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HomeMy WebLinkAboutZ-3961-B Staff AnalysisOCTOBER 31, 2011 ITEM NO.: 2 File No.: Owner: Applicant: Address: Description: Zoned: Z-3961 -13 Riley's Health and Fitness Centers, Inc. Pat M. Riley, Jr. 4610 Sam Peck Road Northwest corner of Sam Peck Road and Peckerwood Road AF Variance Requested: Variances are requested from the area provisions of Section 36- 338 and the easement provisions of Section 36-11 to allow a building addition with reduced side setback and which encroaches into an access easement. Justification: The applicant's justification is presented in an attached letter. Present Use of Property: Little Rock Athletic Club Proposed Use of Property: Little Rock Athletic Club STAFF REPORT A. Public Works Issues: No Comment B. Landscape and Buffer Issues: If the cost of remodeling the existing structure exceeds fifty (50) percent of the current replacement cost of the structure, a corresponding percent of the existing vehicular use area is to be brought into compliance with the City's Landscaping Ordinance. C. Building Codes Comments: The required fire separation distance (building to property line) prescribed by the building code terminates at five (5) feet. Buildings are allowed to be closer than five (5) feet if they have properly constructed fire walls which provide the requisite one (1) hour fire resistance rating. When buildings are five (5) feet or more from the property line, the requirement no longer applies to the wall itself, only the projections such as eaves or overhangs. Openings such as doors and windows are limited when the exterior wall is three (3) feet from the property line, and are prohibited when the exterior wall is less than OCTOBER 31, 2011 ITEM NO.: 2 (CON'T. three (3) feet from the line. There is no restriction on openings when the exterior wall is more than three (3) feet from the property line. Contact the City of Little Rock Building Codes at 371-4832 for additional details. D. Staff Analysis: The AF zoned property at 4610 Sam Peck Road is occupied by the Little Rock Athletic Club facilities. The property is located at the northwest corner of Sam Peck Road and Peckerwood Road. The development includes one (1) building with covered swimming pool area located along the south property line. Paved parking is located on the north and west sides of the building. Access drives from Sam Peck Road and Peckerwood Road serve the property. The property owner is proposing to construct a 14 foot by 120 foot building addition at the southwest corner of the existing building, as noted on the attached site plan. The proposed addition will be located on the south property line (zero setback) and extend approximately five (5) feet into an old ingress/egress easement which was part of the original multi -lot plat for this property. The area where the addition will be located is several feet below the grade of Peckerwood Road. The height of the building addition will be only approximately eight (8) feet above the existing grade of the roadway. Section 36-338(f)(2) of the City's Zoning Ordinance requires a minimum side setback of 30 feet for non -single family structures in AF zoning. Section 36-11(f) requires that the Board of Adjustment review and approve easement encroachments. Therefore, the applicant is requesting variances to allow the proposed building addition with a reduced side setback along Peckerwood Road, and to extend into the existing ingress/egress easement. Staff is supportive of the requested setback and easement variances. Staff views the request as reasonable. The property owner has dedicated approximately 25 feet of right-of-way along Peckerwood Road within the last 10 years which has pushed the property line back to within 14 feet of the existing building. In addition the ingress/egress easement which the proposed addition encroaches into is an old access easement which was part of a multi -lot plat. The property never developed as platted, which eliminates the need for any access easements. The owner of the Little Rock Athletic Club also owns all of the property on the south side of Peckerwood Road, with the exception of one (1) property. It is very possible that future expansion of the facilities could include abandonment of the street right-of-way and existing easements. Staff believes the proposed building addition will have no adverse impact on the adjacent properties or the general area. There is one (1) residential property on the south side of Peckerwood Road. The other properties are either vacant or undeveloped. OCTOBER 31, 2011 ITEM NO.: 2 CON'T.} E. Staff Recommendation: Staff recommends approval of the requested setback and easement variances, subject to the following conditions: 1. Compliance with the Landscape and Buffer requirements as noted in Paragraph B. of the staff report. 2. Compliance with the Building Codes requirements as noted in Paragraph C. of the staff report. BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT: (October 31, 2011) The applicant was present. There were no objectors present. resented the application with a recommendation of approval, with conditions. The item was placed on the Consent Agenda and approved, as recommended by staff, with a vote of 3 ayes, 0 nays and 2 absent.