HomeMy WebLinkAboutBoard Comm for LU2022-14-01OFFICE OF THE CITY MANAGER
LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS
BOARD OF DIRECTORS COMMUNICATION
JUNE 21, 2022 AGENDA
Subject
Land Use Plan Amendment
– Geyer Springs East
Planning District (LU2022-
14-01)
Submitted By:
Action Required
√ Ordinance
Resolution
Approval
Information Report
Approved By
Planning and Development Bruce Moore
City Manager
SYNOPSIS To approve a Land Use Plan Map amendment in Geyer
Springs East Planning District south of Interstate 30
between Doyle Springs Road and Scott Hamilton Drive
from Light Industrial (LI), Commercial (C), Suburban
Office (SO) and Residential Medium Density (RM) to
Mixed Use (MX) and Residential Medium Density (RM).
FISCAL IMPACT None
RECOMMENDATION Staff recommended approval. At their April 14, 2022
Hearing the Little Rock Planning Commission by a vote of
11 for, 0 against, and 1 vacancy made a recommendation of
approval.
BACKGROUND At the July 8, 2021 Planning Commission meeting, staff was
directed by the Planning Commission to perform a study of
the area along Scott Hamilton Drive from Baseline Road to
Interstate 30 to see if amendments to the Future Land Use
Map Land Use Plan were in order. Areas within the study
area have been identified for further discussion to determine
if a land use amendment is warranted. As a result of the
discussions with the Plans Committee and neighborhood
leadership the following set of amendments have been
developed for consideration.
Change Area 1: Light Industrial (LI) to Residential Medium
(RM). The subject site, located on the east side of Doyle
Springs Road, just south of I-30. The site is composed of
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BACKGROUND
CONTINUED
three separate parcels, two of which are developed with
single family homes, the third larger parcel (at 4.5-acres) is
undeveloped. A change to a residential land use category
may be appropriate at this location given the design of Doyle
Springs Road, land use pattern, existing development,
environmental constraints, and ownership. Residential
Medium could be used to both foster some residential
density, creating a buffer between the existing light
industrial and established single-family residential
development.
Change Area 2: Commercial (C) to Mixed Use (MX) This
Commercial designated area is approximately 9 acres of
land located on the south side of Baseline Road, just east of
the Doyle Springs Road. Most of the parcels in this cluster
are zoned R2. Many of the parcels that compose this area
were previously platted and developed as residential
properties, with some still hosting residential structures/land
uses, while others have converted the homes to
office/commercial uses. In addition to the single-family
homes, there is a mix of abandoned commercial structures,
vacant lots, metal buildings, and a trailer park. The Mixed
Use designation will support the existing residential land
uses while creating a framework to allow for conversion of
homes to office or smaller scale commercial - and
development on vacant parcels is granted a broader use
category that can respond to the likely scale of potential
development, given constraints.
Change Area 3: Suburban Office (SO) to Mixed Use (MX).
The ten parcels making up this approximately six-acre
swath of Suburban Office (SO) designated lands is situated
immediate south of Baseline Road. This area was
previously developed with single family homes and is
largely zoned R2. Some of the detached single-family
homes have been re-purposed with Commercial and Office
uses. Staff is proposing this area be designated for Mixed
Use (MX) to allow this area to best respond to market
conditions.
Change Area 4: Commercial (C) & Residential Medium to
Mixed Use (MX). There is a small irregular piece of the
Commercial Land Use polygon that extends north of
Christian Drive. The lands north of Christian Drive are
zoned R-2. This swath of lands has been occupied by an
informal auto sales lot, assumed to be in operation in various
iterations since prior to the area being annexed. Staff is
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recommending this area, in addition to the undeveloped
lands north to the mobile home park and west to the existing
single-family residential be considered for a Mixed Use
Designation. The change would create a mass of Mixed Use
that could present a new development opportunity.
Notices were sent to the following neighborhood
association: Upper Baseline/Windemere and Southwest
United for Progress. Staff received no contacts from area
residents or from Neighborhood Associations prior to the
drafting of the Staff Analysis.