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HomeMy WebLinkAboutZ-5239-E Staff AnalysisAugust 21, 1997 ITEM NO.: A FILE NO.: Z -5239-E Owner: Applicant: Location: Request: Purpose: Size: Existing Use: R. J. Yelenich R. J. Yelenich 500 East Roosevelt Rezone from R-4 to C-3 Future development 1.20 acres Asphalt parking lot SURROUNDING LAND USE AND ZONING North - Our House homeless shelter and training school; zoned R-4 with conditional use permit South - Service station, zoned C-4 and Vacant lots, zoned C-3 East - Service station, zoned I-2 West - Old V.A. Hospital building, zoned PCD PUBLIC WORKS COMMENTS 1. Roosevelt Road is a principal arterial on the Master Street Plan. This reduced standards principal arterial requires dedication of right-of-way to 35 feet from centerline. 2. With Construction: a. This four lane principal arterial needs the street widened to 24 feet from centerline. b. Grading permit will be required on this new development, if it disturbs more than one acre. c. Stormwater detention ordinance applies to this property. d. Sidewalks shall be shown conforming to Sec. 31-175 and the "MSP". e. Driveways shall conform to Sec. 31-210 or Ordinance 16,577. f. Utility excavation within proposed rights-of-way shall be per Article V of Sec. 30. g. Prepare letter for street lights as required by Sec. 31-403. h. Plans of all work in right-of-way shall be submitted for approval prior to start of work. 3. Roosevelt Road has a 1995 average daily traffic count of 15,000. August 21, 1997 ITEM NO.: A (Cont.) FILE NO.: Z -5239-E PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION ELEMENT This site is not located on a Central Arkansas Transit Bus Route. A bus route does extend down Main Street, 4 blocks to the west. LAND USE ELEMENT Located in the Central City District the site is shown on the land use plan as Mixed Office Commercial (MOC). It is located on Roosevelt Road at the old V.A. Hospital Complex. In the past 10 years there has been one land use plan amendment in this immediate vicinity. South of Roosevelt Road to 27th Street between Cumberland and I-30 the plan was amended from Single Family (SF) to Mixed (MX) in 1996. Staff recommends maintaining MOC for the area. MOC requires a PZD for development which would aid in the redevelopment of the V.A. complex. STAFF ANALYSIS The request before the Commission is to rezone this 1.20 acre tract from R-4 Two -Family District to C-3 General Commercial District. The tract is one of those created when the Veteran's Administration subdivided and sold in pieces the site of the old V.A. Hospital. This tract fronts directly onto Roosevelt Road and was used as a parking lot. The property is nearly completely covered with asphalt paving, although it is beginning to deteriorate. The applicant has no specific plans for the site once it is rezoned to C-3. Staff does not believe C-3 is an appropriate zoning for this site. The Central City District Land Use Plan recommends Mixed Office Commercial for properties along Roosevelt Road, from Cumberland eastward to I-30. The Mixed Office Commercial Category is defined as: "This category provides for a mixture of office and commercial uses to occur. A Planned Zoning District is required if the use is mixed office and commercial." In the past it has been interpreted that a rezoning request for the less intensive of the two categories in a Mixed District, for example Office in a Mixed Office Commercial category, would be appropriate. A request for the more intensive, Commercial in MOC, would not be appropriate. The current definition still seems to allow interpretation. E August 21, 1997 ITEM NO.: A Cant. FILE NO.; _Z -5239-E Beyond the land use issue, staff questions whether C-3 for an unspecified commercial development is appropriate for this site. Recent Planning Commission actions related to the old V.A. Hospital site are reinforcing its continued use as Institutional. The Our House homeless shelter program has been approved for expansion. The PCD covering the main hospital building itself has recently been amended to allow its use by the Institute for Basic Life Principles, a residential training program. There are many uses in the C-3 District which will conflict with and potentially negatively impact the other uses approved for the rest of the old hospital site. Staff believes this site is appropriate for some type of nonresidential use. That thinking is reinforced by the Central City District Land Use Plan. It is appropriate and reasonable to require the level of review afforded by the PZD process for any commercial use for this site. STAFF RECOMMENDATION Staff recommends denial of the requested C-3 zoning. The request conflicts with the adopted Land Use Plan and is incompatible with other uses and development in the immediate vicinity. PLANNING COMMISSION ACTION: (JULY 10, 1997) The applicant, Marc Yelenich, was present. There were no objectors present. One letter of opposition had been received and forwarded to the commissioners. Staff advised the Commission that the applicant was requesting a deferral. The property might be purchased by the party that owns the main part of the old VA Hospital site which would eliminate the need for this rezoning request. The applicant confirmed that he was requesting the deferral. A motion was made to defer the commission meeting. The motion 10 ayes, 0 noes and 1 absent. PLANNING COMMISSION ACTION: item to the August 21, 1997 was approved by a vote of (AUGUST 21, 1997) The applicant was not present. There were no objectors present. Staff presented the item and a recommendation of denial of the C-3 rezoning re<xuest. Dana Carney, of the Planning Staff, stated that the applicant had recently told him that the property might still be purchased by the party August 21, 1997 ITEM NO.: A(Cont.)FILE NO.: Z -5239-E that owns the main part of the old VA Hospital site. Mr. Carney stated that he had not spoken to the applicant in the past 2-3 days and did not know the status of the possible sale. A motion was made to approve the rezoning request. The motion was denied by a vote of 0 ayes, 10 noes and 1 absent. 4