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HomeMy WebLinkAboutWrite-Up for A-340 and Z-9601   FILE NO.: A-340 AND Z-9601 NAME: Amazon Zeuber Annexation and I-3 Heavy Industrial Zoning REQUEST: Accept 162 acres plus or minus to the City LOCATION: Along Zeuber Road, approximate 5800 - 7000 BLKs of Zeuber Road SOURCE: Stephen Giles agent GENERAL INFORMATION: • On June 17, 2021 the Pulaski County Judge signed the Judge’s Order verifying that the applicant meets all the requirements of the 100% annexation process and approving the annexation. • The western portion of the annexation area is mostly wooded. The 80 acres in the southeast quadrant has been developed with a large warehouse building (Amazon distribution center). • There are four property owners. This is a ‘100-percent property’ Owner annexation. • The site is contiguous to the City of Little Rock along the north side. • The annexation request is to obtain City services. • The site is ‘L’ shaped. The annexation consists of two areas. One area is north and east of the north-south portion of Zeuber Road and the other area south of the east-west portion of Zeuber Road. The northern portion is approximately 640-feet east-west and 1890-feet north-south. The southern portion is approximately 1900- feet north-south and 2660-feet east-west. • The site consists of approximately 162 acres currently not zoned. AGENCY COMMENTS: Public Safety: Fire: Little Rock Fire Department: No Comment received. Police: Little Rock Police Department has indicated they have no issues or concerns with the proposed annexation. Infrastructure and Community Facilities: Rock Region METRO Transit: No Comment received. FILE NO.: A-340 AND Z-9601 (Cont.) 2 Parks and Recreation: No Comment received. Public Works: The Engineering Division did not indicate a position on the proposed annexation. Pulaski County Planning: Pulaski County Planning indicated they have no issues or concerns with the proposed annexation. Arkansas Geographic Information Office: AGIO expressed no concerns with the annexation and noted the applicant had followed ARK CODE 14-40-101. Utilities: Central Arkansas Water: No Comment received. Entergy: No Comment received. Reliant-Energy: No Comment received. Little Rock Water Reclamation Authority: No Comment received. AT&T: No Comment received. Schools: Little Rock: No Comment received. The annexation area is not within the Little Rock School District. Pulaski County Special: No Comment received. The annexation area is within the Pulaski County Special School District. ANALYSIS: The area requesting annexation is contiguous with the City limits in the northern part of the parcel along its northern boundary. The City of Little Rock annexed the area to the north of the site - in 1970 with Ordinance 12406 (Little Rock Port Annexation). The annexation area has been farm land or wooded since at least the 1960s. The portion east of Zeuber Road from the City Limits south to Zeuber Road is currently mostly wooded with an AT&T facility on the northwest most 2.38 acres. The portion of area being annexed south of Zeuber Road is wooded on the western approximately third. A newly constructed Amazon warehouse structure is on the eastern 80-plus acres. The entire region in which the annexation is located (both areas currently with in the City and outside) is protected by a levee system. The area has a general slope from north to south. The land falls off only eight feet in the approximately 3900 feet from northwest to southeast. There is an additional four-foot fall along a drainage way which is located close to the southwestern boundary of the annexation. Two areas are within the 100-year floodplain. The first in just north and east of Zeuber Road where it bends from FILE NO.: A-340 AND Z-9601 (Cont.) 3 a north-south to an east-west road within the annexation area. This area is around 5 acres in size. The second area is a larger area in the southwest corner on the annexation area. The second area is closer to 20 acres in size. The property currently is not zoned. There is no zoning outside the City in this area. The land within the city to the north and northeast is zoned I-3, Heavy Commercial District. This land is part of the Port Industrial Park. It is partially developed with manufacturing and industrial structures. While the land to the northwest is zoned AF, Agriculture and Forestry District. This land is partially developed with a single-family subdivision. This is the eastern edge of the College Station Community. All the lands to the east, west and south are not zoned and are outside the current City Limits. Most of this land is either agricultural in use or wooded. There are about a half dozen single-family houses along Zeuber Road, west of the annexation area. About half of these houses have been acquired by the Little Rock Port in the last year. To the east, along Zeuber Road at the Fourche Dam Pike/Thibault Road intersection, there are several trucking and warehouse developments. This area is also outside the current city limits. The Land Use Plan shows the annexation area as Industrial (I). The Industrial category encompasses a wide variety of manufacturing, warehousing research and development, processing, and industry related office and service activities. Industrial development typically occurs on an individual tract basis rather than according to an overall development plan. The Land Use Plan shows Industrial (I) in all directions from the annexation area. Most of this land is either agricultural in use or wooded. There are about a half dozen single-family houses along Zeuber Road west of the annexation area. About half of these houses have been acquired by the Little Rock Port in the last year or so. To the east along Zeuber Road at the Fourche Dam Pike/Thibault Road intersection there are several trucking and warehouse developments. This area is also outside the current city limits. The applicant has requested the land be zoned I-3, Heavy Industrial District (Z-9601) as part of their annexation request. The land to the south, east and west of the annexation area is currently not zoned and outside of the City. The Little Rock Port has also acquired land beyond this annexation to the east and south with the intention of future industrial development of the surrounding area. The land to the north is zoned I-3, Heavy Industrial District. It is partially developed with manufacturing and warehouse uses as part of the Port Industrial Park. Approximately half the land requested for annexation is not developed but is mostly wooded. There is an AT&T phone facility in the northwest corner of the proposed annexation area (developed on approximately two and a third of acre). On the approximately 80 acres in the southeast corner of the annexation is a five story Amazon warehouse/distribution facility. The owners of the annexation area land agree with the City that industrial development of their land is most appropriate future use. The applicant has provided the City with a letter from the Arkansas GIS Office (AGIO) confirming the request meets all the requirements of Section 14-40-101 (dated April 19, 2021). The applicant has also provided the Judge’s Order, signed on June 17, 2021. This confirms that the area requesting annexation is contiguous to the City of Little Rock; will be used for an urban purpose; the petitioner does own 100 percent of the land; and all FILE NO.: A-340 AND Z-9601 (Cont.) 4 requirements of Arkansas Law have been fulfilled. The Judge’s Order does include all adjacent and traversing roads and rights-of-way (Zeuber Road). Approximately 4350 linear feet of Zeuber Road are included in this annexation. Zeuber Road is a two-lane road with shoulders. There are open ditches on both sides of the road. The north-south portion of Zueber Road is shown on the Master Street Plan as a Minor Arterial. While the east-west portion the road is shown as a Collector. Zeuber Road has been constructed to ‘Industrial Street’ design standards with shoulders and open ditches. The Master Bike Plans shows a Class III Bike Route along Zeuber Road. The street has been marked with bike lanes on the shoulders (a class II Bike Route). A 16-inch water service line exists from the east along the south side of Zeuber Road to the southeast portion of the annexation area. This provides water service to the Amazon site which is the southeastern 80 acres of the annexation area. A 30-inch force wastewater service line is along south side of Zeuber Road. This service line continues north along the eastern annexation boundary north of Zeuber Road to the current city limits. As part of the development of any land within the annexation area, the developer will have to extend these services from the existing service lines to any new development. The closest fire station (Station 4) is located at 7500 Lindsey Road. From this station via existing streets is just over 2.25 miles to the annexation area. Station 13, at 1105 East Roosevelt Road, is the next closest station with runs of approximately 3.8 miles to the annexation area over current roads. The Fire Department made no comment on the proposed annexation. The Little Rock Police Department responded they have no concerns or issues with this annexation. The annexation would increase the linear feet of road where the Department might have to respond to traffic issues. Most of the annexation area is wooded with no businesses. However, there is a new warehouse/distribution structure for Amazon on the southeastern 80 acres. Neither public safety agency expects significant new demand. Staff Recommendation: Approval of the annexation and classification of the land as I-3 Heavy Industrial District. PLANNING COMMISSION ACTION: (AUGUST 12, 2021) The item was placed on the consent agenda for approval. By a vote of 10 for 0 against and 1 vacancy; the consent agenda was approved.