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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPC Minutes for LU2021-18-01July 08, 2021 ITEM NO.: 13 FILE NO.: LU2021-18-01 Name: Land Use Plan Amendment – Ellis Mountain Planning District Location: North side of Kanis Road approximately 0.25-miles northwest of Kirby Road Request: Residential Low (RL) to Commercial (C) Source: Joe White & Associates, Inc., 25 Rahling Circle PROPOSAL / REQUEST: Applicant is requesting a Land Use Plan amendment from Residential Low (RL) to Commercial (C) on an approximate 2.4-acre unplatted parcel located on the north side of Kanis Road, approximately 0.25-miles northwest of Kirby Road in the Ellis Mountain Planning District. The site is outside of the City limits, but located immediately adjacent to the City limits in an area within the City’s extra territorial jurisdiction, where the City’s zoning laws are applicable, see Figure 1 below, where the dark brown line represents the limits of the City of Little Rock. The existing Residential Low (RL) land use designation provides for single family homes at densities not to exceed 6 dwelling units per acre. Such residential development is typically characterized by conventional single-family homes but may also include patio or garden homes and cluster homes, provided that the density remains less than 6 units per acre. The 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 site to a General Commercial District (C-3) zoning designation (File No. Z-9596). EXISTING LAND USE AND ZONING: The site is an unplatted wooded parcel, vacant of development, zoned Residential (R2). Parcels to the east, west, and north of the site area zoned Residential (R2) as well. The R2 lands immediately to the west of the site are undeveloped, the unplatted parcel immediately to the east has been developed with a single-family Figure 1. Zoning     July 08, 2021 ITEM NO.: 13 (Cont.) FILE NO.: LU2021-18-01 2 home. Approximately 150 feet north of the site, across an irregular shaped parcel, is the Kanis Ridge Estates residential (R2) development. Across Kanis Road, southwest of the site is a pet kennel on lands zoned Planned Development Commercial (PD-C). Adjacent to this site is a 0.75-acre undeveloped parcel zoned Multi-Family (MF6), a portion of the MF6 zoned lands have been absorbed by right of way for Panther Branch Drive (a stub street), which terminates at Kanis Road, immediately south of the subject site. Further east, southeast of the site are lands zoned Planned Development Residential (PD-R) where the McKenzie Park Apartments complex has been developed. FUTURE LAND USE PLAN AND RECENT AMENDMENTS: In the Ellis Mountain Planning District, the City’s Future Land Use Map is reflective of the general pattern established in the City’s 1986 Extraterritorial Land Use Plan, with refinements made in preparing the district level plan, especially with respect to the density and location of multi-family areas. The City’s Future Land Use Map recognizes that market pressures for more intensive uses will occur in this area. Commercial designations in Ellis Mountain Planning District were located to discourage strip commercial development to the maximum extent possible and to encourage commercial concentrations at major intersections of Arterial streets. Areas of commercial land use are designated throughout the District in order to serve a variety of functions ranging from neighborhood convenience shopping areas to community centers and general commercial districts. West, east, and north of the site, lands bear a Residential Low (RL) future land use designation. The Residential Low provides for single family homes at densities not to exceed 6 dwelling units per acre. Such residential development is typically characterized by conventional single family homes, but may also include patio or garden homes and cluster homes, provided that the density remain less than 6 units per acre. Figure 2. Future Land Use      July 08, 2021 ITEM NO.: 13 (Cont.) FILE NO.: LU2021-18-01 3 To the south, lands are shown with a Suburban Office (SO) future land use designation. The SO lands are intended to provide for low intensity development of office or office parks in close proximity to lower density residential areas to assure compatibility. A Planned Zoning District is required. Most of the SO lands south of the site have been consumed by non-office uses (apartment complex and dog kennel). MASTER STREET PLAN: The subject site is on the north side of Kanis Road, which is a Minor Arterial, per the Master Street Plan. Panther Branch Drive, a stub street that is about 500 linear feet long, terminates at Kanis Road, this stub street will eventually connect to Cooper Orbit Road to the south, also a Minor Arterial. When this occurs – Cooper Orbit Road, where it runs south of the exiting apartment complex, will be vacated. Minor Arterials provide connections to and through an urban area. Their primary function is to provide short distance travel within the urbanized area. Generally, these roads are spaced at one-mile intervals and have a right-of- way of 90 feet. Development of a project on the north side of Kanis may require dedication of right- of-way and may require street improvements to facilitate Commercial land uses. BICYCLE PLAN: There is no bike infrastructure planned within the vicinity of the subject site. 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. Figure 3. Master Street Plan      July 08, 2021 ITEM NO.: 13 (Cont.) FILE NO.: LU2021-18-01 4 ANALYSIS: The subject site is located just outside of the limits of west Little Rock. The majority of land between Chenal Parkway, Kanis Road, and Kirby Road has been developed with low density residential, with limited multi- family residential and commercial, along with religious institutions making up a minority of land within this node. Lands south of Kanis Road have not seen the same development pressures as the land to the north. This area of west Little Rock is well served by larger Commercial land uses (department stores and supermarkets) that obtained development entitlements through the Planned Zoning District (PZD) process. There is limited smaller scale commercial land uses (C-1, 2, and 3) in this node. Commercial land use designations in Ellis Mountain Planning District were located to discourage strip commercial development to the maximum extent possible and to encourage commercial concentrations at major intersections of arterial streets. The City has plans to realign Cooper Orbit Road, where it runs from Kirby Road a quarter mile west of McKenzie Park Apartments, where it will connect with the Panther Branch Drive. The road relocation effort will create a three-way intersection at the subject site. When considering the changes to the road network at the subject site and the limited availability of smaller commercial operations supporting the residential land uses, a change to Commercial may be appropriate. A change to a Commercial land use at the subject site may encourage additional amendment and zoning requests. If additional commercial land uses are approved in this area, along Kanis Road, an effort should be made to limit access on Kanis Road by encouraging developments to use shared use drives. If the land use amendment is approved, Staff would recommend the City work to determine if the land use of the remaining undeveloped RL lands with frontage along Kanis Road - in the triangular area between the Kanis Ridge Estates and the RM and MOC lands to the east - should be updated, taking into consideration the Figure 4. Southern Limits of Site, POV from Panther   Branch Dr.    July 08, 2021 ITEM NO.: 13 (Cont.) FILE NO.: LU2021-18-01 5 future three-way intersection that is imminent with the re-alignment of Copper Orbit Road. NEIGHBORHOOD COMMENTS: Notices were sent to the following neighborhood associations: Citizens of West Pulaski County and Parkway Place. Staff has received no comments from area residents or from Neighborhood Associations. STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS: Staff recommends approval of the applicant’s request to amend the Future Land Use map by amending the designation at the subject site from Residential Low (RL) to Commercial (C). Upon approval by the Little Rock board of Directors of this amendment, Staff recommend review of the Land Use Plan in the general area of this amendment. PLANNING COMMISSION ACTION: (JULY 8, 2021) The item was placed on consent agenda for approval. By a vote of 8 for, 0 against, 2 absent and 1 open position the consent agenda was approved.