HomeMy WebLinkAboutZ-3775 Staff AnalysisDecember 15, 1981
ZONING
Item No. 13 - Z-3775
OWNER: Missouri Pacific Railroad Co.
APPLICANT: Paul Stanfield
LOCATION: Mann Road, South of Lufkin
Industries and East of Grable Oil
Co.
REQUEST: Rezone from "AF" Agriculture and
Forestry to "I-2" Light
Industrial
PURPOSE: AP&L Power Substation
SIZE: 2.44 Acres +
EXISTING USE: Vacant
SURROUNDING LAND USE AND ZONING:
North - Concrete Block Manufacturing - Zoned 11R-2"
South - Vacant - Zoned "AF"
East - Vacant - Zoned "AF"
West - Grable Oil Company - Zoned "AF"
PLANNING CONSIDERATIONS:
No adverse comments have been received from any reviewing
agency regarding this request. A letter from Don Bassett,
an attorney for Grable ail Company, was receivedâ– in which
Mr. Bassett expressed his client's concern about the
location of the proposed substation. He enclosed a copy of
a letter from Grable's insurance carrier, in which the
carrier indicated that a minimum distance of 400' between
the substation and Grable's fuel handling facilities was
thought to be necessary, with the alternative being to
reunderwrite the insurance coverage for Grable Oil Company
at an assumed higher price.
The applicant provided Staff with a letter to AP&L dated
June 25, 1981, from Jim Pawlowski, an inspector with the
Little Rock Fire Department, which stated that the Fire
Department had determined that a 100 -foot separation was
sufficient for safety reasons. A subsequent letter from the
applicant to Mr. Bassett, states that, "the nearest point of
the substation which could even remotely be troublesome is
105 feet from [Grable's] vent pipes and some 34 feet in the
air." Copies of all correspondence are enclosed for your
information.
December 15, 1981
ZONING
Item No. 13 - Continued
Staff feels that it must rely upon the judgment of the
Little Rock Fire Department in this matter and believes, as
does the applicant, that Grable oil Company's problem lies
with its insurance carrier rather than with AP&L.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends approval.
COMMISSION ACTION:
Chairman Richard Massie abstained from participation in this
item, citing conflict of interest.
The applicant was present, and there was one objector. The
applicant stated that AP&L and his office had checked with
the Little Rock Fire Department and the State Fire
Marshall's Office and could find no indication from those
Officials that any difficulties would arise from the
proposed location of the substation next to the Grable Oil
Company. The opponent, Bob Grable of Grable Oil Company,
was represented by himself and Don Bassett, his attorney.
They spoke to the Planning Commission, stating that the oil
company stores an average of 85,000 gallons of combustible
materials and stated that it was conceivable that a spark
could set that off and would create a catastrophic situation
for Southwest Little Rock.
There was a lengthy discussion of the safety issue. The
Planning Commission finally moved to defer consideration of
this item to January 12, so that Staff could check further
with local Fire officials. The motion to defer was passed:
6 ayes, 2 noes, 2 absent and I abstention (Massie
abstained).