HomeMy WebLinkAboutEmail Correspondence - Revised Site Plan 092021
From: Vernon Williams [mailto:garnatengineering@gmail.com]
Sent: Monday, September 20, 2021 4:05 PM
To: Moore, Monte <MMoore@littlerock.gov>
Cc: Longhills Express <longhillsexpress@gmail.com>; Aman Devji <aman.ranmanagement@gmail.com>;
Neeraj Kumar <nkumar@designgroupmemphis.com>; Thrower, Torrence <tthrower@littlerock.gov>
Subject: Re: Planning Staff Comments for October 14, 2021 Planning Commission Meeting
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Do not click links or open attachments unless
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Monte,
Per our phone conversation, I have attached a revised site and landscape plan for this
project. The following changes were made to these sheets:
1. We deleted the pick-up window on the north side of the building.
2. We changed the label on the building from "New Building" to "Remodeled Building" to
reflect that we propose to re-purpose the existing Dollar General Store, not build a new
building.
We also plan to modify the use of the building as follows:
• North unit will be a rental space. The use of this space is unknown at this time, but we
anticipate that it will comply with the approved uses for C-1 zoning.
• Middle unit will be a vape shop with hours of operation from 7:00 a.m to midnight/7 days
per week.
• South unit will be a C-store that operates 24 hours/7 days per week.
3-C1.0 SITE PLAN.pdf 8- L1.0 LANDSCAPE PLAN.pdf
Should you have any questions about these modifications, please don't hesitate to contact me.
Sincerely,
Vernon J. Williams, P.E.
GarNat Engineering, LLC
Mailing Address: Physical Address:
P.O. Box 116 3825 Mt Carmel Road
Benton, AR 72018 Bryant, AR 72022
Ph: (501) 408-4650 Cell: (501) 425-2771
Fax: (888) 900-3068 www.garnatengineering.com
On Wed, Sep 8, 2021 at 7:01 AM Vernon Williams <garnatengineering@gmail.com> wrote:
Torrence,
Please allow this email and the attached documents to serve as my response to your review
comments that are also attached. The numbers of my responses reflect the numbers of your
comments.
Development Comments:
1. There will be three units in this building. The north unit will be a C-store. The middle
unit will be a vape shop and the southern unit will be a liquor store.
2. The C-store will sell food items. There will be no in-door seating for dining. Food must
be purchased for carryout or customers will be allowed to order food via a cell phone app
with a scheduled pickup time for pickup without going in at the pickup window on the
north side of the building.
3. The C-store will not have a menu board. We will have a sign on site directing traffic to
the pickup window. We have changed the label on the site plan from drive-thru canopy
to pickup window. The liquor store will also have a pickup window. As with the C-
store, there will be no menu board for the liquor store. We have also changed the label
on the site plan for this pickup window.
4. The C-store will operate 24 hours/7 days per week. The vape shop will be open from
7:00 a.m to midnight/7 days per week. The liquor store will be open from 9:00 a.m. to
midnight/closed on Sunday.
5. We would respectfully request to be allowed to permit signage separately.
6. We plan to construct the dumpster enclosure from painted CMU block. We will comply
with the ordinance.
7. We will comply with this requirement.
8. This is the redevelopment on an existing site. The building and parking lot are already
there and we are disturbing as little of the existing parking lot as possible. We would
request any variances required to leave the street buffer as is because we do not plan to
disturb that curb line or the driveways into the site. We have elected to purchase more
property to enable us to provide the required perimeter buffers. A revised survey and site
plan are attached which reflect this.
Civil Engineering Comments:
1. Will comply. The site plan has been modified to provide a new ADA ramp at the
intersection.
2. Will comply.
3. Will comply.
4. Will comply.
5. Will comply.
6. Will comply.
7. There will be no order board locations. See Development Comments 2 and 3 for more
information. I apologize for the confusing labeling on our site plan, but the drive thru for
the C-store is not a drive thru like you would see at a fast food restaurant. As a response
to COVID, this chain is experimenting with an app that will allow customers to make
orders from the store online and then pick the orders up at the pickup window at a
scheduled time in order to avoid entering the store. This is anticipated to be like an
online order from a grocery store, except being a C-store the orders will be much smaller
and able to be transferred to the car through the pickup window. Since we have control
of the scheduling of pickups, we will have maximum control over the length of the
queue. It will be managed where no more than one car is at the window at a time. For
example, through the app we could limit pickups to 10 pickups per hour or something
like that.
8. See response 7 above and Development Comments 2 and 3. The south pickup window is
for a liquor store. We have provided space for four cars to queue up, which we feel is
appropriate. We have provided room for 2 cars to queue up at the C-store pickup
window. However, pickup times at the C-store window will be scheduled by the store
and we never anticipate there being more than one car in the queue at a time.
Landscape Comments:
1. This is the redevelopment of an existing Dollar General Store. The building and parking
lot are already there. We are repurposing this vacant building and trying to utilize as
much of the existing infrastructure as possible.
2. The Dollar General was on leased property. My client is purchasing 1.2 acres +/- from a
larger 9.5 acre tract. The seller will retain ownership of the remaining 8.3 acres. The site
includes an existing opaque fence that is in good repair and will be left. We
have modified the boundary survey for this purchased property, so that the 16' buffer on
the west side and the 11' buffer on the north side can be provided.
3. This is a previously developed site. We respectfully request a variance for the street
buffer to leave it as currently developed.
4. Will comply.
5. Per landscape comment 2 response, we will comply on the north and west sides. We
respectfully request a variance for the street buffer to leave it as currently developed.
The numbers for some landscape comments were repeated. My numbering reflects that.
3. Will comply.
4. Will comply. A greenspace calc is attached which shows that 23% of our parking area is
greenspace.
5. An irrigation system will be provided.
6. Our plans are stamped by a landscape architect.
7. I believe our landscape plan reflects an honest attempt to save all trees possible.
8. No response.
LR Fire Department Comments: Will comply.
LR Reclamation Authority Comments: Will comply.
Vernon J. Williams, P.E.
GarNat Engineering, LLC
Mailing Address: Physical Address:
P.O. Box 116 3825 Mt Carmel Road
Benton, AR 72018 Bryant, AR 72022
Ph: (501) 408-4650 Cell: (501) 425-2771
Fax: (888) 900-3068 www.garnatengineering.com
---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Thrower, Torrence <tthrower@littlerock.gov>
Date: Thu, Sep 2, 2021 at 3:37 PM
Subject: Planning Staff Comments for October 14, 2021 Planning Commission Meeting
To: garnatengineering@gmail.com <garnatengineering@gmail.com>
Vernon,
Attached are staff comments and comments from utilities.
Applicant responses are due no later than Wednesday September 8, 2021. Please submit
revised site plan(s), if applicable, along with any written responses. All documents should be
submitted to this email address for review.
If you have further questions, please feel free to contact this office.
Torrence Thrower | Development Specialist
City of Little Rock | Planning and Development
723 W. Markham | Little Rock, AR 72201-1334
Main: 501-371-4790 | Direct: 501-371-4764
Email: tthrower@littlerock.gov
Website: https://www.littlerock.gov