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HomeMy WebLinkAboutZ-8960 Staff AnalysisJULY 28, 2014 ITEM NO.: 5 File No.: Owner: Applicant: Address: Description: Zoned: CW Real Estate, LLC Christina McGehee 1920 N. Grant Street Southwest corner of N. Grant Street and Kavanaugh Blvd. C-3 Variance Requested: A variance is requested from the parking provisions of Section 36-502 to allow expansion of an existing restaurant with reduced number of parking spaces. Justification: The applicant's justification is presented in an attached letter. Present Use of Property: Deli -Market Proposed Use of Property: Restaurant/Bar STAFF REPORT 0 Public Works Issues: No Comments Landscape and Buffer Comments: 1. Site plan must comply with the City's minimal landscape and buffer ordinance requirements. 2. Confirm rehabilitation cost. All vehicular use areas which were in existence prior to the effective date of the Landscape Ordinance may continue as non -conforming until such time a building permit is issued to rehabilitate a structure on the property exceeding (50) percent of current replacement cost of the structure. At such time (50) percent of the existing vehicular use area shall be brought into compliance and shall continue to full compliance on a graduated scale based on the percentage of rehabilitation cost. 3. Landscape areas shall be provided between the vehicular use area used for public parking and the general vicinity of the building, excluding truck loading or service areas not open to public parking. These areas shall be equal to an equivalent planter strip three (3) feet wide along the vehicular use area. 4. Street buffers will be required at six (6) percent of the average depth of the lot. The minimum dimension shall be one-half (Y) the full width requirement but in JULY 28, 2014 ITEM NO.: 5 (CON'T. no case less than nine (9) feet. The property is located in the City's designated mature area. A twenty-five (25%) percent reduction of the buffer requirements is acceptable. A 6.75 foot buffer is required on Kavanaugh Blvd and N Grant Street. Easements cannot count toward fulfilling this requirement. The plantings, existing and purposed, shall be provided within the city's landscape ordinance requirements. 5. 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. One (1) tree and three (3) shrubs or vines shall be planted for every thirty (30) linear feet of perimeter planting strip. 6. 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 at three (3) feet within the required landscape area. Provide trees with an average linear spacing of not less than thirty (30) feet. 7. 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 landscape area shall be one hundred fifty (150) square feet for developments with one hundred fifty (150) or fewer parking spaces. Interior islands must be a minimum of seven and one half (7 1/2) feet in width. Trees shall be included in the interior landscape areas at the rate of one (1) tree for every twelve (12) parking spaces. 8. All landscape areas shall be protected as per City of Little Rock Landscape Ordinance (Sec. 15-100). Provide notes on plan specifying type and location of mulch, edging, wheel stops, and/or concrete curb and gutter. 9. An irrigation system shall be required for developments of one (1) acre or larger. For developments of less than one (1) acre a there shall be a water source within seventy-five (75) feet of the plants to be irrigated. 10. 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. Staff Analysis: The C-3 zoned property at 1920 N. Grant Street is occupied by a one-story commercial building located within the west half of the property. The property is located at the southwest corner of N. Grant Street and Kavanaugh Blvd. The building is comprised of approximately 5,185 square feet of gross floor area. A paved parking lot is located within the east half of the property, with parking for 21 vehicles. Access drives are located along the east property line, from N. Grant JULY 28, 2014 ITEM NO.: 5 CON'T. Street. A restaurant (Boulevard Bread Co.) occupies the south portion of the building, with retail use within the north portion. Boulevard Bread Company is proposing to expand, and occupy the entire commercial building. The applicant notes that the deli and coffee store portions of the restaurant will be open for the first half of the day, with the restaurant being operated primarily during the evening dinner hours. The expanded restaurant will utilize the existing paved parking lot on the east side of the building. Section 36-502(b)(3)c. of the City's Zoning Ordinance requires a total of 24 additional parking spaces for the proposed restaurant expansion (difference between full restaurant requirement and existing non -conforming status). Therefore, the applicant is requesting a variance from this ordinance requirement to allow expansion of the existing restaurant use with reduced parking. Staff is supportive of the requested parking variance. Staff views the parking variance as a minor issue. The majority of the commercial uses along both sides of Kavanaugh Blvd. have little to no off-street parking spaces. Most of these restaurant uses have been granted parking variances by the Board of Adjustment. Therefore, this site has a parking advantage over those other commercial uses, including other restaurants. Staff believes there is ample parking, including on - street parking, in this general area and that the requested variance will have no adverse impact on the adjacent properties or the general area. D. Staff Recommendation: 'Staff recommends approval of the requested parking variance, subject to compliance with the Landscape and Buffer requirements as noted in paragraph B. of the staff report. BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT (July 28, 2014) The applicant was present. There were no objectors present. Staff presented the application with a recommendation of approval. There was no further discussion. The item was placed on the Consent Agenda for approval as recommended by staff. The vote was 5 ayes, 0 nays and 0 absent. The application was approved.