Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutPC Minutes for LU2021-19-02July 08, 2021 ITEM NO.: 2 FILE NO.: LU2021-19-02 Name: Land Use Plan Amendment – Chenal Planning District Location: Southeast Corner of Kirk Road and Wellington Hills Road Request: Mixed Office and Commercial (MOC) to Commercial (C) Source: White – Daters & Associates, Inc., 24 Rahling Circle PROPOSAL / REQUEST: Applicant requests a Land Use Plan amendment from Mixed Office and Commercial (MOC) to Commercial (C) on an approximate 31-acre unplatted parcel located on the southeast corner of Kirk Road and Wellington Hills Road in the Chenal Planning District. The existing Mixed Office and Commercial land use designation provides for a mixture of office and commercial uses to occur. Acceptable uses are office or mixed office and commercial. A Planned Zoning District is required if the use is mixed office and commercial. 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-4807-R). EXISTING LAND USE AND ZONING: The subject site is a 30.5-acre platted parcel to the southeast of the Willington Hills Rd and Kirk Road intersection – just north of Chenal Parkway, outside of the Chenal Design Overlay District (DOD) in the Chenal Planning District. The exiting land use pattern around the site is varied, immediately north of the subject site is a religious institution campus, and an undeveloped parcel with Planned Office Development (POD) zoning designation. Catty corner to the northeast of the subject site is the Cedars at Wellington Lake apartment complex (Multifamily District - MF18), sited immediately adjacent to Lake Wellington. The eastern boundary of the site meets up to approximately 450 linear feet of the back façade of a self-storage facility on land zoned Planned Office Development (POD). The southern boundary is situated next to a utility easement housing electrical line. July 08, 2021 ITEM NO.: 2 (Cont.) FILE NO.: LU2021-19-02 2 infrastructure. Beyond the easement and south of Spock Road are a few lower intensity commercial uses (bank, dentist office, restaurant) and a vacant tract of land zoned Commercial General (C3). Just east of this area fronting Chenal Parkway are two parcels making up the land for a religious institution campus. West of the site is a 7.5-acre office development with surface parking on lands zoned Office (O2). South of this site is situated a branch bank, also on land zoned (O2). Further south is an automotive service on Planned Development- Commercial (PD-C) zoned lands, beyond this is a 9-acre undeveloped Commercial General (C3) zoned tract. 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 Planning District 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. South of the site, lands along Chenal Parkway are designated for Commercial (C). To the southeast is a Public Institutional (PI) designation where a religious institution has been developed. North of the site, across Wellington Hills Road are Public Institutional (PI) designated lands where another religious institution was developed as well as some more MOC designated lands that are undeveloped. East of the site are lands designated Suburban Office (SO). Figure 1. Zoning             July 08, 2021 ITEM NO.: 2 (Cont.) FILE NO.: LU2021-19-02 3 While there have been some Land Use amendments within the Chenal Planning District, 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: The site is bound to the west with Kirk Road and to the north by Wellington Hills Road – both of which are designated as Minor Arterials. 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. Since a Minor Arterial is a high volume road, a minimum of 4 travel lanes is required. This street may require dedication of right-of-way and may require street improvements for entrances and exits to the site. BICYCLE PLAN: There are no existing or proposed bike facilities in the immediate vicinity of the subject site. Figure 2. Comprehensive Plan   Figure 3. Master Street Plan July 08, 2021 ITEM NO.: 2 (Cont.) FILE NO.: LU2021-19-02 4 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 in a part of the Chenal Planning District that has seen significant development. The site is designated Mixed Office Commercial (MOC) on the Future Land Use Map. This category provides for a mixture of office and commercial uses to occur. Acceptable uses are office or mixed office and commercial. A Planned Zoning District is required if the use is mixed office and commercial. The applicant is requesting a Commercial designation, which would not preclude Office development. The Wellington Hills Road and Kirk Road meeting at a traffic circle in the northwest corner of the subject site. Different levels of development have occurred on all parcels adjacent to the traffic circle, except for the subject site. The subject site has the infrastructure to support Commercial operations and the site has the ability to provide commercial services to the low-density residential communities east of the site. Given the access and visibility of the site, the use of the site for commercial appears appropriate. Also, to note, the site is zoned Planned Commercial Development (PCD). The PDC zoning designation previously approved at this site included provisions for the site to be developed predominantly with Commercial land uses and some Office Uses. The Commercial uses previously proposed at the site made up about 70% of the development. However, the Planned Commercial Development plan has expired as construction activities did not comments within the 180 days after final approval. Within the Chenal and Ellis Mountain Planning District (just south of the Chenal Planning District) there are opportunities for office developments on Suburban Office (SO), Mixed Office Commercial (MOC), and Office (O) designated lands. NEIGHBORHOOD COMMENTS: Notices were sent to the following neighborhood associations: Villages of Wellington, Parkway Place, and Citizens of West Pulaski County. Staff has received no comments from area residents or from Neighborhood Associations. July 08, 2021 ITEM NO.: 2 (Cont.) FILE NO.: LU2021-19-02 5 STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS: Staff recommends approval of the applicant’s request to amend the land use designation at the subject site from Mixed Office Commercial (MOC) to Commercial (C). 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.