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HomeMy WebLinkAboutZ-4442 Staff AnalysisMay 28, 1985 Item No. 8 - Z-4442 Owner: Southern Investment Company Applicant: Bill Barger Location: 811 Rogers Avenue Request: Rezone from "R-2" Single Family to 11C-4" Open Display - Purpose: Auto Repair Garage Size: 0.71 acres + Existing Use: Auto Repair Garage (Nonconforming) SURROUNDING LAND USE AND ZONING: North - Vacant, Zoned "R-2" South - Vacant, Zoned "R-2" East - Industrial, Zoned "I-3" West - Single Family, Zoned "R-2" PLANNING CONSIDERATIONS 1. The proposal is to rezone three lots to 11C-4" for an auto repair garage. The request was filed as a result of the action taken by the City's Enforcement Office. A garage began operation on the site prior to receiving the necessary rezoning approvals. The property is located on the fringe of the residential neighborhood in east Little Rock. Directly to the east is "I-3" zoning with a rendering plant that has adversely impacted the area. Further to the east on East 9th is a sewer treatment facility, and to the southeast is the airport, zoned "I-2." From Rogers to the west, the primary land use is single family with some vacant lots. At the end of Rogers is a levy and then the Arkansas River. Rogers Avenue is a residential street that for the most part terminates at the levy. The Zoning Ordinance recommends that appropriate locations for the "C-4" district are along heavily traveled major traffic arterials. The desirability of establishing a "C-4" site at this location can be questioned because of being removed from a major street. May 28, 1985 Item No. 8 - Z-4442 Owner: Southern Investment Company Applicant: Bill Barger Location: 811 Rogers Avenue Request: Rezone from "R-2" Single Family to "C-4" Open Display Purpose: Auto Repair Garage Size: 0.71 acres + Existing Use: Auto Repair Garage (Nonconforming) SURROUNDING LAND USE AND ZONING: North - Vacant, Zoned "R-2" South - Vacant, Zoned "R-2" East - Industrial, Zoned "I-3" West - Single Family, Zoned "R-2" PLANNING CONSIDERATIONS 1. The proposal is to rezone three lots to "C-4" for an auto repair garage. The request was filed as a result of the action taken by the City's Enforcement Office. A garage began operation on the site prior to receiving the necessary rezoning approvals. The property is located on the fringe of the residential neighborhood in east Little Rock. Directly to the east is "I-3" zoning with a rendering plant that has adversely impacted the area. Further to the east on East 9th is a sewer treatment facility, and to the southeast is the airport, zoned 11I-2." From Rogers to -the west, the primary land use is single family with some vacant lots. At the end of Rogers is a levy and then the Arkansas River. Rogers Avenue is a residential street that for the most part terminates at the levy. The Zoning Ordinance recommends that appropriate locations for the "C-4" district are along heavily traveled major traffic arterials. The desirability of establishing a "C-4" site at this location can be questioned because of being removed from a major street. May 28, 1985 Item No. 8 -- Continued 2. The site is three residential lots and occupied by substandard nonresidential structures. There are also some automobiles on the property that appear to be inoperable. The lots are heavily overgrown and an eyesore for the neighborhood. (During a site visit, a resident complained about all of the snakes and rats coming from the property.) 3. There are no right-of-way requirements or Master Street Plan issues associated with this request. 4. There have been no adverse comments received from the reviewing agencies as of this writing. 5. There are no legal issues. 6. The property has had a nonresidential use on it in the past but not recently. There is no documentation to establish a nonconforming status for the lot. Based on the calls received by staff, the residents of the neighborhood are opposed to the "C-4" rezoning. 7. Staff recognizes that the existing 11I-3" zoning and use have impacted the property in question, but is concerned that the approval of the "C-4" will only add to those problems and adversely effect the livability of the neighborhood. To the west of the site, the residential character of the area has been maintained for the most part with the exception of a trucking concern seven blocks to the west. With the amount of vacant land found in the area, a residential rezoning beyond the existing lines could encourage similar actions for those tracts and further compound the neighborhood's problems. Staff does not support the request because of being misplaced, the potential -for adding to the existing problems and adversely impacting the neighborhood. STAFF RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends denial of the "C-4" request. PLANNING COMMISSION ACTION: The applicant, Bill Barger, was present. There were four objectors in attendance. Mr. Barger spoke and gave a brief history of the property. He said that the lots had been used for a lumber warehouse in the past and the current use, May 28, 1985 Item No. 8 - Continued an auto repair garage, occupied the property prior to the necessary zoning being accomplished. He went on to say that the site had been impacted by the rendering plant to the east and noise from the airport. Mr. Barger also said that the auto garage was the only use proposed for the lots and that the substandard wood structures would be removed. There was a long discussion by the appearance of the property and other problems. Mrs. Mae Jones then spoke in opposition to the rezoning request. She informed the Commission that she had lived on the west side of Rogers for 32 years and that the residents wanted to maintain the residential character of the neighborhood. Mrs. Jones went on to say that the lots needed to be cleaned and it was not a good place to have an auto garage. After some additional comments, the Planning Commission voted on the rezoning as filed. The vote - 0 ayes, 9 noes and 2 absent. The request was denied.