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HomeMy WebLinkAboutStaff Report for LU2022-18-01March 10, 2022 ITEM NO.: 6 FILE NO.: LU2022-18-01 Name: Land Use Plan Amendment – Ellis Mountain Planning District Location: 12807 Kanis Road Request: Suburban Office (SO) to Neighborhood Commercial (NC) Source: Joe White, PE, Joe White & Associates, Inc. PROPOSAL / REQUEST: Applicant requests a Land Use Plan amendment from Suburban Office (SO) to Neighborhood Commercial (NC). The site is approximately 2.75-acres. The application is located at 12807 Kanis Road, in the Ellis Mountain Planning District. The existing Suburban Office (SO) land use category provides for low intensity development of office or office parks in close proximity to lower density residential areas to assure compatibility. A Planned Zoning District is required. The proposed Neighborhood Commercial (NC) category includes limited small-scale commercial development in close proximity to a neighborhood, providing goods and services to that neighborhood market area. This Land Use amendment application accompanies a Zoning Map amendment request. It is the applicant’s intent to rezone the site to a General Commercial District (C-3) (File No. Z-4468-A). EXISTING LAND USE AND ZONING: The subject site is developed with an office and several out- buildings. The current zoning is Quiet Office District (O-1). This portion of Kanis Road is mostly vacant tracts and single-family houses built prior to annexation. There is a VFW Post at the northeast corner of Gamble and Kanis Roads, northwest of the site. West of the application area along the southside of Kanis Road is General Office District, O-3 zoning. Currently this land has a house with several Figure 1. Zoning March 10, 2022 ITEM NO.: 6 (Cont.) FILE NO.: LU2022-18-01 2 vacant tracts. To the east, along the southside of Kanis Road is vacant land zoned General Commercial District, C-3. Across Kanis Road north of the site, is Single Family District, R-2 zoned land. This R-2 zoning continues to the northwest. The uses on the R-2 land include a VFW Post, undeveloped land and single-family houses. To the east along the north side of Kanis Road is vacant land zoned Quiet Office District, O-1. South of the application area is a developed single-family subdivision with a zoning of Single Family District, R-2. FUTURE LAND USE PLAN AND RECENT AMENDMENTS: The City’s Land Use Plan Map shows Neighborhood Commercial (NC) land use along the southside of Kanis Road from the subject site east, either side of Point West Drive. Suburban Office (SO) is proposed for the subject site west to Gamble Road and along the northside of Kanis Road either side of Atkins Road. Residential Medium Density (RM) is proposed either side of Kanis Road west of the Suburban Office (SO) designated areas. Residential Low Density (RL) is proposed for the areas north and south of the more intense uses along Kanis Road. LU1999-11-05 changed the Transition (T) areas along Kanis Road in this vicinity to other designations. (Transition (T) is a land use plan designation that provides for an orderly transition between residential uses and other more intense uses. Transition was established to deal with areas which contain zoned residential uses and nonconforming nonresidential uses. A Planned Zoning District is required unless the application conforms to the Design Overlay standards. Uses that may be considered are low-density multi- family residential and office uses if the proposals are compatible with quality of life in nearby residential areas.) For this site and the areas to the north and west the amendment was to Suburban Office (SO). Further to the west the amendment was to Residential Medium Density (RM). The application area is at the boundary between areas designated as Suburban Office (SO) and Neighborhood Commercial (NC) on the Land Use Plan Map. Little of the land within either land use designation has been developed – whether commercial or office use. Figure 2. Land Use Plan Map March 10, 2022 ITEM NO.: 6 (Cont.) FILE NO.: LU2022-18-01 3 MASTER STREET PLAN: The application area is bound to the north by Kanis Road, which is designated a Minor Arterial. Minor Arterials provide the connections to and through an urban area. Their primary function is to provide short distance travel within the urbanized area. This portion of Kanis Road has been designated to have a ‘Alternative Design Standard’. This standard is a 4-lane section with a raised center median that has cuts not more than every 600 feet. The right-of-way for the road is to be 90 feet. This portion of Kanis Road currently is under construction. This publicly funded project has widened the right-of-way to 90 feet (standard). The road being built within the right- of-way will be three-lanes. The plan is to complete the northern portion of the road with future widening being needed along the southern portion of Kanis Road in this area. That would mean sidewalk and curb and gutter will only be along the northern boundary of Kanis Road not the southern. At the time of redevelopment, a change in the section may be required. BICYCLE PLAN: There is no proposed or existing bicycle routes near this application. PARKS: There are no city recognized parks in the immediate vicinity. HISTORIC DISTRICTS: There are no city recognized historic districts that would be affected by this amendment. Figure 3. Master Street Plan March 10, 2022 ITEM NO.: 6 (Cont.) FILE NO.: LU2022-18-01 4 ANALYSIS: The application area is situated along the south side of Kanis Road between Atkins and Gamble Roads. The City has a publicly funded project for this portion Kanis Road. The project will widen Kanis Road east of Gamble Road to Bowman Road from a two-lane section to a three-lane section. Full improvements will only be made on the northern side (sidewalks and underground drainage). Future widening and improvements along the southern portion of Kanis Road in this area will still be required after completion of the City project. The application site is part of an area shown as Suburban Office (SO) on the Plan Map. The property is currently zoned O-1, Quiet Office District. There is a building which has been used as an office on the land along with several out-buildings. The majority of the Suburban Office (SO) designated land in the vicinity of the application has not experienced any development. There has been little development in the vicinity since annexation in 1982. Kanis Road has been a two-lane section with no sidewalks, curbs or shoulders. Large tract single- family as well as a scattering of businesses have been located along Kanis Road during the forty years since annexation. Subdivisions have been developed both to the north and south of Kanis Road over the last several decades. Most of the newer non-residential developments have been small office developments – lawyer offices and other professional services. Most of these newer office uses have been west of Gamble Road to Kirby Road. Some of the uses have been in converted single-family structures and others have been new construction. The land to the east of the application area is shown on the Land Use Plan Map for Neighborhood Commercial (NC) and has a zoning of C-3, General Commercial District. This C-3 land remains undeveloped. North across Kanis Road from the C-3 land is shown for Suburban Office (SO) and is zoned O-1, Quiet Office District. Most of this land is cleared but undeveloped. One office building has been constructed at the northwest corner of Kanis Road and Point West Drive. The land directly across Kanis Road is vacant and shown for Suburban Office with a zoning of R-2, Single Family District. The land to the west of the application area is designated Suburban Office (SO) and is zoned O-3, General Office District. Most of the O-3 land is vacant but one tract has a single- family house on it. There is a large amount of the land shown and zoned for commercial use to the east along Bowman Road and Chenal Parkway which has been developed. There are some areas shown for Commercial (C) or Mixed Office Commercial (MOC) along Kanis Road to the east around Bowman Road, at Counterview Drive and west of Shackleford Road. Much of this land is still available for future commercial development. March 10, 2022 ITEM NO.: 6 (Cont.) FILE NO.: LU2022-18-01 5 There are areas of Suburban Office (SO) shown on the Plan Map both to the east and west of the site along Kanis Road. Much this land has not been developed. The portions that have developed or re-developed have done so with the Planned Development process. They have tended to be smaller professional office uses. The Mixed Office Commercial (MOC) sites mentioned earlier are also potential office sites along Kanis Road, west of Bowman Road. The amendment site is at the boundary between areas designated for Suburban Office (SO) and Neighborhood Commercial (NC) on the Land Use Pan Map. And the boundary of land zoned C-3, General Commercial District and O-3, General Office District. Much of the land in the adjacent area whether designed for office or commercial is undeveloped. The amendment would shift of the Land Use Plan Map use line to the west. It does not introduce a new Land Use designation to the immediate area. NEIGHBORHOOD COMMENTS: Notices were sent to the following neighborhood association: Parkway Place. As of the time of writing the Staff report no comments had been received from area residents or from neighborhood associations. STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS: Staff recommends approval of the applicant’s request to amend the land use designation at the subject site from Suburban Office (SO) to Neighborhood Commercial (NC).