HomeMy WebLinkAboutZ-9619-A - 1701 N Taylor - BOA Staff Rpt
File No.: Z-9619-A
Owners: Hudson Shermer Enterprises LLC
Attn: Susana Shermer
Applicant: Jamey Rough
Address: 1701 N Taylor
Legal Description: Lot 6, Block 20, of Mountain Park, an Addition to the City of Little Rock, Pulaski County Arkansas
Zoned: R-2
Present Use: Single-family Residence
Proposed Use: Single-family Residence
Variance(s) Requested: A variance is requested from the area provisions of Section 36-156 to permit more than 30% coverage of the rear yard for an accessory structure.
Justification: The applicant’s justification is presented as per the attached letter.
STAFF REPORT
Planning and Development Civil Engineering Comments:
No Comments.
B. Buffering and Landscape Comments:
In October 2020 the City adopted the “Heights Landscape Design Overlay District,” requiring installation of one tree per 40 linear feet of street frontage within the Heights District
Boundary, applicable to [among other types] residential construction in excess of 600 square feet.
C. Building Codes Comments:
No Comments.
D. Staff Analysis:
The property at 1701 N Taylor St is in a predominantly R-2 zoned neighborhood, within the Heights Landscape Design Overlay District. This overlay district generally has no bearing on
the subject variance requests.
The subject property is located on the northeast corner of N Taylor and P Streets.
Built in 1935 the existing 1-story frame home occupying the property has undergone several improvements in the recent years that are often typical of this neighborhood. The immediate
and surrounding properties are also populated with new or older single family homes that are in their original state or have been renovated.
In October of 2021 the property owner petitioned the Board of Adjustment proposing renovations to the home including an expansion to the back of the house to the east, a second story
addition to the existing detached garage, and a renovated south façade adding a front porch. The variances for this new construction included a front yard setback, a side yard setback
for an accessory structure, and a rear yard coverage variance that would exceed 30%. Staff recommended approval of the requests, the items were placed on the Consent Agenda, approved
unanimously, and the construction was completed within the requirements of the variances.
The original garage was built to the south property line, with current code requiring accessory structures be located no closer to the street sideline than the 15-feet. With the renovation
of the garage the remodeled structure was applied to the rear yard requirements which exceeded the rear yard coverage. The area provisions for accessory structures do not allow for
the coverage of more than 30%. The rear yard is shown to be approximately 1260 square feet. The garage occupies approximately 490 square feet of the rear yard space increasing the
coverage to 39%.
The applicant is now requesting to add a small inground swimming pool to this already compromised but approved backyard. The site plan indicates that this new accessory structure will
be 15’ x 25.5’ in which 322 square feet will be located in the northeast portion of the lot increasing the overall rear yard an additional 25% for a total rear yard coverage of 64%
Sec. 36-156(a)(2)(c) states, “Accessory buildings or structures in the R-1 through R-4A districts shall not be located closer than sixty (60) feet to the front property line, fifteen
(15) feet from a street sideline and may not occupy more than thirty (30) percent of the required rear yard area...” Therefore, the applicant is requesting a variance to allow an additional
accessory structure (swimming pool) which will increase the rear yard coverage to a maximum of 64%.
Staff is supportive of the requested variance associated with the proposed swimming pool. The development of this small lot will have little or no additional visual impact from that
of the original home and recent improvements that occupy the property. Staff views the rear yard coverage variance of this existing small space as minor compared with the buildable
capacity available to the property owner. Many of the
surrounding single-family homes were built on lots that would be non-conforming by today’s standards and have also exceeded the coverage requirements as calculated by the current code.
In Staff' s opinion, the proposed swimming pool will have no negative effect upon the health, safety, or welfare of the public, and will not detract from the value or aesthetic of the
neighborhood or surrounding properties.
Staff finds the requests to generally be in conformance with the development pattern in this area, and based on the above assessment and analysis, finds the requested variance to be
reasonable.
E. Staff Recommendation:
Staff recommends approval of the requested rear yard coverage to a maximum of 64% as per the above staff analysis and the submitted survey / site plan sketch subject to the following
conditions:
1. A building permit being obtained for all construction.
2. Install trees, if deemed applicable at the time of building permitting, in
accordance with Heights Landscape Design Overlay District requirements.