minor Arterial and is lined with a variety of different
businesses, types of residences and public uses like the Willie Hinton Center and
Will's House. The City of Little Rock has hired a consultant to study the 12th
Street Corridor in an effort to revitalize the area. This study is expected to take a
year to complete. The study is to look at use as well as design and make
recommendation for future development in the corridor.
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October 30, 2008
SUBDIVISION
ITEM NO.:
FILE NO.: LU08-09-02
11 th Street is a Local Street on the Master Street Plan and is lined with single
family residences. This area has been a residential neighborhood for decades
and the majority of the houses along this street are in good condition. Staff feels
that this street should remain single family in nature and that more intense uses
like this POD should be confined to the arterial streets like 12th Street.
NEIGHBORHOOD COMMENTS:
Notices were sent to the following neighborhood associations: Central High
Neighborhood Association, Capitol Hill Neighborhood Association, Pine to
Woodrow N.A., Stephens Area Faith N.A., Forest Hills N.A. and Hope N.A. Staff
has received two comments from area residents and both were opposed to the
change.
STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS:
Staff believes the change is not appropriate.
PLANNING COMMISSION ACTION: (SEPTEMBER 18, 2008)
Walter Malone, Planning Staff, reviewed the use pattern in the vicinity, with
several institutional uses and a concentration of commercial at the Pine -Cedar
intersections with 12th Street. Other than along 12th Street, this is a single-family
neighborhood. To the north is a small residential area and staff does not feel the
conversion of a block from single-family homes is positive for the neighborhood.
Donna James, Planning Staff, followed with a description of the related Planned
Zoning District application. In the comment period several individuals
commented about the desire to keep single-family homes. However most of the
discussion was about the related Planned Zoning District application. See item
H.1: Z-8367, BCD Empowerment Center POD, for a complete minute record of
the item.
Speakers questioned whether the applicant had ownership of the full application
area. After discussion, Staff recommended to the Commission that both items be
deferred in order to verify the ownership record. By a vote of 8 for, 0 against the
item was deferred to the October 30 Planning Commission Hearing.
STAFF UPDATE:
There have been no changes to the application since the last public hearing.
M