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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPC Minutes for LU2022-18-02March 10, 2022 ITEM NO.: 7 FILE NO.: LU2022-18-02 Name: Land Use Plan Amendment – Ellis Mountain Planning District Location: North of 15520 Lawson Road Request: Residential Low Density (RL) to Mining (M) Source: Henry Robertson, Red Stone PROPOSAL / REQUEST: Applicant requests a Land Use Plan amendment from Residential Low Density (RL) to Mining (M). The site is approximately 12-acres. The application is located north of 15520 Lawson Road, in the Ellis Mountain Planning District. The existing Residential Low Density (RL) category provides for single family homes at densities not to exceed 6 units per acre. Such residential development is typically characterized by conventional single family homes, but may include patio or garden homes and cluster homes, provided that the density remain less than 6 units per acre. The proposed Mining (M) category provides for the extraction of various natural resources such as bauxite, sand, gravel, limestone, granite or other. Mining uses will include assurances that these resources be properly managed so as not to create a hazard, nuisance or the disfigurement or pollution of the land. This land use amendment application accompanies a zoning map amendment request. It is the applicant’s intent to rezone the site to Mining District (M) zoning designation (File No. Z-8846-B). EXISTING LAND USE AND ZONING: The subject site is undeveloped. The current zoning is Single Family District (R-2). The land to the west and south is zoned Mining District (M). There is an existing open pit mining operation on the M zoned land. The land to the east and north is currently zoned Single Family District (R-2). The R-2 zoned land is currently vacant and wooded. There is land to the northeast along Colonel Glenn Road which is zoned Single Family District, R-2. The land has been Figure 4. Zoning March 10, 2022 ITEM NO.: 7 (Cont.) FILE NO.: LU2022-18-02 2 subdivided into three tracts. Each tract has a single-family house on it. The northeast corner of the application site is the northwest corner for two of these tracts. The land to the north, though zoned R-2, is owned by the same owner as the land currently zoned M and used as an open pit mine. They also own the application area. The land to the east has three different owners. It is divided into three tracts with only one having access to a public road (Colonel Glenn Road) to the north. Currently this land is undeveloped and wooded. FUTURE LAND USE PLAN AND RECENT AMENDMENTS: The City’s Land Use Plan Map shows Mining (M) to the south and west of the application area. Residential Low Density (RL) is shown to the east and north of the application area. In 1992, the Light Industrial (LI), Industrial (I), and Mining (M) designations along the north side of Lawson Road, east of Crystal Valley Road, were put into place. An amendment in 2013 expanded the Mining (M) area to the north and east from the areas originally proposed in 1992. The 2013 amendment brought the Mining (M) designation to the southern and western boundaries of this application area. MASTER STREET PLAN: There is no existing or proposed public roadway in or adjacent to this application area. BICYCLE PLAN: There is no existing or proposed bicycle facility in or adjacent to this application area. PARKS: There are no city recognized parks in the immediate vicinity. Figure 5. Land Use Plan Map March 10, 2022 ITEM NO.: 7 (Cont.) FILE NO.: LU2022-18-02 3 HISTORIC DISTRICTS: There are no city recognized historic districts that would be affected by this amendment. ANALYSIS: The subject site is situated between Lawson and Colonel Glenn Roads in western Pulaski County. The location is just short of one and three-quarters of a mile (as the bird flies) from the current western City Limits line. In this vicinity there are two ridgelines between Lawson and Colonel Glenn Roads. To the southeast of the application area, Lawson Road goes through a break in a third ridgeline south of McHenry Creek. There is another mining operation in this third ridgeline. The applicant’s current mining operation is primarily in the ridgeline north of Lawson Road. This application would extend the mining operation beyond the current ridgeline through the valley between the two northern ridgelines into the northern ridgeline. The development along Lawson Road (in front of the mining operation) is industrial and heavy commercial in nature. There is a concrete batch plant, mini-warehouse and a welding business on this land. After Lawson Road makes the ‘S’ curve through the southernmost ridgeline, one can find a large church campus and an office use. This is the intersection of Crystal Valley and Lawson Roads. The remaining areas in the vicinity are zoned and shown on the Land Use Plan Map for single-family (Residential Low Density). There is a large-tract single-family subdivision which is partially developed to the west of the existing mining operation. This is west of McHenry Creek, on the southernmost ridge line. There is a single single-family house on a large tract along the northside of Lawson Road to the southeast of the application area. Immediately to the east of the application area are three larger tracts which are all zoned R-2, Single Family District. This land is currently wooded and vacant. These tracts take access to Colonel Glenn Road. There are three tracts with single-family houses on them to the northeast of the application site. These houses are along the southside of Colonel Glenn Road. The Pulaski County Humane Society facility is across Colonel Glenn Road from the vacant tracts, east of the amendment site. Single-family houses can be found along either side of Colonel Glenn Road both east and west of the Humane Society facility. The Land Use Plan Map currently shows Mining (M) for over 100 acres in the vicinity. There are over 130 acres currently zoned as Mining District (M) in the vicinity. The land designated and zoned for Mining is an existing open pit mining operation primarily in the ridgeline north of Lawson Road, east of McHenry Creek. The application area is some 12-acres, to the northeast of the existing mining operation. The Company owns another 50 to 60 acres along the north boundaries of this application and the existing mining operation. Some of this area is zoned Mining District (M) and some is zoned Single March 10, 2022 ITEM NO.: 7 (Cont.) FILE NO.: LU2022-18-02 4 Family District (R-2). This application as mentioned earlier will move the Mining designation to the north into and through the valley between the two ridgelines (between Lawson and Colonel Glenn Roads). This application does move the mining use area approximately 800 feet north and east to the northeast corner of the SW quarter of the NW Quarter of Section 19, T-1-N, R-13-W. As shown in the accompanying figure, there is a stream in this valley that flows to the southeast. The stream flows to a pond on the wooded R-2 zoned land to the east. This land has already been subdivided into three tracts. Two of these tracts have frontage along the existing pond. In this part of the county, large tracts with single-family houses and subdivisions are common along ridgelines. Any development, mining operation, or excavation of the land in this area should include environmental protects to prevent pollution of the pond on the adjacent property. Both the mining and single-family uses are existing in the vicinity. There is a history of these uses co-existing in this area. The owner of the mining operation and site requesting change also owns the adjacent property to the north. The land under common ownership can be used to buffer other properties from the expanding mining use. The expansion of the existing mining use if done sensitively does not have to be a negative to the surrounding uses. Buffering and environmental measures should be undertaken to assure minimal negative impacts to the adjacent properties. If this approximate 12-acres is changed to Mining (M) from Residential Low Density (RL) there will still be abundant available lands for future residential development in the vicinity. NEIGHBORHOOD COMMENTS: Notices were sent to the following neighborhood association: Citizens of West Pulaski County. As of the time of writing the Staff report no comments had been received from area residents or from neighborhood associations. Figure 3. streams and topo   March 10, 2022 ITEM NO.: 7 (Cont.) FILE NO.: LU2022-18-02 5 STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS: Staff recommends approval of the applicant’s request to amend the land use designation at the subject site from Residential Low Density (RL) to Mining (M). PLANNING COMMISSION ACTION: (MARCH 10, 2022) The item was placed on consent agenda for approval. By a vote of 7 for, 0 against, 3 absent, and 1 vacancy, the application was approved.