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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPC Minutes for LU2021-13-01April 8, 2021 ITEM NO.: C FILE NO.: LU2021-13-01 Name: Land Use Plan Amendment – 65th East District Location: Northwest of Interstate 30 Frontage Road and Scott Hamilton Drive Request: Industrial (I) to Commercial (C) Source: Tim Daters, 24 Rahling Circle PROPOSAL / REQUEST: On February 22nd, Staff received from the applicant, a request to defer the hearing for item LU2021-13-01 until the April 08, 2021 regularly scheduled Planning Commission meeting. STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS: Staff recommends deferral of application item LU2021-13-01 until the April 08, 2021 regularly scheduled Planning Commission meeting. PLANNING COMMISSION ACTION: (MARCH 11, 2021) The item was placed on consent agenda for deferral to the April 8, 2021 Commission hearing. By a vote of 11 for, 0 against, and 0 absent, the consent agenda was approved. ________________________________________________________________ UPDATED PROPOSAL / REQUEST: Applicant requests a Land Use Plan amendment from Industrial (I) to Commercial (C) on an approximate seven (7) acre site located within the 65th East Planning District, more specifically at the northwest corner of Interstate 30 Frontage Road and Scott Hamilton Drive. The existing Industrial land use designation provides for a wide variety of manufacturing, warehousing research and development, processing, and industry related office and service activities. The applicant’s proposed Commercial land use designation allows for a broad range of retail and wholesale sales of products, personal and professional services, and general business activities. Commercial activities vary in type and scale, depending on the trade area that they serve. This land use amendment application is accompanied by a zoning map amendment request. It is applicant’s intent to rezone the undeveloped 7 acres to a C4 commercial zoning designation (File No. Z-9563). April 8, 2021 ITEM NO.: C (Cont.) FILE NO.: LU2021-13-01 2 EXISTING LAND USE AND ZONING: The 65th East District has a significant concentration of lands dedicated to warehouse and industrial operations on properties zoned Light Industrial District (I-2). The I-2 zoning district is for development of general industrial uses including light manufacturing and assembly. The site of this amendment application is in the southern portion of the 65th Industrial Park, an industrial development originally developed decades ago. This land use amendment is proposed on an undeveloped seven (7) acre tract within a 58 acre parcel zoned Planned Industrial Development (PID). The PID parcel as a whole was re-developed in 2012 with a Goodwill Industries of Arkansas campus. The Goodwill development includes an outlet store, computer store, donation center, and the site provides programs and social services. East of the site, across Scott Hamilton Drive, there are additional lands zoned PID, where a Technical College was previously developed. These operations have ceased and it appears a part of the structure is being used to hold religious services. The southwest corner of the I-30 Frontage Road and Scott Hamilton Drive is zoned for commercial uses and hosts typical highway commercial development, two chain motels and a convenience store with gas pumps, This commercial node was rezoned to General Commercial District (C-3) and Open Display Commercial District (C-4) in the late 70’s and early 80’s. Further to the west, additional I-2 zoned industrial lands host the Arkansas Electric Coop, several office warehouses, a mini-warehouse development and vacant tracts, as well as some smaller heavy commercial and light industrial uses. The southeast intersection the I-30 Frontage Road and Scott Hamilton Drive is zoned R-2/CUP (a Single Family District) and has been developed with a technical school operated by the Little Rock School District. FUTURE LAND USE PLAN AND RECENT AMENDMENTS: Because the site is an outparcel of the Goodwill campus, the subject site is bound to the west, east and north by an Industrial (I) land use designation. The Industrial (I) category encompasses a wide variety of manufacturing, warehousing research and development, processing, and industry related office and service activities. Having previously been served by rail spurs from the rail corridor east and west of the site, this junction of the City hosts a large concentration of industrial operations. There is a Commercial (C) land use designation south of the site at the southwest intersection of the I-30 frontage road and Scott Hamilton Road. Public Institutional (PI) is shown in the southeast corner of this intersection. The Commercial (C) land April 8, 2021 ITEM NO.: C (Cont.) FILE NO.: LU2021-13-01 3 use category includes a broad range of retail and wholesale sales of products, personal and professional services, and general business activities. Commercial activities vary in type and scale, depending on the trade area that they serve. The Commercial area south of the site consists of a convenience store with gas pumps and two motels. The Public Institutional (PI) category includes public and quasi- public facilities that provide a variety of services to the community such as schools, libraries, fire stations, churches, utility substations, and hospitals. This area is the location of the Metropolitan High School, part of the Little Rock School District. In the last twenty years, there has only been one (1) land use amendment application in the E. 65th Planning District. This application was prepared by the City in a housekeeping effort where the City reviewed the Land use Plan and amended to more accurately reflect the existing environment and also potential long term use. Twenty (20) different sites on the land use map were amended with Ord. 18,326 which the Board of Directors approved on August 1, 2000. MASTER STREET PLAN: Abutting the site on the east is Scott Hamilton Drive, shown as a Minor Arterial on the Master Street Plan. Freeways are intended to serve through long distance trips, they are always designed as full access control roads (no direct access). To the south is Interstate 30, a Freeway per the Master Street Plan. 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. Entrances and exits should be limited to minimize negative effects of traffic and pedestrians on Scott Hamilton Drive since it is a Minor Arterial. This street may require dedication of right-of-way and may require street improvements for entrances and exits to the site. BICYCLE PLAN: There is a Class II Bike Route shown on Scott Hamilton Drive. A Bike Lane provides a portion of the pavement for the sole use of bicycles. PARKS: There are no city recognized parks in the immediate vicinity. HISTORIC DISTRICTS: There are no city recognized historic districts that would be affected by this amendment. April 8, 2021 ITEM NO.: C (Cont.) FILE NO.: LU2021-13-01 4 ANALYSIS: The subject site is located at the Scott Hamilton Drive and I-30 interchange and is surrounded by approximately 1,250 acres of contiguous industrial lands, most of which are zoned I-2 and have been previously developed. This industrial area of the City extends from Fourche Creek in the north, to the south beyond I-30, terminating near Baseline Road and extends from S. Arch Street in the east, across I-30 to Patterson Road (about a ¼ mile west of Scott Hamilton Drive). While many of the industrial sites in this area continue operations, there are some where industrial activities have ceased, leaving swaths of underutilized land. Given how the site is situated at the I-30 interchange and the existing adjacent land use, a proposed Commercial land use designation has limited potential to negatively impact surrounding industrial properties. Approval of the proposed Commercial land use designation would provide for a land development pattern similar to the intersection of 65th Street and I-30, situated about a two miles northeast of the subject site, where there are two hotels, convenience stores with gas, truck repair shop, and a truck equipment store. A Commercial land use developed at the site has the potential to provide support services to the greater industrial area and transient travelers on I-30. The transfer of land use from Industrial to Commercial on this seven acre tract should not have a significant impact to the overall supply of Industrial lands in this area or in the City as a whole. NEIGHBORHOOD COMMENTS: Notices were sent to the following neighborhood associations: Upper Baseline Windamere Neighborhood and the Wakefield Neighborhood Association. Staff has received no comments from area residents or from Neighborhood Associations. STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS: Staff recommends approval. PLANNING COMMISSION ACTION: (APRIL 8, 2021) The item was placed on consent agenda for approval. By a vote of 9 for, 0 against,1 absent and 1 vacancy the consent agenda was approved.