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HomeMy WebLinkAboutboard of directors itemsOFFICE OF THE CITY MANAGER LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS BOARD OF DIRECTORS COMMUNICATION FEBRUARY 21, 2006 AGENDA Subject LU06-08-01, Land Use Plan Amendment in the Central City District from Single Family and Low Density Residential to Public Institutional Submitted by: Planning & Development Action Required Ordinance Resolution Approval Information Report Approved By Bruce Moore City Manager SYNOPSIS A Land Use Plan in the Central City Planning District changing to areas to Public Institutional, both owned by Arkansas Children's Hospital. The first is along Summit from Maryland to 10`h Street from Single Family. The second is along Wolfe from 13'h to Daisy Bates drive from Low Density Residential. FISCAL IMPACT No impact determined. RECOMMENDATION Staff recommends approval. At the January 19, 2006 meeting of the Little Rock Planning Commission after discussing the issues the Commission voted to approve the changes (11 for 0 against). CITIZEN The Capitol Hill and Central High Neighborhood PARTICIPATION Associations were notified of the changes. Area residents (within 200 feet) were notified by the City via US mail. The Little Rock Planning Commission held a public hearing on January 19, 2006. BACKGROUND The application under consideration is two half -city blocks four blocks apart. The northwest application area is totally surrounded by land shown for Public Institutional use as part of Children's Hospital future campus. Currently much of this land has been cleared by the hospital and BACKGROUND CONTINUED turned into parking lots. During the 2002 Land Use review Staff proposed this property for Public Institutional. At the public hearing the property owner asked that the half block along Summit from Maryland to 10th Street not be changed. The Commission amended the package to not change the land use designation for the property. The property all around this application area was at that time and is currently owned by Children's Hospital and shown on their long-range plan for medical related uses. The hospital has purchased the property between Schiller and Martin Luther King Drive, from Interstate 630 to 12th Street for future development. This land, with a couple exceptions, is now in the hands of Children's Hospital. The hospital's 2004 -campus plan shows medical offices, research and related uses for this property. Children's Hospital has now acquired this half block and is asking to rezone the land to 0-2 Office Institutional. The most recent change in the immediate area is the construction of a new office building across Maryland Avenue from the site. This building is intended as a `medical arts' building for Children's Hospital. The second application area is the half city block along Wolfe Street from 13th Street to Daisy Bates Drive. This is across from the old `Westside Junior High School' that has been redeveloped as apartments. This redevelopment was done in part with the help of Children's Hospital, which has developed the original cafeteria/auditorium into a meeting space for the hospital. Diagonally across the intersection from the site is the site of the `old Baptist Hospital', which Children's Hospital purchased and removed. The new structure at this location is part of the research complex for Children's Hospital. The Campus plan for the Hospital calls for the general area to be research facilities related to the hospital. The tracts west and northwest of the old Westside School are proposed to be for small business ventures related to the on-going research at the hospital. There has been some improvement to the homes and apartments to the south of this property. And the former grocery store at 12th Street between Battery and Summit to the northwest has been converted to `Our Kids First'. The redevelopment of the former school and investments in 2 BACKGROUND CONTINUED residential properties to the south indicate interest in the vicinity. This half block is currently vacant and owned by Children's Hospital. There is a request to reclassify the property from `R-4', Two-family Residential and `R-5', Urban Residential to `0-2' Office Institutional. The 2004 campus plan for Children's Hospital shows the land north of 13th Street as part of a large research complex related to the hospital. The surrounding properties to the west and northwest are indented as kind of an incubator for small businesses related to the research conducted at the hospital. With Daisy Gatson Bates Drive a primary entryway for the Central High Historic Site; redevelopment of this property is significant to the City, State and Nation. Across Daisy Gatson Bates Drive is residential, primarily single-family and duplex. The massing of any new structures is significant, since the structures to the south are generally smaller scale and massing. So both the design and massing of any new structure only four blocks from Central High are of great interest to the City. This is also an edge for Children's Hospital Campus. It would be desirable from the standpoint of the City and neighborhood if those structures along the southern edge were designed to be `friendly' to the neighborhood. And possible include uses, which will make them a part of the neighborhood rather than a wall against the neighborhood. 7 FILE NO.: LU06-08-01 Name: Land Use Plan Amendment - Central City Planning District Location: Between 9th Street and Daisy Bates Drive, between Schiller and Wolf Streets Request: Single Family and Low Density Residential to Public Institutional Source: Brian Tinnel, McClelland Engineers PROPOSAL / REQUEST: Land Use Plan amendment in the Central City Planning District from Single Family and Low Density Residential to Public Institutional. Public Institutional represents services of a public or quasi -public nature that provides services to the community such as schools, libraries, churches and hospitals. A rezoning request has been filed to reclassify land to '0-2' Office and Institution Use by Children's Hospital as part of their campus planning effort. Staff is not expanding the application, since the Land Use Plan in this area was reviewed less than six months ago. EXISTING LAND USE AND ZONING: There are separate two areas involved. One is northwest of Summit and 10th Street, it is occupied with single-family homes with a zoning of 'R-3' Single Family and is one -acre t in size. The second is zoned a mix of 'R-4' Two-family Residential and 'R-5' Urban Residential but is vacant land just under one acre in size. Most of the land to the east is zoned '0-2' Office and Institutional. It is Children's Hospital and related offices and research facilities. North of the application areas is the State Capitol and office complex. This area is either not zoned or is within the Capital Zoning District not within Little Rock's zoning authority. To the east is a mix of 'R-3' and 'R-4' zoned land with some homes, a few duplexes and vacant lots. This is a small area no more that 3 blocks square. There is an area of Industrial zoning ('1-2' Light Industrial) along the railroad tracks to its east with some industrial uses --warehouse. To the south is a single- family neighborhood with a mix of 'R-3' and 'R-4' zoning. RE LAND USE PLAN AND RECENT AMENDMENTS: On January 4, 2000, a change was made from Single Family to Mixed Use at 2311 Spring to the southeast of the application area to accommodate a proposed development. FILE NO.: LU06-08-01 (Cont. On March 19, 2002, several changes from Public Institutional, Mixed Office Commercial, Mixed Use and Single Family to Public Institutional and Mixed Office Commercial and Public Institutional to Multifamily were made in the area between Daisy Gatson Bates Drive —1-630 and Schiller to Bishop. This was done to better reflect the Children's Hospital campus plan and surrounding uses. October 4, 2005, several changes were made from Single Family, Mixed Use, Mixed Office Commercial and Industrial to Single Family, Low Density Residential, Mixed Use Public Institutional, Commercial and Light Industrial. These changes were made to more accurately reflect the existing and probable future development pattern of the area. The northwest amendment area is shown for Single Family. The southeast amendment area is shown for Low Density Residential. The Plan shows these two areas to be adjacent to a large area of Public Institutional and Mixed Office Commercial Use, which covers the area to Martin Luther King Drive. This is for the Children's Hospital and related office and research facilities. To the south is a large Single Family area with a smaller Single Family area to the west. Across Interstate 630 is a large Public Institutional area for the State complex. MASTER STREET PLAN: 12th Street is shown as a Minor Arterial on the plan. Minor Arterials primary function is to move traffic and goods in and through the urban area, not to provide access to adjacent property. The other sides in the application areas are local streets, which are designed to provide access to adjacent property. Additional right-of-way or street widening may be required due to intensification of the property use from the single family they were original built to handle. BICYCLE PLAN: There are no designated bicycle routes adjacent to the Plan change area, however there are Class II bike routes along Martin Luther King Drive and Daisy Gatson Bates Drive in the vicinity. Class II Bike routes have a portion of the paved roadway dedicated for the sole use of bicycles. No additional paving or right-of-way is proposed for the routes. PARKS: The Little Rock Parks and Recreation Master Plan shows this area to be within 8 - blocks of a park or open space. Centennial Park is to the southeast of the application area. Ninth Street Park is to the east and Fletcher Park is to the west. All three of these parks are classified as Mini -parks (under 5 acres) by the Plan. 2 FILE NO.: LU06-08-01 (Cont.) HISTORIC DISTRICTS: There are no city recognized historic districts that would be affected by this amendment. CITY RECOGNIZED NEIGHBORHOOD ACTION PLAN: The property under review is not located in an area covered by a City of Little Rock recognized neighborhood action plan. ANALYSIS: The application under consideration is two half -city blocks four blocks apart. The northwest application area is totally surrounded by land shown for Public Institutional use as part of Children's Hospital future campus. Currently much of this land has been cleared by the hospital and turned into parking lots. During the 2002 Land Use review Staff proposed this property for Public Institutional. At the public hearing the property owner asked that the half block along Summit from Maryland to 10th Street not be changed. The Commission amended the package to not change the land use designation for the property. The property all around this application area was at that time and is currently owned by Children's Hospital and shown on their long-range plan for medical related uses. The hospital has purchased the property between Schiller and Martin Luther King Drive, from Interstate 630 to 12th Street for future development. This land, with a couple exceptions, is now in the hands of Children's Hospital. The hospital's 2004 -campus plan shows medical offices, research and related uses for this property. Children's Hospital has now acquired this half block and is asking to rezone the land to 0-2 Office Institutional. The most recent change in the immediate area is the construction of a new office building across Maryland Avenue from the site. This building is intended as a 'medical arts' building for Children's Hospital. The second application area is the half city block along Wolfe Street from 13th Street to Daisy Bates Drive. This is across from the old 'Westside Junior High School' that has been redeveloped as apartments. This redevelopment was done in part with the help of Children's Hospital, which has developed the original cafeteria/auditorium into a meeting space for the hospital. Diagonally across the intersection from the site is the site of the'old Baptist Hospital', which Children's Hospital purchased and removed. The new structure at this location is part of the research complex for Children's Hospital. The Campus plan for the Hospital calls for the general area to be research facilities related to the hospital. The tracts west and northwest of the old Westside School are proposed to be for small business ventures related to the on-going research at the hospital. t� FILE NO.: LU06-08-01 (Cont.) There has been some improvement to the homes and apartments to the south of this property. And the former grocery store at 12th Street between Battery and Summit to the northwest has been converted to 'Our Kids First'. The redevelopment of the former school and investments in residential properties to the south indicate interest in the vicinity. This half block is currently vacant and owned by Children's Hospital. There is a request to reclassify the property from 'R-4', Two-family Residential and 'R-5', Urban Residential to 'O-2' Office Institutional. The 2004 campus plan for Children's Hospital shows the land north of 13th Street as part of a large research complex related to the hospital. The surrounding properties to the west and northwest are indented as kind of an incubator for small businesses related to the research conducted at the hospital. With Daisy Gatson Bates Drive a primary entryway for the Central High Historic Site; redevelopment of this property is significant to the City, State and Nation. Across Daisy Gatson Bates Drive is residential, primarily single-family and duplex. The massing of any new structures is significant, since the structures to the south are generally smaller scale and massing. So both the design and massing of any new structure only four blocks from Central High are of great interest to the City. This is also an edge for Children's Hospital Campus. It would be desirable from the standpoint of the City and neighborhood if those structures along the southern edge were designed to be 'friendly' to the neighborhood. And possible include uses, which will make them a part of the neighborhood rather than a wall against the neighborhood. NEIGHBORHOOD COMMENTS: Notices were sent to the following neighborhood associations: Capital Hill and Central High Neighborhood Associations. Staff has received two comments from area residents both were informational. STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS: Staff believes the change is appropriate. PLANNING COMMISSION ACTION: (JANUARY 19, 2006) Walter Malone, Planning Staff reviewed the two areas of land use change and noted there are more areas of rezoning. The northwest area had been proposed before for a change to Public Institutional (in 2002), but the then owner requested the area remain Single Family. The hospital now owns the property. Their plan calls for the area to be office support uses for the hospital. The surrounding area is all owned by the Hospital and is currently used for parking. The southeast area is next to the old West Side Junior High, which is currently residential with some office use (related to Children's). The hospital plan calls for this area to be 112 FILE NO.: LU06-08-01 `transition'. The general area is for uses related to research done at the hospital. Across Daisy Bates are single-family and duplexes. This area is seeing some reinvestment. Daisy Bates is also the entrance to Central High. The type of use and massing is important. The City would like to see the hospital find uses for this property, which will be advantageous to both the hospital, and neighborhood, both can use. Staff does support both changes. Mr. Malone turned the presentation over to Monte Moore to address the re -zoning to 0-2 Office and Institutional District. See item 1.1 for a complete review of the discussion of this item. There was significant discussion about notice, and where it was proper. A motion was made to defer the item. By a vote of 2 for 9 against the motion failed. Further discussion followed. A second motion to approve the Land Use Plan change was made. By a vote of 11 for 0 against the request was approved. I.1 ORDINANCE NO AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND THE LAND USE PLAN (16,222) IN THE CENTRAL CITY PLANNING DISTRICT FROM SINGLE FAMILY AND LOW DENSITY RESIDENTIAL TO PUBLIC INSTITUTIONAL; AND FOR OTHER MATTERS. WHEREAS, the Little Rock Planning Commission after conducting a public hearing on the issue recommends the Plan be changed. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE CITY OF LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS. SECTION 1. That the Single Family along the westside of Summit from 10th Street to Maryland is amended to Public Institutional. SECTION 2. That the Low Density Residential along the westside of Wolfe from 13th Street to Daisy Bates Drive is amended to Public Institutional. SECTION 3. That the ordinance shall take effect and be in full force from and after its passage and approval. PASSED: ATTEST: City Clerk APPROVED: Mayor Mal ONE W. SF �r I r Ir � �` SF -�. 91- T Plan Amendment a Vicinity Map Case: LU 06-08-01 X r 0 C•7 SF & LDR To PI N Location: Various Locations Around Arkansas Children's Hospital Ward: 1 PD: 8 CT: 10 TRS: T1NR12W4 0 80 160 320 Feet l:j D -Le -I' JIM goal -'LIC, 1 1 Mai