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HomeMy WebLinkAboutZ-5406 Staff AnalysisDecember 18, 1990 PLANNING Item No. 1 subs' ect : STAFF COMMENT• Hillcrest Rezoning At the request of the Hillcrest Residents Association, Staff reviewed the Hillcrest area for possible rezoning to lesser intensity. Areas suggested by the Association were reviewed. If the parcels were used as zoned, the parcel was removed from consideration. Of the remaining parcels, if the adopted land use plan called for a less intense use than the zoning and was consistent with the use, then staff proceeded. The reduced group of some 250 plus parcels were shown on the plan are currently used for a less intense use than the zoning. Staff next mailed a letter to each -of these property owners.telling them what their new zoning would be and inviting them to a meeting at Pulaski Presbyterian Church. Between phone calls and attenders, over a hundred individuals contacted the department. Only about a dozen asked the Staff not to rezone their property. These parcels have been removed. Staff meet with the community (Hillcrest Area Residents) to discuss this issue and now presents this zone change to the Commissioners for your review and comment. 1 December 18, 1990 PLANNING Item No. 2: Su�ct: STAFF COMMENT• Hillcrest Commercial Overlay At the request of the Hillcrest Residents Association, Staff reviewed the Hillcrest Commercial area with the intent to protect the character, yet address the special needs of the area to allow for redevelopment. To this and Staff met with the Commercial property owners three times over the spring and summer to discuss what should be included in an overlay regulations. Staff met with the residents over the summer and with adjacent homeowners and residential residents in the early fall to get their comments on the proposals under discussion. Following this Staff met with commercial property owners and finally conducted a community meeting to receive input on the overlay requirements. . Staff now brings to the Commission the proposed overlay regulations for review and comment. 1 December 18, 1990 PLANNING Item No. 3• Subyect: Planning Staff Proposals for the 1991 Ordinance Amendments STAFF COMMENT• The Planning Staff offers the several amendments in this package for one time review during the course of Commission meetings for 1991. The proposed changes are: 1. Small car parking spaces. A proposal to increase the allowable number of compact spaces on-site, or to reduce the design numbers for parking spaces. Comment: The Staff proposes this change so as to provide the developer's of the smaller parking lots the same option available to shopping centers, or larger areas. The proposal will include down sizing the specific dimensions for designing spaces to accommodate the newer cars with a small average size. 2. Industrial bulk and area standards for screening of salvage yards and/or automobile junk yards. Comment: This item is introduced to this amendment proposal package at the request of the City Manager's office as an attempt to provide additional screening and/or visual protection for these kinds of uses. 3. A definition change. A proposal to change the definition of retail not listed enclosed to mean "in this district" as opposed to "in this chapter" of the code. Comment: This definition change is offered at the specific request of the Little Rock Board of Adjustment. That body recently reviewed an appeal from a developer concerning the language in.the present ordinance. There is some confusion as to whether the term retail not listed enclosed as now drafted, applies to each district or whether applies to the chapter as a whole. Our attempt would be to clarify that language. 1 December 18, 1990 Item No. 3 Continued] 4. General merchandise auction to be included as a new use listing in 01C-4" by right, also in 11I-2" by right. Comment: This introduction of a new listing is a result of several inquires by persons involved in general merchandise auctions in the absence of such a listing in the zoning ordinance. 5. General merchandise auction as a definition. - Comment: This definition is added to provide support for the listing in number 4 above. 6. Tree protection as a general provision requirement for site plan preparation. Comment: This item is proposed as a continuation of a staff proposal earlier in 1990 to add additional force to the language in both the landscape and buffer ordinance and the current zoning ordinance. The intent being to provide the mechanical means to protect those trees and/or natural undergrowth that are required to be retained by the site plan. 7: Mobile home district buffer provisions. Identification within the buffer section, Article 9 of the zoning ordinance. Comment: This proposal has been added as a follow-up to the adoption of the buffer standards. The ordinance as now drafted, does not provide for the kinds of buffering and separation for a mobile home park as previously required by the zoning ordinance. During the development of the buffer provisions, the mobile home provision were extracted es a natural reduction of all conflicting standards and other ordinances. 8. zoning ordinance appeals process restructuring. Comment: This amendment has been added.at the request of Steven Giles of the City Attorney's office. Mr. Giles feels that the appeals as currently provided in the ordinance are not appropriate to meet state law or local needs. 9. Imposition of landscape and buffer standards from the new ordinance when presented with a use change or a site plan on a specific property currently nonconforming. 2 December 18, 1990 Item No. 3 Continued Comment: The staff has been presented with a request to deal with this relationship. The issue has been discussed by the Commission on a couple of occasions where a developer proposed to change a use to a higher intensity activity on the same site without making changes to landscaping and buffering to make those conform with ordinance. 10. Glazer/glass installation on an off-site/structural glass, not automobile. A new definition to clarify the listing. Comment: This provision is added for clarification of the current listing for glass installation as it does not cover the several types of uses in existence. 11. Add a provision in "C-211, "C-311, and "C-4" to regulate the placement of temporary commercial sales uses on existing commercial property, such as snow cones, food vendors, vegetable truck sales, seasonal sales of Christmas trees, clothing, furniture or other merchandise on the ground, in a tent or a vehicle. Comment: The Planning staff offers this proposed addition to the ordinance in order to gain some type of control over the continuing proliferation of temporary sales on commercial properties throughout the city. Almost daily, a new type of activity is proposed for a privilege license with little or no ordinance bases for issuing a license. 12. Add a provision to the same ordinance which would provide for specific instruction to City enforcement personnel when dealing with political signs. The proposal would be a minimum distance behind a curve or pavement edge as opposed to on the right-of-way. Comment: This proposed amendment is a direct result of the past political campaign where staff was on many occasions instructed to remove offending signs from the right-of-way. Staff has determined over several years of experience, that this is an impossible task due to the right-of-way varying from a matter of inches to a matter of 20 or more feet behind the curve. We have determined that more appropriate to use a specific number as a dimension which can be easily measured. This amendment is also added to this package with the hope that before the Board adopt these amendments, the sign regulations will become a part of the zoning ordinance. 3 December 18, 1990 Item No. 3 (Contin 13. Proposed changes in the zoning site plan review provisions of Section 36 to read the same as Section 31-13, adopted in the 1990 package. Comment: This proposal is the result of discussion at the Planning Commission meeting on November 6, when dealing with the 1990 Amendments. There were several changes made in the language that require that the zoning ordinance be modified so to have both site plan review processes use the same wording. 14. Proposed deletion of language in Subdivision Ordinance dealing with performance bonds. Comment: This proposal is a cleanup item for the 1989 amendments on improvements assurance. 15. Proposed inclusion of sign code within the Zoning Ordinance as a new Article. Comment: This proposal is tied to a restructure of the administrative and legal problems identified by Staff after reorganization of Public Works and Planning. 16. Proposal to limit utility easements to real needs. Comment: This proposal was generated by recent complaints from developers of easements that don't do anything but infringe on the lot usage by owners. 17. Broadcast Studios, Radio and Television/District placement, also dealing with various structures and use. Comment: This proposal was prompted by discussion with users and a recent Board of Adjustment case. 18. Review of definition of School/Studio and proper district placement. Comment: This proposal is offered by Tony Bozynski as a needed ordinance clarification. 19. Restructure commercial districts mixed use provision to allow residential by -right as loft or second level use of land. Comment: This proposal is offered by Tony Bozynski as a needed ordinance clarification. 4 December 18, 1990 Stem No. 3 Continued 20. Review of industrial districts to determine need and placement for day care center by -right.