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HomeMy WebLinkAboutboard of directors itemsOFFICE OF THE CITY MANAGER LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS BOARD OF DIRECTORS COMMUNICATION NOVEMBER 1, 2005 AGENDA Subject Land Use Plan Amendment — Heights Hillcrest Planning District — LU05-04-02 at 5100 block of A Street Action Required I Approved By 4Ordinance Resolution Approval Information Report Submitted by: Planning and Development Bruce Moore City Manager SYNOPSIS Land Use Plan amendments in the Heights Hillcrest Planning District from Single Family to Suburban Office for future development. FISCAL IMPACT N/A RECOMMENDATION Planning Staff recommends approval. CITIZEN The Planning Commission reviewed this issue at its PARTICIPATION September 29, 2005 meeting and recommended approval on September 29, 2005 (10 ayes, 0 noes and 1 absent). There were no objectors present. All residents within 300 feet who could be identified, the expanded property owners, and the Hillcrest Residents, Heights, Prospect Terrace, Forest Park. Oak Forest, Hope, War Memorial, Forest Hills, University Park, Briarwood, Evergreen Neighborhood Associations, and the South Normandy Property Owners Association and the Sherrill Heights Garden Club were notified of the public hearing. BACKGROUND The property is the south half of a city block that was once developed with eight houses. Now those houses have been removed and a parking lot exists on two of the old home sites. The property is currently zoned PDR. BACKGROUND CONTINUED (Planned Development -Residential) and approved for construction of 14 apartment units on the site. The site is 1.5 acres ± in size. The land to the north is zoned R-3 Single Family for houses with some planned residential developments. The area to the immediate north and immediate east are zoned PCD, 0-3and R-2 and houses offices and a beauty shop. South of the site are lands zoned PCD, C-3, C-4 0-3 and R-5 housing a variety of businesses that front Markham Street. West of the application area is land zoned R-3 developed with single-family homes. The application area is shown as Single Family on the Future Land Use Plan. The areas to the north, east, and west are shown as Single Family. Land to the south is shown as Office fronting "A" Street and Commercial fronting Markham Street. One block east and west Office is shown fronting Markham Street. Further south is a large area of Park/Open Space for War Memorial Park and it's associated uses. The change to Suburban Office is still more intensive than its existing Single Family designation, but could be considered less intense than the proposed Multifamily area because of additional zoning restrictions. In the Suburban Office category PZD's are required which can help ensure that specific factors are met in a site design. These factors can include parking lots, mass, scale, hours of operation, and could help encourage "residential design" that would be more compatible with nearby neighborhoods. This Suburban Office area would be a new introduction to the area land use plan. Currently a majority of lands on the north side of Markham Street are shown as Office, which allows blanket zoning to occur. This new Suburban Office area could provide protection for the existing neighborhood and could identify a need for better controlled office developments on the southern edge of Hillcrest. 2 ORDINANCE NO. AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND THE LAND USE PLAN (16,222) IN THE HEIGHTS HILLCREST PLANNING DISTRICT FROM SINGLE FAMILY TO SUBURBAN OFFICE; AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES. WHEREAS, as the Little Rock Planning Commission believes it appropriate to amend the plan. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE CITY OF LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS. SECTION 1. That Single Family in the eastern portion of the 5100 block of A Street be amended to Suburban Office. SECTION 2. That the ordinance shall take effect and be in full force from and after its passage and approval. PASSED: ATTEST: City Clerk APPROVED: Mayor Vicinity Map AREA ZONING Case: LU05-04-02 N Location: 5 100 A STREET A Ward: 3 PD: 4 0 75 150 300 Feet CT: 15 TRS: TINR12W6 all P K/OS 0 t PLAN AMENDMENT KIN Location: 5 100 A STREET SF TO SO Ward: 3 PD: 4 CT: 15 TRS: TINR12W6 CD m, 0 75 150 300 Feet mmmmr=:�� 1 FILE NO.: LU05-04-02 Name: Land Use Plan Amendment - Heights Hillcrest Planning District Location: 5100 Block of A Street Request: Single Family to Multifamily Source: Matt Bell, Bell Corely Investments PROPOSAL/REQUEST: Land Use Plan amendment in the Heights Hillcrest Planning District from Single Family to Multifamily. The multi -family category accommodates residential development of ten (10) to thirty-six (36) dwelling units per acre. The applicant wishes to construct multi family units on the property. Staff is not expanding the application. EXISTING LAND USE AND ZONING: The property is the south half of a city block that was once developed with eight houses. Now those houses have been removed and a parking lot exists on two of the old home sites. The property is currently zoned PDR (Planned Development -Residential) and approved for construction of 14 apartment units on the site. The site is 1.5 acres t in size. The land to the north is zoned R-3 Single Family for houses. Also to the north is land zoned PCD (Planned Commercial Development) for an office use. East of the application is land zoned 0-3 (General Office District) and developed with an office. Also to the east is land zoned R-2 (Single Family District) with a non conforming office use and a non conforming beauty salon. Southeast of the application is land zoned 0-3 with a vision center and land zoned C-3 developed with a vintage and retro clothing store fronting Van Buren Street and a McDonald's Fronting Markham Street. Also southeast and at the northeast corner of Van Buren and Markham Streets is land zoned C-4 and developed with a Exxon Gas Station and Baskin Robbins. A the northwest corner of Van Buren and Markham Streets is land zoned C-3 and developed with a fast food restaurants. Immediately south of the application between "A" Street and Markham Street is property zoned PCD and developed with Long Term Stay Hotel, and land zoned C-3 and developed with a parking lot. West of the application area is land zoned R-3 developed with single family homes. FUTURE LAND USE PLAN AND RECENT AMENDMENTS: On May 18, 2004 a change was made from Office to Community Shopping at the northeast corner of Markham Street and University Avenue approximately one half mile west of the site to accommodate proposed development. FILE NO.: LU05-04-02 (Cont. March 5, 2002 a change was made from Office and Commercial to Mixed Use at the northwest corner of Markham Street and University Avenue one half mile west of the site to recognize existing conditions. On June 20, 2000 a change was made from Single Family to Suburban Office in the 200 block of McKinley Street about one mile west of the applicant's property to accommodate a proposed development. The application area is shown as Single Family on the Future Land Use Plan. The areas to the north, east, and west are shown as Single Family. Land to the south is shown as Office fronting "A" Street and Commercial fronting Markham Street. One block east and west Office is shown fronting Markham Street. Further south is a large area of Park/Open Space. BICYCLE PLAN: Existing or proposed Class I, II, or III bikeways are not in the immediate vicinity of the development. MASTER STREET PLAN: A Street is shown as a Local Street and Van Buren Street is shown as a Minor Arterial on the Master Street Plan. Van Buren Street has special design standards between Markham Street and Kavanaugh Street indicating a 70 foot right of way, a three lane section, and additional requirements at major intersections. The primary function of a Local Street is to provide access to adjacent properties. 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. Access to the development should be limited to A Street since it is a local street. Any increased amount of vehicles accessing the Multifamily area via "A" Street from North Van Buren Street, could create congestion at the Markham Street intersection 300 feet to the south because there is no dedicated left turn lane for "A" Street. These streets may require dedication of right-of-way and may require half -street improvements. PARKS: The application is in the North Central Parks Planning District. This park district is characterized as being developed and having adequate parks. The parks plan focuses on maintaining existing parks and providing a potential open space greenway at the southwest corner of the district. One block south of the application area is War Memorial Park which is considered a "Special Facility" within the park plan. This park area is just over 200 acres in size and includes playgrounds, picnic tables, an 18 hole golf course, fitness center, and pool. Also located at War Memorial Park is the Little Rock Zoo, the 54,000 seat t War Memorial Stadium, and the 6,000 seat t Ray Winder Field. 2 FILE NO.: LU05-04-02 Cont.) HISTORIC DISTRICTS: This application is not located in a national register historic district. CITY RECOGNIZED NEIGHBORHOOD ACTION PLAN: The applicant's property is located in an area covered by "The Hillcrest Neighborhood Plan which is a detailed plan for the future of Hillcrest. The chapter on zoning and land use contains a goal of creating a different set of guidelines to guide development in Hillcrest. This goal is supported by the two objectives directing specific policy for preserving the aesthetic nature of the neighborhood and establishing design standards consistent with the neighborhood's character. One action statement supports this goal: "revise the land use map for the neighborhood to consolidate and eliminate certain land uses." In the event of development of this property, it should resemble the adjacent neighborhood in size and scale and reflect the area's unique atmosphere. ANALYSIS: This application is located in Little Rock's Hillcrest area which is characterized by higher density single family homes developed on 50' by 150' lots. North of the application are single family homes arranged on an urban grid. In the Single Family area to the north homes are oriented towards other single family homes across the street. The current Single Family area is oriented towards non- residential uses across the street. The Future Land Use plan indicates a small area of Commercial on both sides of Van Buren Street on the north side of Markham Street. An Office area is shown that provides a buffer between the Commercial uses and the residential uses. Addition of Multifamily in this area could result in an additional step down from the Commercial and Office areas. Traditionally "A" Street has formed the boundary between the non residential uses that line Markham Street and the residential uses to the north. Over time several single family homes along the south side of "A" Street have been destroyed or converted to offices and parking lots. This has resulted in homes on the north side of the block facing non residential uses. In this section of "A" Street the north side faced non residential uses and fell victim to its view. After approval of the current PRD five single family home structures were destroyed and the land was cleared to make way for development. The development plans fell through and has left a half block empty. A change to Multifamily for this half block could help restore the character of the neighborhood that has been disappearing from "A" Street. A change to Multifamily for this half block may or may not have a dramatic impact on the single family neighborhood to the north. Already in the neighborhood a variety of housing exists today. About two blocks west of the application are areas of Multifamily and Low Density Residential. Those areas have rear 3 FILE NO.: LU05-04-02 (Cont. relationships to the adjacent Single Family areas. Staff feels that development within the Hillcrest neighborhood should resemble similar architectural styles as before. In the event that multifamily dwelling units are approved for this site staff would feel more comfortable with a PZD to ensure that building bulk, scale, and massing will be compatible with the neighborhood. Also the neighborhood action plan indicates a desire for "no net loss of housing." The addition of this Multifamily area could replace the lost residential units at this site. Addition of Multifamily to this site opens up various possibilities regarding future development of the site. Development possibilities could result in zoning such as MF -12 (Multifamily District) or R-5 (Urban Residence District) resulting in multiple units on the site. Development in Multifamily areas are not always guaranteed to go through the site plan review process which could lead to development incompatible with the area's neighborhood character. Two blocks to the west a Multifamily area exists at the northeast corner of University Avenue and West Markham Street. This application would result in an expansion of higher density housing eastward and leave only one block of "A" Street Single Family (The block immediately to the west). Addition of a new Multifamily area could be considered as chipping away at the edge of Hillcrest and may lead to similar requests on the north side of West Markham Street. The current Multifamily area is not developed to its full potential and additional units could be added to facilitate any additional demand. This proposed change is located near the intersections of two Arterials. A small Commercial area is indicated at the intersection of Van Buren and Markham Streets with building designs having a smaller footprint and are oriented primarily towards users of the West Markham Street corridor. These small businesses may only see a minimal positive affects by the addition of multifamily residents nearby. This residents could utilize nearby War Memorial Park and the convenience of bus service on West Markham Street. The established Multifamily area is located near a large Community Shopping area that could provide more services for potential residents, and also has additional bus service on the University Avenue corridor. NEIGHBORHOOD COMMENTS: Notices were sent to the following neighborhood associations: Hillcrest Residents Neighborhood Association, Heights Neighborhood Association, Sherrill Heights Garden Club, Prospect Terrace Neighborhood Association, Inc., Forest Park Neighborhood Assoc., Oak Forest Neighborhood Association, Hope Neighborhood Association, War Memorial Neighborhood Association Forest Hills Neighborhood Association, University Park Neighborhood Association, Briarwood Neighborhood Association, Evergreen Neighborhood Association, and South Normandy Property Owners Association. Staff has received one negative comment regarding this application. 4 FILE NO.: LU05-04-02 (Cont.) STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS: Staff believes the change is not appropriate. PLANNING COMMISSION ACTION: (MAY 26, 2005) The item was placed on the consent agenda for deferral to the July 7, 2005 Planning Commission meeting. A motion was made to wavier the by-laws for a five-day notice to defer prior to the Planning Commission meeting. That motion was made and approved with a vote of 10 ayes, 0 noes, and 1 absent. A motion was made to approve the consent agenda and was approved with a vote of 10 ayes, 0 noes and 1 absent. STAFF UPDATE: The applicant has not contacted staff regarding this application. The application remains unchanged. PLANNING COMMISSION ACTION: (JULY 7, 2005) The item was placed on the consent agenda for deferral to the August 18, 2005 Planning Commission meeting. A motion was made to approve the consent agenda and was approved with a vote of 11 ayes, 0 noes and 0 absent. STAFF UPDATE: The applicant has contacted staff requesting a deferral to the September 29, 2005 hearing. The application remains unchanged. Staff supports the request. PLANNING COMMISSION ACTION: (AUGUST 18, 2005) The item was placed on the consent agenda for deferral to the September 29, 2005 Planning Commission meeting. A motion was made to approve the consent agenda and was approved with a vote of 9 ayes, 0 noes and 2 absent. STAFF UPDATE: The applicant has contacted staff and introduced a new proposed use for the area in question. The new application would result in construction of an office use regulated by a POD on the side. Part of the site will be left as open space. 5 FILE NO.:_. LU05-04-02_(Cont.) The applicant has indicated that he would like to change his request from "Single Family to Multifamily" to "Single Family to Suburban Office" for a smaller portion of the site. The new area indicated for change will reflect actual developed land on the block and focus its attention on Van Buren Street. Staff has expanded this application to include the property immediately to the north and immediately east of the application to recognize existing land uses and provide for future office redevelopment. Staff expansion to the north is intended to recognize an existing office use. Staff's expansion to the east is partially to recognize an existing use, and encourage an orderly redevelopment of a non -conforming use. The change to Suburban Office is still more intensive than its existing Single Family designation, but, could be considered less intense than the proposed Multifamily area because of additional zoning restrictions. In the Suburban Office category PZDs are required which can help ensure that specific factors are met in a site design. These factors can include parking lots, mass, scale, hours of operation, and could help encourage "residential design" that would be more compatible with nearby neighborhoods. This Suburban Office area would be a new introduction to the area land use plan. Currently a majority of lands on the north side of Markham Street are shown as Office which allow blanket zoning to occur. This new Suburban Office area could provide protection for the existing neighborhood and could identify a need for better controlled office developments on the southern edge of Hillcrest. Staff is in support of the revised application. PLANNING COMMISSION ACTION: (SEPTEMBER 29, 2005) The item was placed on the consent agenda for approval. A motion was made to approve the consent agenda and was approved with a vote of 10 ayes, 0 noes and 1 absent. R