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HomeMy WebLinkAboutstaff report June 2, 2016 ITEM NO.: Two FILE NO.: LU16-03-01 Name: Land Use Plan Amendment – West Little Rock Planning District Location: 6100/6108 Cantrell Road Request: Residential Low Density (RL) to Neighborhood Commercial (NC) Source: Quattlebaum, Grooms & Tull, PLLC by Grant M. Cox PROPOSAL / REQUEST: Land Use Plan amendment in the West Little Rock Planning District from Residential Low Density (RL) to Neighborhood Commercial (NC). The Neighborhood Commercial category includes limited small-scale commercial development in close proximity to a neighborhood, providing goods and services to that neighborhood market area. In order to build a new restaurant as a redevelopment on the property the applicant is requesting to amend the Land Use Plan from RL to NC in conjunction with the rezoning of the property from R-2 to C-1 district. EXISTING LAND USE AND ZONING: The property is currently zoned as R-2 and is 0.522 acres ± in size. North of the property is zoned as PDO (Planned District Office) and it is newly constructed bank. The south and west of the property is zoned as R-2 and there are single-family buildings and to the east of the property is zoned as O-3 and it is a parking lot for the bank located at Grant and Cantrell. The north-east side of the property is zoned as C-3 and there is a general commercial building. Diagonally across the intersection are mostly single family homes on R-2 land with a POD at the intersection with an insurance company located there. FUTURE LAND USE PLAN AND RECENT AMENDMENTS: The property is currently shown as Residential Low (RL) on the Land Use Plan. North of the property is shown as Residential Low Density and it is developed with a bank. South and west of the property is shown as Residential Low Density and occupi ed with single family buildings and to the east of the property is shown as Parks/Open Space. That PK/OS strip is about 75’ deep along the north side of Cantrell for five blocks to Polk Street. To the north-east, the property is occupied with general commercial buildings on a land shown as Commercial. Across the intersection to the south-east are single family buildings on a Residential Medium Density use with the corner lot shown as RM but housing an insurance office. On 07-17-2001, a change was made from Single Family to Parks/Open Space to the northwest of the property, west of Normandy Drive with the file number LU01 -03-01 and ordinance number 18526. MASTER STREET PLAN: Cantrell Road is shown as a Principal Arterial. University Avenue north of Cantrell is shown as a Collector on the Master Street Plan while University Avenue south of Cantrell is shown as a Principal Arterial. Principal Arterial The primary function of a Principal Arterial Street is to serve through traffic and to connect major traffic generator or activity centers within an urbanized area. Entrances and exits should be limited to minimize negative effects of traffic and pedestrians on Cantrell Road 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. Collector Road The primary function of a Collector Road is to provide a connection from Local Streets to Arterials. These streets may require dedication of right-of-way and may require street improvements for entrances and exits to the sites . BICYCLE PLAN: A Class II Bike Lane is located on North University Avenue as either a five foot shoulder or six foot marked bike lane from Kavanaugh Street south to Markham Street. Additional paving and right of way may be required. PARKS: There are no city parks at the vicinity that would be affected by this amendment . HISTORIC DISTRICTS: There are no city recognized historic districts at the vicinity that would be affected by this amendment. ANALYSIS: There is a PK/OS strip that is on the north side of Cantrell for five blocks from University Street to the east to Polk Street. This separates the Commercial from Cantrell Road as is treated as a no access strip. There are no driveways entering the businesses to the north through this strip. The businesses either have access from the side streets or “R” Street which is parallel to University. It would be logical to continue the pattern with a PK/OS strip to not allow access from Cantrell. Nothing in the rezoning application dictates that this will not be developed as two separate lots with two separate businesses. That could mean that there would be more driveways in and out of the site. Access from the alley would be a better poi nt of access for this property and would continue the access pattern of the PK/OS and Commercial property to the east. Staff is concerned that additional properties in this area of Cantrell will desire to change to Commercial if this corner is changed. West of University, Cantrell Road is strictly residential on both sides of the road until North Hughes Street. Being on an arterial street does not dictate that a property must be non -residential. Examples are Markham, Rodney Parham and Cantrell Roads to name a few. University has historically be the line to keep non-residential uses to the east. Nothing has changed to justify changing this pattern of showing residential uses on the Land Use Plan west of University. This neighborhood is an established n eighborhood that was developed in the early to mid-twentieth century. The commercial strip, prior to the 1950s, was strictly along the south side of Kavanaugh from University to Polk Street. That commercial strip is currently occupied by small businesses. The commercial zoning and Future Land Use was expanded over time to the south to a line just north of Cantrell Road and is occupied by a variety of businesses and a large church. Before, single family houses filled the one and a half blocks south of Kavanaugh. Commercial vacancy rates are low, but there is turnover of spaces that allow for new businesses in the area. This area is very desirable for single family dwellings and the demand is great by the evidence of redevelopment of lots over the past twe nty years to more current architectural styles and sizes of single family homes. The availability of lots to build single family homes is practically non-existent. NEIGHBORHOOD COMMENTS: Notices were sent to the following neighborhood associations: Heights, Kingwood, Normandy-Shannon, Forest Park, and South Normandy Neighborhood Associations. Staff has received no comments from area residents. STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS: Staff believes the change is not appropriate.