HomeMy WebLinkAboutZ-9542 BOA Staff Report (old - contains errors)NOVEMBER 19, 2020
ITEM NO. 3 Z-9542
1
File No.: Z-9542
Owner: Metropolitan Emergency Medical Services (MEMS)
Jon Swanson, Executive Director
Applicant: Crafton Tull, attn. Frank Riggins
Property Address: 1121 West 7th Street
Legal Description: Lots 7, 8, 9 and 10, Block 263, original City of Little Rock,
Pulaski County, Arkansas. Less and except that part of Lot 7
and 8, Block 263, conveyed to the Arkansas State Highway
Commission by warranty deed of record in Deed Book 1403,
page 223, Records of Pulaski County, Arkansas.
Zoned: PD-O (Planned Development – Office)
Variances Requested: Variances from the Required Buffers provisions of Section
36.522(2)(b) to permit street buffers less than thirty feet in
width, and from Landscaping provisions of Section
36-342.1(c)(5)(b) to exclude street trees and planters.
Justification: Presented in letter dated September 29, 2020 (attached.)
Present Use: Vacant/Undeveloped
Proposed Use: Surface Parking for Special Vehicles and Mobile Equipment
STAFF REPORT
A. Planning and Development Civil Engineering:
1. After the issuance of the Building Permit, close any driveway(s) not intended
for use.
2. On-site striping and signage plans shall be forwarded to Public Works, Traffic
Engineering for approval with the site development package.
3. Obtain applicable permits prior to implementing curb cuts or street cuts. Obtain
barricade permit prior to any work in the right-of-way. Contact Travis Herbner,
Traffic Engineering (501)379-1805 for more information.
4. Damage to public and private property due to construction hauling operations
or operation of construction related equipment from a nearby construction site
shall be repaired by the responsible party prior to issuance of a certificate of
occupancy.
B. Buffering and Landscape:
1. Site plan must comply with the City’s minimum landscape / buffer ordinance
requirements.
2. A perimeter planting strip is required along any side of a vehicular use area
that abuts adjoining property or the right-of-way of any street. A twenty-five
percent reduction of the landscape provisions can be taken for developments
within mature areas. In these areas it is allowable for perimeter planting strips
to be a minimum of six feet nine inches wide. One tree and three shrubs or
vines shall be planted for every thirty linear feet of perimeter planting strip.
NOVEMBER 19, 2020
ITEM NO. 3 (Cont’d) Z-9542
2
3. Screening requirements shall be met for the vehicular use areas adjacent to
street rights-of-way. Provide screening shrubs with an average linear spacing
of not less at three feet on center within the required landscape area. Provide
trees with an average linear spacing of not less than 30 feet on center.
4. For parking areas with 12 or more spaces eight percent of the vehicular use
area must be designated for green space; this green space needs to be
evenly distributed throughout the parking area(s). The minimum size of an
interior landscape area shall be 150 square feet for developments with 150 or
fewer parking spaces.
5. Building landscape areas shall be provided between the vehicular use area
used for public parking and the general vicinity of the building. These shall be
provided at the rate equivalent to planter strip three feet wide along the
vehicular use area. One tree and four shrubs shall be planted in the building
landscape areas for each 40 linear feet of vehicular use area abutting the
building.
6. A landscape irrigation system shall be required for developments of one acre
or larger.
7. The City Beautiful Commission recommends preserving as many existing
trees as feasible on this site. Credit toward fulfilling Landscape Ordinance
requirements may be given when preserving trees of six-inch caliper or larger.
C. Building Codes:
No Comment.
D. Staff Analysis:
The subject property comprises approximately 0.61 acres at the northwest corner of
S. Chester Street and the westbound on -ramp to I-630. Part of an overall master
planned MEMS compound, the northern 75 percent of the subject site is zoned UU
(Urban Use) and the southern 25 percent is zoned PD-O (Planned Development –
Office.) Currently accessible from within the existing/developed MEMS site, and via
an existing drive from S. Chester Street, the subject site is partially paved, contains
random scrub vegetation and some mature trees. Presently, the property is
generally vacant and unused.
The applicant proposes to convert the subject 0.61 acres to a secured surface
parking facility for MEMS special vehicles and emergency equipment by removing
the S. Chester Street driveway, installing perimeter fencing and improving the entire
property with curb & gutter, security lighting, heavy duty paving and striping, and
associated appurtenances.
As part of this work, the applicant requests to reduce the “Required Buffers”
requirement of Section 36.522(2)(b) from a minimum of 30.0 feet in width to a
minimum of 6.5 feet where adjacent to the S. Chester Street and I-630 rights-of-way.
Additionally, the applicant requests to forego the Section 36 -342.1(c)(5)(b)
requirement for street trees and planters adjacent to S. Chester Street.
NOVEMBER 19, 2020
ITEM NO. 3 (Cont’d) Z-9542
3
The Little Rock Municipal Code generally states, “A perimeter planting strip is
required along any side of a vehicular use area that abuts adjoining property or the
right-of-way of any street, highway or freeway. A twenty-five (25) percent reduction
of the landscape provisions can be taken for developments within mature areas. In
these areas it is allowable for perimeter planting strips adjacent to freeways or
expressways to be reduced from 30 feet in width to a minimum of twenty -two (22)
feet six (6) inches. The minimum dimension shall be one -half (½) the full width
requirement.”
And,
“Street trees a minimum of three-inch caliper shall be required (type of trees as listed
in landscape ordinance [chapter 15]). The trees shall be located a minimum of two
(2) feet off the back of a curb and shall be thirty (30) feet on center and no closer
than thirty (30) feet to a street intersection with a water source provided. The tree
canopy shall be maintained at least eight (8) feet above the sidew alk.”
Following multiple site visits and meetings with MEMS personnel, Development staff
understands the mission of MEMS to maintain a state of emergency readiness,
including the convenient and safe storage of medical vehicles and trailers containing
high value equipment and materials, requires secure storage open to public view as
well as expansive maneuvering area for extraordinarily large vehicles. The
submitted site plan proposes to preserve numerous existing trees and provide
alternative landscape areas, as directed by Development staff, and will significantly
mitigate existing blight at the intersection of S. Chester Street and I -630.
Based on the above analysis, staff views the proposed site plan as reasonable and
supports the above-described variance requests.
E. Staff Recommendation:
Staff recommends approval of the requested buffer reduction and elimination of
street trees, in accordance with the submitted site plan and in accordance with
paragraphs A, B, C and D of this Staff Report.