Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutLetter of IntentQuattlebaum, Grooms & Tull A PROFESSIONAL LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY I I I Center Street Suite 1900 Little Rock, Arkansas 72201 (501)379-1700 Robbi R Rosenbaum rosenbaum@ggtlaw. com Licensed in Arkansas Certified Public Accountant November 16, 2020 Little Rock Planning Commission 723 W. Markham Little Rock, AR 72201 Re: Application for Special Use Permit for 3201 Mary Street Dear Sir or Madam, Direct Dial 501-379-1738 Immerse Arkansas, an Arkansas nonprofit corporation ("Immerse"), hereby submits an application for a Special Use Permit for the real property located at 3201 Mary Street in Little Rock, Arkansas, with the tax parcel number 34L-303.00-159.00 (the "Property"), to allow for the operation of a rooming, lodging, and boarding facility. The Property consists of approximately 0.75 acres located near the University of Arkansas at Little Rock's campus, three blocks east of the intersection of Fair Park Boulevard and 32nd Street, and three blocks north of Asher Avenue. The Property is zoned as R-3 and is currently occupied by a vacant church building. I. Plan for the Property Immerse purchased the Property in November 2020 and hopes to open a youth shelter thereon. By opening this youth shelter, Immerse hopes to (1) use its experience, expertise, and deep knowledge of the needs of youth to build and provide safe, stable, immediate housing for youth; (2) serve the Little Rock community with a shelter tailored to the unique needs of youth who have experienced childhood abuse and neglect, aged out of foster care, and experienced homelessness; and (3) enhance the continuum of integrated support Immerse offers. A new youth shelter in this neighborhood is needed, as many central Arkansas shelters have closed or limited their populations to exclude the youth population. Additionally, current adult shelters in central Arkansas do not operate in a way that is trauma -informed and youth - friendly and do not practice positive youth development. With this in mind, the proposed shelter will house up to twelve youth residents (aged eighteen and up) at any given time, with a target length of stay at twenty-one days. At least one adult staff member will be on site at all times, though staff members will not live at the Property. Quattlebaum, Grooms & Tull November 16, 2020 Page: 2 During the residents' stays, Immerse plans to: (1) connect them with basic resources and provide immediate safety; (2) expose them to positive, supportive adults and begin the pathway toward mentorship; (3) connect them to longer -term housing options through other Immerse programs, host homes, partners, and rental opportunities; and (4) engage them in programming to increase their employment and educational potential. II. Request for Permit Immerse hereby requests a Special Use Permit to allow operation of a rooming, lodging, and boarding facility at the Property. Such a facility is defined as "a building or establishment which provides for more than four (4) but fewer than sixteen (16) persons and may provide meal service." Little Rock City Code ("City Code") § 36-3. Such a use is permitted in R-3 zoned property with a Special Use Permit. City Code § 36-255(b)(2). Immerse believes that a rooming, lodging, and boarding facility is the appropriate classification for the proposed shelter (as opposed to a group home or group care facility), for residents will not be handicapped, and only limited rehabilitative services will take place. Further, as required for rooming facilities, the shelter will "be so arranged as to permit passage between all living elements such as dining, kitchen and bathrooms," and no detached or private access accommodations will be involved. City Code § 36-3. III. Permit Requirements City Code § 36-54(e)(4) sets forth several development criteria the Commission will consider when reviewing a Special Use Permit application for a rooming facility. The relevant criteria are discussed herein. a. The shelter will not adversely impact the surrounding properties and neighborhood. City Code § 36-54(e)(4)(a). The shelter will not adversely impact the surrounding properties and neighborhood, for the surrounding neighborhood already supports a diverse range of uses. The neighborhood includes the Islamic Center of Little Rock, Kaufman Lumber Company, an apartment complex, a single- family residence, a restaurant, and the current Immerse headquarters, all within 1,000 feet of the Property. Additionally, Immerse will keep the Property in a clean and neat condition, and the residents will spend most of their time inside the building. Instead of diminishing surrounding property values, the shelter will add a new element to an already diverse neighborhood. b. The shelter will fit in with the spacing of existing similar facilities. City Code § 36- 54(e) (4) (c) (1). While there are several homeless shelters in the neighborhoods around University Avenue and Asher Avenue, none are focused solely on providing temporary residences for homeless young Quattlebaum, Grooms & Tull November 16, 2020 Page: 3 people. As noted in the introduction to this letter, homeless youth without their parents are excluded from many shelters. Thus, the proposed shelter will fit in with the spacing of existing homeless shelters, filling an unmet need. C. The shelter will fit in with existing zoning and land use patterns. City Code § 36- 54(e) (4) (c) (2). The neighborhood around the Property includes a mix of zones. There are I-2 parcels to the north and east of the Property, R-3 parcels to the west, and a C-4 parcel to the south. The neighborhood, which already supports group -style living in the nearby apartment complex, will be suitable to the needs of the proposed shelter. d. The shelter will serve a significant number of disadvantaged young people and will provide them with important services. City Code § 36-54(e)(4)(c)(3). As noted above, the shelter will house up to twelve youth residents per evening, with residents staying for a target length of twenty-one days. The shelter hopes to serve up to two hundred residents per year through the shelter, and Immerse will continue to work with the young people even after they are no longer residents. Additionally, Immerse will employ several staff members to remain on site at all hours. This will leave a lasting positive impact in the neighborhood and in the community at large. e. The shelter is near reasonably accessible public transportation and needed support services. City Code § 36-54(e)(4)(c)(4), (5). The Property is located within walking distance of several bus stops, including ones at the intersection of Asher Avenue and Mary Street (two blocks from the Property) and Asher Avenue and Fair Park Boulevard (four blocks from the Property). The Property is within walking distance of CAT routes #14 (Rosedale), #16 (UA-Little Rock), #17 (Mabelvale / Downtown), and #22 (University Avenue / Mabelvale). Importantly, the Property is four blocks away from the Immerse headquarters, which will provide many needed support services to shelter residents. At the Immerse headquarters, shelter residents will find healthy snacks and meals, mentoring, life coaching and life skills classes, job search and placement, tutoring, counseling and group therapy, art classes, a computer lab, and more. Between the services offered at the shelter and those offered at the headquarters, residents will find almost everything they need in the same neighborhood. f. The shelter has sufficient on -site parking. City Code § 36-54(e)(4)(c)(6). The Property currently has a parking pad with space for four to five vehicles. As part of the building plans for the shelter, Immerse plans to provide adequate parking for several vehicles. Because most residents will not have vehicles of their own, Immerse only expects to need four to Quattlebaum, Grooms & Tull November 16, 2020 Page: 4 five parking spaces on an average evening. Because so little parking will be required, the shelter will not significantly impact the traffic flow of the neighborhood. IV. Building code requirements The shelter plans to demolish the existing church on the Property and construct a new facility to serve as the shelter. Though Immerse has not created blueprints as of the date of this letter, the newly constructed shelter will comply with all building code requirements as set forth in City Code § 8-401 et seq. The relevant requirements are discussed herein. a. The shelter will comply with the general requirements of City Code § 8-402(a) and (b)• As required by § 8-402(a), the food preparation and eating facilities on site will comply with the Arkansas State Health Department's rules and regulations pertaining to food service establishments. Additionally, the shelter is in compliance with § 8-402(b)'s license requirements because, as a charity, it does not need a business license from the City of Little Rock. b. The shelter's bath facilities will comply with City Code § 8-402(c) and (d). The shelter will have one properly connected toilet and bathtub or shower for each room (with each room housing two residents), and each bath facility is located on the floor it serves. Additionally, all bath facilities will have hot water and doors with locking mechanisms. C. The shelter's rooms are large enough and have adequate exits to comply with City Code §§ 8-402(e) — (0, and 8-406. Each sleeping room will be occupied by two individuals and will have at least one hundred square feet of space. Additionally, all rooms will have safe, unobstructed means of entry and exit leading to safe and open space at ground level. d. The shelter will comply with the sanitation requirements of City Code § 8-402(g). The staff members at the shelter will maintain all walls, floors, ceilings, and all other parts of the Property in a safe and sanitary condition and will keep the Property reasonably free from insects, rodents, and other pests. The shelter will comply with the light and ventilation requirements of City Code § 8-405 and with the electrical requirements of City Code § 8-405. Immerse is aware of the lighting, ventilation, and electrical requirements of the building code, and will comply with these requirements when constructing the shelter. Quattlebaum, Grooms & Tull November 16, 2020 Page: 5 V. Conclusion We have enclosed with this letter the application for a Special Use Permit for the operation of a rooming facility at the Property. Once a hearing date is set, we plan to proceed with the required notice provisions. Thank you in advance for your consideration of our application, and please let me know if you have any questions. Sincerely, r '0 / r Robbi R. Rosenbaum