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HomeMy WebLinkAboutBoard Comm for LU2021-19-03OFFICE OF THE CITY MANAGER LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS BOARD OF DIRECTORS COMMUNICATION OCTOBER 19, 2021 AGENDA Subject Land Use Plan Amendment – Chenal Planning District – LU2021-19-03 Submitted By: Action Required √ Ordinance Resolution Approval Information Report Approved By Planning and Development Bruce Moore City Manager SYNOPSIS To approve Land Use Plan amendment in the Chenal Planning District from Suburban Office (SO) to Commercial (C) FISCAL IMPACT None RECOMMENDATION Staff recommended approval. The Little Rock Planning Commission by a vote of 9 for, 0 against, 1 absent, and 1 vacancy made recommendation to approve the change at the September 9, 2021 Hearing. BACKGROUND Applicant requests a Land Use Plan amendment from Suburban Office (SO) to Commercial (C) on an approximate 11.0-acre unplatted parcel located at the southeast corner of Northfield Drive and Chenal Parkway. 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-7096-A). The site is the western most area of commerce in the City, at the intersection of Cantrell Road (AR-10) and Chenal Parkway, serving both the City of Little Rock and those living in unincorporated Pulaski County. Except for the site of an electrical substation (on lands zoned R2), lands at all four corners of the intersection of Chenal Parkway and Cantrell are zoned for Commercial land uses. 2 BACKGROUND CONTINUED The northwest quadrant of this intersection has seen some smaller commercial developments, but a large 25 acre Commercial parcel - immediately west of these smaller Commercial developments is still available for development. The northeast quadrant of the intersection has been developed with a small commercial use and storage facility. This is the quadrant where the electrical substation is situated on Residential zoned lands. Immediately east of this site, with frontage along Cantrell Rd. are additional lands zoned for Commercial development (a carwash and oil change businesses are currently under construction). The southwest quadrant of the intersection is a large Commercial zoned tract (22 acres) owned by Baptist Health. This site was previously (2011) announced to be the site of a health facility serving west Little Rock, the site remains vacant. At the southeast quadrant of the intersection is the hypermarket (Wal-Mart Supercenter) with a few out parcels where small standalone Commercial uses were developed. The subject site of this application is immediately south of the hypermarket and shares an access easement. The applicant is requesting a Commercial designation on lands now designated Office. The request for a Commercial use would not preclude the site for use of Office development. Additional Office designated lands are available in this western most area of commerce, there are approximately 40 acres of undeveloped lands north of Cantrell Road available for future Office uses and there is a small 4-acre site designated for Office development on the south side of Cantrell Road. There are approximately 68- acres of lands designated for Commercial development in this quadrant not yet absorbed by the market, 22 of which are assumed to be used for the development of a healthcare facility. Staff does not believe the amendment would create a glut of Commercial designated lands in the area. The subject site is located immediately adjacent to a high intensity Commercial land use (north), a 65-acre open space (east), and a Principal Arterial - Chenal Parkway (west/south), direct impacts to residential land uses from future commercial development would be limited. Given the shared access with a busy retailer and the visibility of the site, the use of these lands for commercial operations would seem advantageous to the applicant and does not appear to have immediately negative impacts to established land uses. 3 BACKGROUND CONTINUED A change in land use at the site to a Commercial land use does not appear to conflict with the City’s long-term goals.