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HomeMy WebLinkAboutZ-9558 Staff ReportMARCH 18, 2020 ITEM NO. 7 Z-9558 1 File No.: Z-9558 Owner: Verizon Wireless Applicant: White-Daters & Associates, Inc., Attn: Tim Daters Address: 1101 Riverfront Drive Description: Tracts H-2 & H-3 Riverdale Addition Zoned: C-3 (General Commercial District) Variance Requested: A variance is requested from the building height provisions of Section 36-301 to permit primary structures to exceed the maximum of thirty-five (35) feet in height as allowable on C-3 zoned property. Justification: The applicant’s justification is presented as per the attached letter dated December 15, 2020. Present Use: Undeveloped Proposed Use: Multi-Family Development STAFF REPORT A. Planning and Development Civil Engineering Comments: 1. Stormwater detention ordinance applies to this property which is required to be satisfied at the time of the issuance of the Building Permit. Show the proposed location for stormwater detention facilities on the plan. Maintenance of the detention pond and all private drainage improvements is the responsibility of the developer and/or property owners association and detailed in the Bill of Assurance with mandatory fees collected for future maintenance. 2. Driveway locations and widths must meet the traffic access and circulation requirements of Sections 30-43 and 31-210. The width of driveway must not exceed thirty-six (36) feet. Knox box should be installed at the secondary access, which is for fire and emergency access vehicles. 3. Traffic Study may be required to determine if additional left-turn stacking is required. B. Buffering and Landscape Comments: 1. Any new site development must comply with the City’s minimal landscape and buffer ordinance requirements and the Chenal Overlay District. 2. The City Beautiful Commission recommends preserving as many existing trees as feasible on this site. Credit toward fulfilling Landscape Ordinance requirements can be given when preserving trees of six (6) inch caliper or larger. MARCH 18, 2020 ITEM NO. 7 (CON’T.) Z-9558 2 C. Building Codes Comments: No Comment. D. Staff Analysis: The two C-3 zoned subject tracts are located at the northwest corner of Riverfront Drive and Cottondale Lane and contain a combined 11.42 acres. The neighboring property to the north is also zoned C-3 and contains a parking lot and a soccer field. The west side of the subject property is bordered with a levee, a heavily wooded railroad easement, and the Riverdale Shopping Mall which fronts Cantrell Road. The south portion of the property converges at Riverfront Drive and Cottondale Lane while the east edge of the property is bordered by Riverfront Drive. The development east of Riverfront Drive is zoned O-3 and occupied by the Verizon Wireless and Arkansas BlueCross BlueShield offices, associated parking and the Arkansas River behind the office facilities. The applicant proposes to construct a three building multi-family development as per R-5 guidelines which is allowable on C-3 zoned properties. The building elevations that have been submitted indicate a four-story complex proposing the main height of the building to be fifty-five (55) feet six (6) inches with an architectural tower feature rising to a maximum of sixty (60) feet at the site entry and leasing office. Section 36-301(d) states, “No building hereafter erected or structurally altered shall exceed a height of thirty-five (35) feet.” The applicant is requesting a variance to allow for a sixty-six (66) feet four (4) inches building height. The proposed complex indicates three (3) separate four (4) story buildings. The Leasing Office / Building one (1) will be accessed from Riverfront Drive. Building two (2) is proposed to be located north of the Building one (1) and adjacent to the street right-of-way while Building three (3) will be placed in the back-northwest area of the site adjacent to the railroad easement. A gated entry north and south of the leasing office will access the associated parking which will be largely located within the interior of the site and on the north perimeter of the complex. Smaller parking areas and the secondary facades of the three buildings will be adjacent to the other property lines. The closest buildings to this proposed development have been constructed in excess of thirty-five (35) feet. The O-3 Verizon property to the east is developed with several multi-story buildings all of which exceed four (4) stories while a four (4) story apartment complex is located north of Cedar Hill Road. The apartment building on Cedar Hill Road is similar in style, height, and materials and was also developed on a C-3 zoned property for which a height variance was granted. Staff is supportive of the height variance due to numerous nearby buildings exceeding thirty-five (35) feet in height. MARCH 18, 2020 ITEM NO. 7 (CON’T.) Z-9558 3 E. Staff Recommendation: Staff recommends approval of the requested variance to exceed the thirty-five (35) foot height maximum typically permitted in C-3 zoning and to allow a building height not to exceed sixty (60) feet.