HomeMy WebLinkAboutZ-9277-B BOA Staff ReportJANUARY 21, 2021
ITEM NO. 2 Z-9277-B
File No.: Z-9277-B
Owner: 1224 Aldersgate LLC
Applicant: Ed Willis, EKW Realty, LLC
Address: 1224 Aldersgate Road
Description: PT E1/2 E1/2 NW NW BEG NE COR S2* W 250’ TO POB S2*
W21’ N87* W184 6’ TO I-430 N2* W126 1’ N16* E89 7’ S88*
E171 1’ TO BEG EXC 618 SQ FT FOR R/W ALDERSGATE RD
Zoned: O-3/CUP (General Office District/Conditional Use Permit)
Variance Requested: A variance from Section 36- 522 to allow the street buffer
along I-430 less than the 30-foot minimum requirement.
Justification: The developer requests a variance from the required 30-foot
buffer width when abutting an expressway. The applicant’s
justification is presented in the attached letter dated
November 18, 2020.
Present Use: Undeveloped
Proposed Use: General Office District/Conditional Use Permit/
Medical Clinic
STAFF REPORT
A. Planning and Development Civil Engineering:
B. Buffering and Landscape:
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ITEM NO. 2 Z-9277-B
C. Building Codes:
No Comment.
D. Staff Analysis:
The subject property located on the west side of Aldersgate Road is the second
parcel south of Kanis Rd and is comprised of approximately .0891 acres. This tract
is currently undeveloped and zoned O-3/CUP. The surrounding properties are zoned
O-3 to the north, PD-R to the south, and O3 to the east across Aldersgate Road.
The property is bordered on the west by Interstate 430. The adjacent north property
is developed with an office building, the south property is occupied by a three
building, forty-eight-unit apartment complex and the property to the east across
Aldersgate Road is developed as the OrthoArkansas medical clinic. The subject
property is delineated with an intact undisturbed buffer adjacent to the I-430 right-of-
way that is characterized by mature trees and understory vegetation.
The applicant is proposing to develop the site to include a 6435 square foot medical
clinic with associated parking, driveways and landscape. The attached site plan
indicates the minimal amount of parking, driveways, and sidewalks that are required
for safe and efficient operation of the facility. Except for the drive on the west side of
the building encroaching into the buffer all other site requirements will be met.
Sec. 36- 522(a)(3) of the Little Rock Municipal Code states, “Street buffers shall be
a minimum of thirty (30) feet in width when abutting an expressway except within
mature areas.”
The applicant desires to provide vehicular circulation on all sides of the proposed
clinic. Providing this drive west of the building will require the 30-foot expressway
buffer to be encroached upon to a depth of approximately 15 feet. The applicant
feels that without this requested variance the site would be undevelopable in any
reasonable economic sense. The site plan indicates that 15 feet of this buffer will
remain undisturbed and the applicant has cited that there is another 65 feet of
mature hardwoods, pines, and understory vegetation west of the property line
located in the DOT (Department of Transportation) right-of-way. The applicant has
also cited that a similar variance was granted for the multi-family residential property
directly to south due to the same development concerns and has indicated that they
are willing to discuss additional landscape enhancements to the remaining buffer if
the requested variance is granted.
Based on the above assessment and analysis, staff finds the requested variances
to be reasonable.
E. Staff Recommendation:
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JANUARY 21, 2021
ITEM NO. 2 Z-9277-B
Staff recommends approval of the requested variance to reduce the 30-foot buffer
adjacent to the expressway to no less than 15-feet at its narrowest point with the
condition that 1 ½ times the amount of landscaping typically required in this area
be install to off-set the buffer encroachment.
Bill of assurance blurb from Jamie
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