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HomeMy WebLinkAboutStaff Report for LU2022-19-02June 9, 2022 ITEM NO.: 3 FILE NO.: LU2022-19-02 Name: Land Use Plan Amendment – Chenal Planning District Location: Southwest side of Chenal Parkway, south of Northfield Drive Request: Residential Low Density (RL) to Suburban Office (SO) Source: Roy Andres, Holloway Engineering, Surveying & Civil Design PROPOSAL / REQUEST: Applicant requests a Land Use Plan amendment from Residential Low Density (RL) to Suburban Office (SO). The site is approximately ten (10) acres. The application is located along the southwest side of Chenal Parkway, approximately 680 feet south of the intersection with Northfield Drive, in the Chenal 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 remains less than 6 units per acre. The proposed 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. EXISTING LAND USE AND ZONING: The subject site is vacant and wooded. The current zoning is Planned Development Residential District (PDR). All the surrounding land on the southside of Chenal Parkway is zoned Single- Family District (R-2). There is a developed single-family subdivision to the south and west. The land to the east along Chenal Parkway is vacant and wooded with R-2 zoning. To the north at the Northfield Drive intersection there is General Commercial District (C-3) zoned land, which is vacant and wooded. This is on either side of Northfield Drive at Chenal Parkway. The land north of the site, across Chenal Parkway, is zoned Figure 1. Zoning June 9, 2022 ITEM NO.: 3 (Cont.) FILE NO.: LU2022-19-02 2 General Commercial District (C-3). This land is vacant and wooded. There is a large area east of the C-3 land that is zoned Open Space (OS). A high-power electric transmission line runs through the east portion of the OS zoned land. FUTURE LAND USE PLAN AND RECENT AMENDMENTS: The City’s Land Use Plan Map shows Residential Low Density (RL) land use along the southwest side of Chenal Parkway in both directions from the application site. This classification is also shown on the Plan Map south of the application site. Commercial (C) use is proposed to the north, across Chenal Parkway from the application. Commercial uses continue north to Cantrell Road. An area of Park/Open Space (PK/OS) is shown on the Plan Map north of Chenal Parkway, northeast of the application site. Amendments: LU2021-19-03 was approved in October 2021. The request was to change some eleven (11) acres from Suburban Office (SO) to Commercial (C). The location was the southeast corner of the Northfield Drive-Chenal Parkway intersection. LU2005-20-02 was approved in April 2005. The request changed multiple areas. In the vicinity of this application, the changes were an area to the north from Public Institutional (PI), and areas of Park/Open Space (PK/OS) along either side of Chenal Parkway to Single-Family (SF) and Commercial (C). The PK/OS location was along either side of Chenal Parkway south of Cantrell Road to Northfield Drive. The PI area is on the west side of Chenal Parkway, south of Northfield Drive. LU2001-19-06 was approved in January 2002. The request was to change some twenty (20) acres from Single-Family (SF) to Commercial (C), Suburban Office (SO) and Park/Open Space (PK/OS). The location was east of Chenal Parkway, south of the intersection with Northfield Drive. Figure 2. Land Use Plan Map June 9, 2022 ITEM NO.: 3 (Cont.) FILE NO.: LU2022-19-02 3 MASTER STREET PLAN: The application area is bound to the north by Chenal Parkway, which is designated a Principal Arterial on the Master Street Plan. The primary function of a Principal Arterial Street is to serve through traffic and to connect major traffic generator or activity centers within an urbanized area. Entrances and exits should be limited to minimize negative effects of traffic and pedestrians on Chenal Parkway since it is a Principal Arterial. Currently this portion of Chenal Parkway is a two-lane road with shoulders. There is open drainage along the roadway. This is not the Master Street Plan standard for this road. The roadway is to be four-lanes with a raised median, underground storm drainage and sidewalks on each side of the road. At the time of development additional roadway improvements may be required. BICYCLE PLAN: A Class I Bike Path is shown along Chenal Parkway. A Bike Path is to be a paved path physically separate for the use of bicycles. Additional right-of-way or an easement is recommended. Nine-foot paths are recommended to allow for pedestrian use as well (replacing the sidewalk). No bike or pedestrian facilities have been constructed on this portion of Cantrell Road. At the time of development additional facilities may be required. PARKS: There is no city recognized park in the immediate vicinity. Figure 3. Master Street Plan June 9, 2022 ITEM NO.: 3 (Cont.) FILE NO.: LU2022-19-02 4 HISTORIC DISTRICTS: There is no city recognized historic district that would be affected by this amendment. ANALYSIS: The application area is situated along the southwest side of Chenal Parkway a little more than a tenth of a mile from Chenal Parkway’s intersection with Northfield Drive. The site is wooded and vacant with a zoning of Planned Development Residential (PDR) District. This was for a proposed development that did not occur. The site is part of a larger area that was annexed into Little Rock in 1991. This portion of Chenal Parkway was built by an improvement district. The City agreed to an initial construction of two-lanes with shoulders. Currently Chenal Parkway is not constructed to full standard and improvements may be required with the future development on the land. The site backs up to a developed single-family subdivision (Duquesne Court). This land is zoned Single-Family District (R-2) and shown on the Plan Map as Residential Low Density (RL). Across Chenal Parkway to the north is wooded vacant land. This area was recently re-zoned from O-2, Office and Institutional District to C-3, General Commercial District. The land to the east of the application area is vacant and wooded with a zoning of R-2. There are two large utility easements with powerlines running through this land. A related reclassification of the site to O-1, Quiet Office District is on this agenda. Representatives of Potlatch-Deltic provided documentation that this property is subject to the covenants and restrictions placed on land within the overall ‘Chenal’ development. The City is not a party to deed restrictions, but the property owner should be aware of them. There may be some issues related to this private agreement at the time of development. The property owner may have to follow agreements beyond the City ordinances for land use. The most recent traffic count from 2021 is 9500 ADT (Average Dailey Trips), on this segment of Chenal Parkway. For the last several years, the traffic count has been just under 9000 ADT for this segment of roadway. Chenal Parkway is a two-lane road with shoulders. There are open ditches for drainage on both sides of the road. No sidewalks or separate bicycle facilities have been constructed in this area. The Master Street Plan recommends at least a four-lane divided roadway with a bicycle facility and sidewalks. There is a large amount of non-residential (commercial and office) zoning at the Chenal Parkway-Cantrell Road intersection. This area is partially developed. Close to half of the commercially zoned land has been developed. Almost none of the office zoned land has been developed. Three new commercial developments have occurred since 2020 in the area (carwash, auto service facility, fast-food restaurant with a retail center). There have not been any office developments permitted in the vicinity during this same time period. June 9, 2022 ITEM NO.: 3 (Cont.) FILE NO.: LU2022-19-02 5 There are no residential uses that take access to Chenal Parkway from Cantrell Road to Chenonceau Boulevard (this portion of Chenal Parkway). There is additional available undeveloped Residential Low Density (RL) designated land to the east of the application site. Some available undeveloped Residential Medium Density (RM) designated land is located at the Chenal Parkway-Cantrell Road intersection. To the south of the application is an area of Residential High Density (RH) designated land along the west side of Chenal Parkway. This land is wooded and zoned Multifamily District 6-units per acre. There is both available office and residential land in the general area. The application site is wooded and undeveloped. There will be available office and residential land in the vicinity whether the application is approved or not. The site is configured in such a way that single-family development of this site is unlikely. The land cannot take access to the west or north due to existing development. There are two high power transmission lines to the west of the property. Though the land is shown for Residential Low Density and zoned R-2 the transmission lines limit residential options for the land. Chenal Parkway bounds it to the east. No low-density residential developments take access to Chenal Parkway in this vicinity. With the existing configuration of the site and surrounding land, the most likely future uses would be office or residential at a density higher than single-family. NEIGHBORHOOD NOTIFICATIONS: Notices were sent to the following neighborhood associations: Aberdeen Court POA, Maywood Manor NA and Valley Ranch POA. 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 Residential Low Density (RL) to Suburban Office (SO).