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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPC Minutes for LU2021-19-01May 13, 2021 ITEM NO.: 10 FILE NO.: LU2021-19-01 Name: Land Use Plan Amendment – Chenal District Location: West of the Southwest Intersect of Chenonceau Boulevard and Cantrell Road Request: Suburban Office (SO) to Commercial (C) Source: Joe White & Associates, Inc., 25 Rahling Circle PROPOSAL / REQUEST: Applicant requests a Land Use Plan amendment from Suburban Office (SO) to Commercial (C) on an approximate four (4) acre site with a 50 foot buffer area running perpendicular to the western most property line (PK/OS). The site is located within the Chenal Planning District, more specifically just west of the southwest corner of Chenonceau Boulevard and Cantrell Road. The existing Suburban Office land use designation provides for low intensity development of office or office parks in close proximity to lower density residential areas to assure compatibility. A Planned Zoned District zoning designation is required of development in the Suburban Office land use designation. The site of the land use application is a part of a larger unplatted parcel, the entirety of the parcel extends to Chenonceau Boulevard. The eastern part of the parcel bears a Commercial (C) land use designation. The applicant’s proposed Commercial 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-6258); the applicant’s zoning application includes a request to include a 50 foot enhanced undisturbed buffer along the perimeter of the western property line. EXISTING LAND USE AND ZONING: The Chenal District is centered on the Chenal Valley and Shinall Mountain area. The major commercial areas sit at Highway 10/Chenal Parkway and the Rahling Road/Chenal Parkway intersections. This land use amendment is proposed on an approximately four (4) acre tract of land that is part of an approximately eight (8) acre unplatted parcel that was previously developed with a single-family home and accessory structure. The May 13, 2021 ITEM NO.: 10 (Cont.) FILE NO.: LU2021-19-01 2 eastern half of the 8-acre parcel was re-zoned to General Commercial (C-3) in 1997 with Case No. Z-6258, the western half of the site of this land use application is zoned Quiet Office District (O-1). The tract of land immediately to the east of the application site is a part of the same parcel associated with this land use amendment application, this part of the parcel is zoned General Commercial (C-3), this part of the parcel is generally undeveloped. Further east of the site across Chenonceau Boulevard lands are zoned General Commercial (C-3) and have been developed with a strip mall commercial development. South of the site, undeveloped wooded lands are zoned General Office (O-3). Immediately west of the site, where lots with frontage along Cantrell Road are developed with large lot single family homes, lands are zoned Single-Family (R-2). Immediately north of the site, on 30 acres, the new Bank OZK corporate office was constructed on lands zoned Planned Commercial District (PCD). The approved PCD for the Bank OZK site shows additional future office and commercial uses along the perimeter of the new office building. The site is within the Highway 10 Scenic Corridor Design Overlay District (DOD), which was developed to protect and enhance the quality of the Highway 10 corridor. The intent of the DOD is to create a distinctive parkway, by minimizing curb cuts and fostering land uses that transition areas from less to more intense land uses. The DOD avoids the undesired effects of small lot strip development. FUTURE LAND USE PLAN AND RECENT AMENDMENTS: At the time the City’s Land use Plan was crafted, it envisioned Commercial Land Uses in Chenal to be concentrated at the Cantrell Road/Chenal Parkway and Rahling Road/Chenal Parkway intersections, with smaller commercial areas proposed at intersections of major roads. East of the subject site, the land use plan shows the property designated Commercial (C). These Commercial designated lands are a part of the same parcel as the site of this application. The single parcel (developed with two single family homes) is composed of both a Commercial (C) and Suburban Office (SO) land use designation. The SO category provides 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 of developments in this area. The C 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 SO designation extends west for about 700 feet, covering about 20 acres. The area consists of a few large lot single-family homes developed in the 60’s and 80’s. Beyond the SO area along Cantrell Road, to the west, there is an additional 7 acres May 13, 2021 ITEM NO.: 10 (Cont.) FILE NO.: LU2021-19-01 3 of land designated as Mixed Use (MX). This category provides for a mixture of commercial and industrial uses to occur. Acceptable uses are commercial or mixed commercial and industrial. A Planned Zoning District is required if the use is mixed commercial and industrial. Beyond the commercial uses is a large swath of Residential Low (RL) lands. South of the subject site, along Chenonceau Blvd, lands are shown as Office (O), this office category represents services provided directly to consumers (e.g., legal, financial, medical) as well as general offices which support more basic economic activities. Residential High (RH) designated lands, where the Ridge at Chenal Valley apartments complex was developed, are situated immediately adjacent to the Office and Suburban Office lands. East of the site, across Chenonceau Boulevard, are additional Commercial designated lands, a part of which have been developed with a strip style commercial development. East of the Commercial lands, along Cantrell Road, is a small area of land designated for Office. These Office designated lands have been developed with small scale office buildings. Residential Low designated lands are immediately adjacent to the Commercial and Office area, some of which have been developed with detached single-family homes. North of the site, west of Chenonceau Blvd. in the Pinnacle Planning District, lands are designated Commercial and Public/Institutional (PI). The 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. These lands, approximately 30 acres, are the site of the new Bank of OZK corporate office headquarters and future campus. While there have been some Land Use amendments within the Chenal Planning Districts, they are generally in the development quadrant near Chenal Parkway and Rahling Road and in the western most part of the District near the western most limits City. In the last ten years, there have not been Land Use Amendment applications in the immediate vicinity of the subject site. MASTER STREET PLAN: To the north of the site is Cantrell Road, shown as a Principal Arterial on the Master Street Plan. A Principal Arterial is to serve through traffic and to connect major traffic generators or activity centers within the 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. May 13, 2021 ITEM NO.: 10 (Cont.) FILE NO.: LU2021-19-01 4 BICYCLE PLAN: There is a Class I Bike Path is shown along Cantrell Road. A Bike Path is to be a paved path physically separate for the use of bicycles. Additional right-of-way or an easement is likely required. 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. ANALYSIS: The subject site is located on the south side of Cantrell Road (a Principal Arterial) in an area within the Chenal Planning District. The site is immediately south of the Pinnacle Planning District where the new Bank of OZK was developed. The four (4) acre site is a part of larger, 18 acre mass of SO designated lands. The SO designated lands at the subject site currently supports a single-family home and an auxiliary dwelling unit on one parcel. Suburban Office land uses have not yet materialized on the four acre SO part of the parcel, nor have Commercial uses on the Commercial designated lands of this same parcel. South of the SO designated lands there is a 13-acre site of lands designated O (Office), these wooded lands have not yet developed. To the west of this site, and south of the SO lands, are lands designated Residential High (RH), which support the Ridge at Chenal Valley apartment complex. The subject site is located adjacent to arterials where the City envisioned a limited grouping of commercial development. The proposed change in land use from Suburban Office to Commercial would expand lands at this intersection available for Commercial development. There are existing platted Commercial designated lands that have not yet been absorbed by the market in this area. The request would not significantly deplete the amount of lands available for office developments, nor does the subject site act as buffer between lands designated for future Residential. However, west of the site on the remaining SO lands where Suburban Office uses have not yet materialized are large lot single-family homes. May 13, 2021 ITEM NO.: 10 (Cont.) FILE NO.: LU2021-19-01 5 In an effort to mitigate potential impacts of future Commercial development, the applicant has proposed a 50-foot buffer be designated along the western most boundary. If this application is approved, the proposed Commercial land use designation would cover the applicant’s entire parcel, less the western most 50 feet where a buffer would be established (PK/OS). Approval would give the applicant the opportunity to rezone their parcel to a single zoning designation. A hearing for the zoning change to C-3 with a 50-foot buffer along the western permitter of the lot would follow action on this item. Assuming the land is developed in compliance with the Highway 10 Scenic Corridor Overlay District Regulations and the 50 foot buffer is established along the perimeter of the western boundary of the subject site, the request to change the land use would not be in direct conflict with the goals of the land use plan. NEIGHBORHOOD COMMENTS: Notices were sent to the following neighborhood associations: Aberdeen Court, Bayonne Place, and Maywood Manor. 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 land use designation at the subject site from SO to C, with a PK/OS designation along the western most 50 feet of the parcel running perpendicular to the property line. PLANNING COMMISSION ACTION: (MAY 13, 2021) The item was placed on consent agenda for approval. By a vote of 10 for, 0 against and 1 vacancy, the item was approved.