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HomeMy WebLinkAboutZ-9580 1724 S Pine Street - Staff RptMay 20, 2021 ITEM NO. 4 Z-9580 1 File No.: Z-9580 Owner: John Hughes Applicant: Ron Bene’ Woods Address: 1724 S. Pine St. Legal Description: Lot 6, Block 2, Cedar Heights Addition, Pulaski County, Arkansas Zoned: C-3 Variance Requested: A variance is requested from the area provisions of Section 36-301 to allow a building addition with a reduced side yard setback. Justification: The applicant’s justification is presented as per the attached letter dated March 23, 2021. Present Use: Recreation Hall Proposed Use: Recreation Hall STAFF REPORT A. Planning and Development Civil Engineering: No Comments B. Landscape and Buffer Issues: 1. Site plan must comply with the City's minimal landscape and 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. This strip shall be at least nine (9) feet wide. The property is located in the City’s designated mature area. A twenty-five (25%) percent reduction of the buffer requirements is acceptable. The minimum dimension of the perimeter planting strip shall be six (6) feet nine (9) inches. One (1) tree and three (3) shrubs or vines shall be planted for every thirty (30) linear feet of perimeter planting strip. The north and south perimeter planting strips are deficient. May 20, 2021 ITEM NO. 4 Z-9580 2 3. Screening requirements will need to 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 (3) feet within the required landscape area. Provide trees with an average linear spacing of not less than thirty (30) feet. 4. A land use buffer six (6) percent of the average width / depth of the lot will be required when an adjacent property has a dissimilar use of a more restrictive nature. As a component of all land use buffer requirements, opaque screening, whether a fence or other device, a minimum of six (6) feet in height shall be required upon the property line side of the buffer. A minimum of seventy (70) percent of the land use buffer shall be undisturbed. Easements cannot count toward fulfilling this requirement. The plantings, existing and purposed, shall be provided within the landscape ordinance of the city, section 15-81. Screening requirements will need to be met adjacent to the north residential zoned property. Surveyor to mark and place protective fencing adjacent to the residential buffer before any site work begins. 7. An irrigation system shall be required for developments of one (1) acre or larger. For developments of less than one (1) acre a there shall be a water source within seventy-five (75) feet of all plant material if an automatic irrigation system is not provided. 8. All landscape areas shall be protected as per City of Little Rock Landscape Ordinance (Sec. 15-100). Provide notes on plan specifying type and location of mulch, edging, wheel stops, and/or concrete curb and gutter. 9. All ground or roof mounted mechanical systems shall be screened from abutting properties and streets. Any trash receptacles or pickup shall be oriented away from a primary street side of the property and screened from the public right-of-way. Screen shall exceed the height of the dumpster or trash containment areas by at least two (2) feet no to exceed eight (8) feet total height. 10. 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 D. Staff Analysis: The C-3 zoned property located on the northwest corner of Pine and 18th Streets is occupied by a one-story masonry commercial building and a separate one-story frame residential structure. The commercial structure was built in 1919 and is positioned on the south property line. The front of the building faces east towards Pine Street and is located approximately 3-feet from the street right-of- way. The adjacent properties to the north and west across the alley are zoned R-3 and both are occupied with single family homes. The property across Pine Street is zoned May 20, 2021 ITEM NO. 4 Z-9580 3 R-3 and includes a church and associated parking while a commercial building is located south of the subject property across 18th street on a C-3 zoned property. The existing masonry building to be retained is approximately 1,900 square feet and currently being utilized as a recreation hall. The applicant has stated that the frame structure will be demolished, and on-site parking will be provided in place of this former residence. The applicant is proposing a 550 square foot addition to the rear of the commercial building to serve as restrooms and a lounge area for the recreation hall. The site plan indicates that the walls of the new construction will be constructed in line with the side walls of the existing building and extend 17-feet 4-inches to the west. Additionally, 5 parking spaces are purposed between the building addition and the west property line which will be accessed from the alley. Section 36-301 (e)(2) states “No side yard shall be required except where abutting a residential district; then there shall be a side yard width of not less than fifteen (15) feet. On a corner lot, the side yard on the street side or exterior side shall be equal to the front yard setback.” Therefore, the applicant is requesting a variance to allow the building addition with a side yard setback of less than 1-foot and an interior side setback of approximately 14 feet. The existing building to remain does not fall within the front or side yard setback requirements of the current code. To provide an addition to this building that would comply with the setback requirements would only allow for a structure 7- feet in width. Staff views the side yard variance request as reasonable. The proposed reduced side yard setbacks will not be out of character with how this site has developed. In addition, the variance will allow the building expansion to advance in a logical progression. The proposed parking does not meet the north or south or perimeter planting strip requirements of a minimum of 6-feet 9-inches. A variance from The City Beautiful Commission will be required before the parking can be developed as indicated on the site plan. Staff recommends reducing the parking to 4 spaces and providing perimeter planting areas, landscape, and screening as per Chapter 15 – Landscaping and Tree Protection. E. Staff Recommendation: Staff recommends approval of the side setback variance, subject to the following conditions: 1. Compliance with the Landscape and Buffer requirements as noted in paragraph B. of the staff report. May 20, 2021 ITEM NO. 4 Z-9580 4 2. Revise plan to remove / eliminate concrete curb and gutter from extending beyond north property line onto adjacent property and adjacent property alleyway frontage at the northwest portion of the site,