HomeMy WebLinkAboutPC Action Letter - Approved With Conditions (As Revised) 050422Department of Planning and Development
723 West Markham Street
Little Rock, Arkansas 72201-1334
Phone: (501)371-4790 Fax: (501)371-4546
April 21, 2022
Jess Griffin
11719 Hinson Road, Suite 130
Little Rock, AR 72210
Re: File No. Z-7684-B
Parkland Heights Townhomes — CUP
Dear Mr. Griffin:
Planning
Development
Building Codes
This is to advise you that in connection with your request concerning the above referenced
file number the following action was taken by the Planning Commission at its meeting on
April 14, 2022:
X Approved with conditions. (As revised)
Recommended approval with conditions.
Recommended approval as submitted.
Denied your request as submitted.
Deferred to the
Other:
Meeting.
If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact me at 371-4792_
Respectfully,
on e, Moore
Development Administrator
April 14, 2022
ITEM NO.: E FILE NO.: Z-7684-B
NAME: Parkland Heights Townhomes — Conditional Use Permit
LOCATION: 6615 Chenonceau Blvd
DEVELOPER:
OWNER/AUTHORIZED AGENT:
Jess Griffin (Agent)
Jess Griffin Engineering
11719 Hinson Road, Suite 130E
Little Rock, AR, 72212
Ranch Properties Inc (Owner)
SURVEYOR/ENGINEER:
Jess Griffin (Agent)
Jess Griffin Engineering
11719 Hinson Road, Suite 130E
Little Rock, AR, 72212
Ranch Properties Inc (Owner)
AREA: 1.64 acres
WARD: 5
CURRENT ZONING
VARIANCE/WAIVERS:
NUMBER OF LOTS: 1
PLANNING DISTRICT: 20
FT. NEW STREET: 0 LF
CENSUS TRACT: 42.05
1. Waiver to allow gate structure within floodway easement.
2. Waiver to allow retaining wall structure within floodway.
3. Variance to allow reduced front setback.
4. Variance to allow reduced side setback.
5. Variance to allow street side landscape buffer to be less than ordinance requirement.
April 14, 2022
ITEM NO.: E(Cont.)FILE NO.: Z-7684-B
A. PROPOSAL/REQUEST/APPLICANT'S STATEMENT'.
Ranch Properties Inc. is requesting a Conditional Use Permit (CUP) for the "0-1"
Quiet Office District zoned 1.64 acres at located at 6615 Chenonceau Blvd.to
allow for the construction of luxury townhomes.
B. EXISTING CONDITIONS:
The property is currently cleared with Chenonceau Blvd. bordering the northwest
edge of the site with wooded areas along the east and south perimeters of the
property. The property primarily slopes downward from north to south to a
floodway with a utility easement beyond. Residential developments lie north, east,
and west of the property and commercial zoned properties lie to the south of the
site.
C. NEIGHBORHOOD NOTIFICATIONS:
All owners of property within 200 feet of the site and all neighborhood associations
registered with the City of Little Rock were notified of the public hearing.
D. ENGINEERING COMMENTS.
1. A grading permit must be obtained prior to initiation of work. Grading permits
are issued by the Planning and Development Dept. at 723 West Markham
Street after approval of sediment and erosion control plans, grading and
drainage plans, land boundary survey, drainage study, and soil loss
calculations per City's stormwater management and drainage manual.
Contact Planning and Development Dept., Civil Engineering Private
Development at 501-371-4817 or at 501-918-5348 or Perm its(@littlerock.gov
to schedule an appointment for issuance or to answer any questions. Permit
cost is based on total project area at $100.00 for the less than '/z acre,
$200.00 for to 1 acre, and $200.00 for the first acre and $100.00 for each
additional acre for project greater than 1 acre.
2. Any work involving one (1) or more acres of disturbed area requires a
State of Arkansas NPDES permit. Contact the Arkansas Department of
Environmental Quality, NPDES branch at 501-682-0744 for applications and
information about General Stormwater Discharge Construction Permit
#ARR150000.
3, The Department requires three (3) phase sediment and erosion control (SEC)
plans to be submitted for all construction projects showing best management
practices (BMPs) for mitigating sediment runoff and erosion along with
vegetation specifications for temporary and permanent soil stabilization.
Phase 1 SEC plans shall show SEC BMPs during the stripping, clearing,
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April 14, 2022
ITEM NO.: E Cont. FILE NO.: Z-7684-B
grubbing, and rough grading of the site. Phase 2 SEC plans shall show SEC
BMPs during construction of utilities, buildings, roadway infrastructure and
drainage infrastructure. Phase 3 SEC Plans shall show SEC BMPs for final
grading, seeding, and landscaping of the site.
4. Sediment and Erosion Control plans shall also show the pertinent information
as outlined in ADEQ ARR150000 Permit Part II section A-4-H (1-14) and Part
II section A-4-1-2 (A-B).
5. Parking depicted on the south of the north entrance shall be removed and
relocated.
6. How are the lots handling drainage? Provide a drainage study showing the
effects of the 24hr 25yr and 24hr 100yr storm events.
7. Remove fence from 25-foot Floodway easement. Per City Code Sec
36-341.h.2 "h.(2)Proposed structures. Any structure proposed within a
floodplain district shall comply with the following criteria:
a. No structure shall be closer than twenty-five (25) feet to any established
floodway line.
d. Floodways shall be kept free of structural involvement including fences,
open storage of materials and equipment, vehicle parking and other
impediments to the free flow of floodwater. Exceptions may be granted
when existing topography is at or above the existing one -hundred -year
flood level and when the velocity of flow is less than three (3) feet per
second.
8. The property or portion of the property lies within the 100 year floodplain. The
lowest finished floor (including basement) of the proposed structure must be
elevated to at least 1 foot above the base flood elevation. Attendant utility
and sanitary facilities must be elevated to above the base flood elevation.
The finished floor elevation of at least 1 foot above the base flood elevation
must be shown on the grading plan and all final plats.
9. In accordance with Section 31-176, floodway areas must be shown as
floodway easements or be dedicated to the public. In addition, a 25-foot-wide
drainage and access easement is required adjacent to the floodway
boundary. All proposed construction must conform to the Pulaski County
Floodplain codes and requirements.
10. A Special Flood Hazard Development Permit is required to be obtained to
prior to beginning construction. The Special Flood Hazard Development
Permit application can be found at https://www.littlerock.aov/city-
administration/city-departments/public-works!. Special Flood Hazard
Development Permits are issued by the Public Works Department at
701 West Markham Street and no fee collected for issuance. Contact Vince
April 14, 2022
ITEM NO.: E Cont. FILE NO.: Z-7684-B
Floriani in Public Works at 501-371-4823 or VFloriani(a�littlerock.go_v to
schedule an appointment for issuance or to answer any questions.
11. Due to the proposed structure being located within the 100 year floodplain,
an elevation certificate of the finished floor elevation must be provided to the
Public Works Department at 701 West Markham Street prior to the issuance
of a certificate of occupancy. Contact Vince Floriani in Public Works at
501-371-4823 or VFlorian i littlerock. ov to schedule an appointment for
issuance or to answer any questions.
12. Hauling of fill material on or off project sites over municipal streets require
approval prior to a grading permit being issued. Contact Public Works Traffic
Engineering at 621 S. Broadway 501-379-1800 with any questions or for
more information.
13. Obtain Traffic Control permits prior to doing any street cuts or curb cuts.
Obtain Traffic Control permits prior to doing any work on city streets or in the
right-of-way. Contact Traffic Engineering at 501-379-1800 for more
information.
14. Chenonceau Boulevard is classified as a commercial street which has a
collector street standard for this segment per master street plan with a total
right of way width of 60 feet. Dedicate 30 feet of additional right of way from
centerline of right of way to meet this requirement.
15. Per master street plan for a commercial street that is publicly maintained,
sidewalks are required on both sides of the commercial street. Therefore,
construct new 5-foot-wide sidewalk along property line adjacent to the street
within public right of way to meet this requirement. New sidewalk shall have
a one -foot buffer to right of way line per standard detail PW-23.
16. Per City Rev. Code 29-99, stormwater detention for developments
is required. Provide stormwater detention infrastructure to satisfy this
requirement.
17. Per previous comment 15, back of new sidewalk shall have a 1-foot buffer to
the right of way line per standard detail PW-23. Revise plans accordingly.
18. Provide grading and drainage plans and drainage report/study showing all
hydrological and hydraulic calculations for the site and detention facilities.
19. Gate at north entrance does not have enough depth for someone to pull off
street and turn around.
20. Gate at south entrance is within floodway easement. This is considered a
structure and is not allowed within the floodway easement per city code.
21. Any proposed retaining walls, earth fill grading down into floodway or any
outlet structure erosion and scour protection are not allowed in the floodway.
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April 14, 2022
ITEM NO.: E Cont. FILE NO.: Z-7684-B
E.
F
UTILITIES/FIRE DEPARTMENTIPARKS/COUNTY PLANNING:
Little Rock Water Reclamation Authority: No comments received.
Enteray: No comments received.
CenterPoint Energy: No comments received.
AT & T: No comments received.
Central Arkansas Water: No comments received.
Fire Department: No comments received.
Parks and Recreation: No comment received.
County Planning: No comments received.
BUILDING CODES/LANDSCAPE:
Building Code: No comments received.
Landscape:
1. Any new site development must comply with the City's minimal landscape
and buffer ordinance requirements.
2. 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. A portion of the property to the east is zoned PD-R. 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.
3. Street buffers will be required at six (6) percent of the average depth of the
lot. The minimum dimension shall be one-half ('/2) the full width requirement
but in no case less than nine (9) feet.
A portion of the northwest perimeter is deficient.
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April 14, 2022
ITEM NO.: E Cont. FILE NO.: Z-7684-B
4. 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.
5. A perimeter planting strip is required along any side of a vehicular use area
that abuts adjoining property. This strip shall be at least nine (9) feet wide.
Provide trees with an average linear spacing of not less than thirty (30) feet
within the perimeter planting strip. Provide three (3) shrubs or vines for every
thirty (30) linear feet of perimeter planting strip.
6. Building landscape areas shall be provided between the vehicular use area
used for public parking and the general vicinity of the building. These shall
be provided at the rate equivalent to planter strip three (3) feet wide along the
vehicular use area. One (1) tree and four (4) shrubs shall be planted in the
building landscape areas for each forty (40) linear feet of vehicular use area
abutting the building.
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. 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.
G. TRANSPORTATION/PLANNING:
Rock Region Metro: No comments received.
Planninq Division: No comments received.
H. ANALYSIS:
Ranch Properties Inc. is requesting a Conditional Use Permit (CUP) for the "0-1"
Quiet Office District zoned 1.64 acres at located at 6615 Chenonceau Blvd.to allow
for the construction of luxury townhomes.
The property is currently cleared with wooded areas along the east and south
perimeters of the property. The property primarily slopes downward from north to
south to a floodway with a utility easement farther south. Residential
developments lie east of the property and commercial zoned properties lie to the
south of the site.
0
April 14, 2022
ITEM NO.: E Cont. FILE NO.: Z-7684-B
The proposed project will include three (3) structures, with a total of eight (8)
townhomes. There will be two (2) buildings on the east side of the development
and one (1) building on the west side of the site.
Section 36-279(d)(1) of the City's Zoning Ordinance requires a minimum 25-foot
front building setback for 0-1 zoned lots. The proposed building located adjacent
to Chenonceau Blvd. on the west perimeter of the property is shown to have a
fifteen (15) foot front setback. The applicant is requesting a variance to allow the
reduced front setback. Staff does not support this reduced setback as it
encroaches on the street buffer ordinance requirements.
Section 36-279(d)(2) requires a minimum 8-foot side building setback for 0-1
zoned lots. The proposed buildings located along the east perimeter of the
development are proposed to have side yard setbacks which vary from six (6) to
nine (9) feet in depth from the property line. The applicant is requesting a variance
to allow reduced side setbacks. Staff does not support this reduced setback as it
does not provide adequate buffers adjacent to properties with a more restrictive
zoning.
The applicant notes that the townhomes will be between 1,250 and 2,150 square
feet in area, with the units being up to three (3) stories, and the building heights
not to exceed 35 feet. The exterior facades of the structures will be brick, stone
and metal sided.
The proposed buildings will face an internal access drive which connects to
Chenonceau Blvd. at the south end and north central portion of the development.
The proposed internal drive will connect individual driveways which will support
two (2) vehicles per each unit. The site plan shows two (2) additional shared
parking spaces at the north end of the site for the development.
The applicant proposes that the internal drive be gated at the north and south
intersections with Chenonceau Blvd. and that a 20-foot-wide portion of the drive
along the south perimeter of the site is to be built within the 25-foot floodway
easement. According to Engineering staff comment # 20 "Gate at south entrance
is within floodway easement. This is considered a structure and is not allowed
within the floodway easement per city code". The applicant is requesting a waiver
to allow the gates in the floodway easement. Staff does not support the gate's
proposed locations due to their proximity to the boulevard and gate locations within
the floodway easement.
It appears that applicant is proposing a retaining wall bordering the south perimeter
of the development along the internal access drive within the floodway. According
to Engineering comment # 21 "Any proposed retaining walls, earth fill grading down
into floodway or any outlet structure erosion and scour protection are not allowed
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April 14, 2022
ITEM NO.: E (Cont.) FILE NO.: Z-7684-B
in the floodway". Therefore, the applicant is requesting a waiver to allow for the
placement of the retaining wall structure within a floodway. Staff is not supportive
of the request to allow the proposed retaining walls location.
The site plan shows the proposed access drive and parking spaces along the
northwest perimeter of the development encroaching into the required street buffer
reducing it to five (5) feet. The applicant is requesting a variance from the
requirement that the buffer be not less than nine (9) feet. Staff is not supportive of
this request due to the proposed intensity of the development upon the site.
The site plan shows a runoff detention area located at the northeast corner of the
development bordering Chenonceau Blvd. Staff does not support this location due
to topography of the site and location of floodway to the south.
No dumpster is proposed for the site and trash will be collected using standard City
of Little Rock garbage collection.
Any site lighting shall be low-level and directed away from adjacent properties.
Any signage on the site must comply with Section 36-552 of the City's
Zoning Ordinance (signs in multifamily zones).
Staff does not support the requested Conditional Use Permit. Staff does not
believe the request is reasonable. Staff believes the proposed development is
too intense for this site. The property is located adjacent to an existing
floodway to the south and over fifty (50) percent of the site is within a
designated floodplain which encompasses one of the access drives. Staff
agrees with the concept but believes that a less intense residential or office
development will be more appropriate for this property.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends denial of the requested Conditional Use Permit.
PLANNING COMMISSION ACTION: (MARCH 10, 2022)
The item was placed on consent agenda for deferral to the April 14, 2022 agenda. By a
vote of 7 for, 0 against, 3 absent, and 1 vacant position the consent deferral was
approved.
0
April 14, 2022
1TEM NO.: E (Cont.) FILE NO.: Z-7684-B
STAFF UPDATE:
The applicant submitted a revised site plan to staff on March 28, 2022. The revised site
plan addresses issues as revised by staff and eliminates four (4) of the five (5)
waiver/variance requests. The applicant is no longer requesting waivers to allow a gate
in the floodway easement and a retaining wall in the floodway, as all proposed
improvements have been taken out of the floodway easement. The applicant is providing
the required side building setback and the required street buffer/landscape area, also
eliminating those requested variances.
The revised site plan, eliminating the requested waivers/variances, helps to lessen the
degree of intensity of the proposed development. A large portion of the property cannot
be developed because of the floodway. Staff believes the applicant has done a good job
in addressing issues raised by staff with the initial review of this project. Staff is now in
support of the proposed development, including the variance to allow a reduced front
building setback.
REVISED STAFF RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends approval of the conditional use permit application, as revised by the
applicant on March 28, 2022, subject to compliance with the comments and conditions
outlined in paragraphs D and F, and the staff analysis of the agenda staff report.
PLANNING COMMISSION ACTION: (APRIL 14, 2022)
The applicant was present. There were no persons present registered in support or
opposition. Staff presented the item and a recommendation of approval as outlined in the
"staff recommendation" above. There was no further discussion. The item was placed
on the Consent Agenda and approved as recommended by staff, including all staff
comments and conditions. The vote was 10 ayes, 0 nays, 0 absent and 1 open position.
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