HomeMy WebLinkAboutBOA Final Action Letter Approved with Conditions 111920NOVEMBER 19, 2020
ITEM NO. 1 Z-6732-B
1
File No.: Z-6732-B
Owner: Darshan Patel
Applicant: Arkansas Sign & Neon, Inc., Attn. David Ashley
Address: 811 East 4th Street
Description: Rector Town Addition, Lots 1 through 6, Block 9
Zoned: UU (Urban Use)
Variance Requested: Variances from the Signs provisions of Section 36-342 to
permit a ground-mounted sign in the UU (Urban Use)
District, and from the Signs provisions of Section 36-557 to
permit a building mounted sign adjacent to private (non-right-
of-way) property.
Justification: Hotel owners wish for ground mounted sign to identify hotel
location for local street motorists, and the south-facing
building mounted sign for high speed freeway motorists.
Present Use: Recently vacant/undeveloped; presently under construction
Proposed Use: Hotel
STAFF REPORT
A. Planning and Development Civil Engineering:
No Comment.
B. Buffering and Landscape:
No Comment.
C. Building Codes:
No Comment.
D. Staff Analysis:
The subject property abuts E. 4th Street to the north, Collins Street to the east, and
Rector Street to the west. I-30 lies just west of Rector Street, which functions
somewhat as a freeway frontage road at this location. The site lies just within the
UU (Urban Use) zoning district which comprises roughly 12 square blocks in the
immediate vicinity. A five-story hotel and associated parking is under construction
and substantially complete on the site, with surface parking lot access drives from
Rector and Collins Streets. The site also lies within the Presidential Park Design
Overlay District, which has no bearing on the subject variance requests.
NOVEMBER 19, 2020
ITEM NO. 1 (Cont’d) Z-6732-B
2
The applicant proposes to erect a ground-mounted (monument) sign near the
northwest corner of the subject site, at the intersection of E. 4th and Rector Streets,
and, install a building mounted (wall) sign facing the undeveloped private property
lying immediately south of the site.
Section 36-342.1(c)(11) of the Little Rock Municipal Code states, “Ground mounted
signs are discouraged and may only be permitted as a variance per Division 2 of this
chapter.”
Section 36-557(a) of the Municipal Code states, “All on-premises wall signs must
face required street frontage except in complexes where a sign without street
frontage would be the only means of identification for a tenant.”
The proposed ground mounted hotel sign is 8 feet in total height, with approximately
12 square feet of sign face area. Other districts within the City allow 8-foot and 10-
foot high signs with up to 100 square feet of area, and three nearby ground mounted
signs within the neighboring area feature heights between 21 and 40 feet, all with
sign faces exceeding 25 square feet. The subject ground sign is proposed within a
context of higher-volume commercial and industrial traffic less than 150 feet from
Interstate 30, and the only identifying signage for the hotel are the wall mounted
hotel signs, approximately 50 feet above ground level. Within the above-described
context, the requested ground mounted sign is not inappropriate for pedestrian- and
motorist-level wayfinding in the surrounding area.
The proposed wall sign conforms with guidelines for building mounted signs in all
respects, with exception of its southward orientation adjacent to a presently
undeveloped lot. The relationship of the southern face of the hotel to the very nearby
northbound lanes of I-30 implies the need for the proposed wall sign, which will be
the only sign visible to high-speed northbound freeway traffic.
Based on the above assessment and analysis, staff finds the requested variances
to be reasonable.
E. Staff Recommendation:
Staff recommends approval of the requested ground mounted and wall mounted
signs as reflected in the submitted plans and elevations, with the following
condition:
Add street addresses to the ground mounted (monument) sign per Section 36-
557(f): “All on-premises ground-mounted signs shall have located on the face of the
sign, in characters no less than six (6) inches in height, the street address number
of the business identified by the sign. In the case of a double-faced ground-
mounted sign, the street address number shall be located on each face of the sign.”
NOVEMBER 19, 2020
ITEM NO. 1 (Cont’d) Z-6732-B
3
Board of Adjustment (November 19, 2020)
The applicant was present. There were no persons present registered in opposition. Staff
presented the item and a recommendation of approval as outlined in the “Staff
Recommendation” above. There was no further discussion.
The item remained on the Consent Agenda for approval. A motion was made and
seconded to approve the Consent Agenda. The vote was 4 ayes, 0 noes, 1 recusal
(Justus) and 0 absent. The application was approved.
Proposed
Ground Mounted
Sign
Proposed
Building Mounted
Sign
Case No: Z-6732-B Sheet 1 of 2
Name: Holiday Inn Express & Suites
Location: 811 E. 4th Street
City of Little Rock Planning & Development
Title: Zoning Variance
Sketch
±Planning & Development
Staff Comments in Red.
Building Mounted
Sign South Elevation
Ground Mounted
Sign
Case No: Z-6732-B Sheet 2 of 2
Name: Holiday Inn Express & Suites
Location: 811 E. 4th Street
City of Little Rock Planning & Development
Title: Zoning Variance
Sketch
±Planning & Development
Staff Comments in Red.
R4ACUP
UUCUP
R4ACUP UUCUP
R4ACUP
R4ACUP
R4ACUP
R4ACUP
PRD
R4 R5
PCD
R4APRD
I2
PD-I
R4A
PCD
PRDC3NOTC3C4
PCD
PCD
PCD
I3
POD
PR
PRPCD
R4R4
UU
PCD
PCD
PCD
PCD
PID
City Limits
E 2ND ST
INTERSTATE 30FRONTAGE RDSAINTVINCENTPLZS ROCK STCOLLEGE STE 7TH ST
SHERMAN STMAHLON MARTIN STE 4TH ST
E 3RD ST
PRESIDENT CLINTON AVE
MCLEAN STE CAPITOL AVE
COLLINS STRIVER MARKET AVEE 8TH ST
E 6TH STRECTOR STBYRD STFERRY STDEAN KUMPURIS STWORLD AVE
^_
Vicinity Map
Case:
Location:
CT:
Ward:
TRS:
PD:
Area Zoning
±
Z-6732-B
811 E. 4th Street
1
2
T1N R12W 2
7
City of Little Rock Planning & Development
Rev: 11/4/2020
SUBJ ECT PROPERTY
0 200 400
Feet