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HomeMy WebLinkAboutBOA Action Letter - Approved With Conditions 072622JULY 21, 2022 ITEM NO. 2 Z-8033-A 1 File No.: Z-8033-A Owners: Rogers Warehouse Dev LLC Applicant: McGetrick and McGetrick Inc.: Pat McGetrick Address: 11205 Otter Creek South Rd Legal Description: Part of the SE ¼ of the NE ¼ and Part of the NE ¼ of the SE ¼ of Section 9, Township 1 South, Range 13 West, Lying North of the Union Pacific Railroad Right-Of-Way, in Pulaski County, Arkansas Zoned: I-2 Present Use: Warehouse Proposed Use: Warehouse Variance(s) Requested: A variance is requested from the buffer provisions of Section 36-522 to allow a building addition with a reduced street buffer. Justification: The applicant’s justification is presented on the attached letter dated May 17, 2022. STAFF REPORT A. Planning and Development Civil Engineering Comments: No Comments. B. Buffering and Landscape Comments: Site plan must comply with the City's minimal landscape/ buffer ordinance requirements. Screening requirements will need to be met for the vehicular use areas adjacent to street right- of-ways. Provide screening shrubs with an average linear spacing of not less than three (3) feet within the required landscape area. Provide trees with an average linear spacing of not less than thirty (30) feet. A perimeter planting strip is required along any side of a vehicular use area that abuts adjoining property or the right-of-way of any street. This strip shall be at least nine (9) feet wide. One (1) tree and three (3) shrubs or vines shall be planted for every thirty (30) linear feet of perimeter planting strip. For parking areas with twelve or more spaces eight percent (8%) of the vehicular use area must be designated for green space; this green space needs to be evenly distributed throughout the parking area(s). The minimum size of an interior JULY 21, 2022 ITEM NO. 2 (CON’T.) Z-8033-A 2 landscape area shall be one hundred fifty (150) square feet for developments with one hundred fifty (150) or fewer parking spaces. Trees shall be included in the interior landscape areas at the rate of one (1) tree for every twelve ( 12) parking spaces. 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. An automatic irrigation system to water landscaped areas shall be required for developments for one (1) acre or larger. The development of two ( 2) acres or more requires the landscape plan to be stamped with the seal of a Registered Landscape Architect. 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. C. Building Codes Comments: No Comments. D. Staff Analysis: The I-2 zoned property located at 11205 Otter Creek South Rd is occupied by an existing 100,000 sf building materials warehouse. The property is located on the south side of Otter Creek South Rd, east of I-30 and Otter Creek Blvd. The property is surrounded by other I-2 zoned developments except for an undeveloped, heavily wooded I-2 zoned lot directly to the east. The property is subdivided into two tracts and an additional 70,000 sf warehouse is located directly to the south of the subject property. The only vehicular access to the site is located at the northeast from Otter Creek South Rd. This point of entry leads to an access easement for Tract 2 and loading area and on the east side of the building. Public parking is provided at the north between the building and the street right-of-way. The applicant is proposing to add an additional 30 parking spaces to the existing public parking lot. The parking was originally constructed within the 50-foot building setback. Street buffers are required to be 6-percent the depth of the lot and not exceed 50-feet. The property is shown to be 649 feet in depth, requiring a 39-foot street buffer between the back of the parking curb and the street right-of-way. The additional parking is shown to encroach on this street buffer 40-feet leaving a 10’ landscape buffer between the right-of-way and the back of curb. The remaining perimeter is within the landscape code allowance which is required to be 9-feet in width Section 36-522(b)(4) b. states, “All sites developed, modified, or enlarged shall provide street buffers as follows:1. All street property lines at six (6) percent of the average depth of the lot;” The City's Zoning Ordinance requires a minimum street JULY 21, 2022 ITEM NO. 2 (CON’T.) Z-8033-A 3 buffer width of 39-feet for this I-2 zoned lot. Therefore, the applicant is requesting a variance to reduce street buffer to 10-feet. Staff is supportive of the requested buffer variance. Staff views the request as reasonable. The applicant is requesting the reduced street buffer width to allow additional parking between the building and the front (north) property line. The proposed 10-foot-wide street buffer will be equal to or greater than many other street buffers along Otter Creek South Road to the north and west within this industrial district. The remaing10-foot-wide street buffer will be required to be landscaped as per city code. Staff believes the proposed reduced buffer will have no adverse impact on the adjacent properties or the general area. E. Staff Recommendation: Staff recommends approval of the requested variance for reduced street buffer, subject to compliance with the following conditions: 1. Compliance with the Landscape and Buffer requirements as noted in paragraph B. of the staff report. 2. The street buffer area must be landscaped as per City code. Board of Adjustment (JULY 21, 2022) The applicant was present. There were no persons registered in opposition. Staff presented the item and a recommendation of approval as outlined in the “Staff Recommendation” above. There was no further discussion. The item remained on the Consent Agenda for approval. A motion was made and seconded to approve the Consent Agenda. The vote was 5 ayes, 0 noes and 0 absent.