Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutZ-5615-A Staff AnalysisFebruary 28, 2008 ITEM NO.: 2 FILE NO.: Z -5615-A NAME- Allison Memorial Presbyterian Church Parking Lot — Conditional Use Permit LOCATION: 922 Wright Avenue OWNER/APPLICANT: Allison Memorial Presbyterian Church PROPOSAL: A conditional use permit is requested to allow for construction of a parking lot on this R-4 and C-3 zoned church site. 1. SITE LOCATION: 2. K, The property is located on the east side of Chester Street, at Wright Avenue. COMPATIBILITY WITH NEIGHBORHOOD: The Church has been at this location for several years. Uses in the area include single family, a school, community center, library and other churches. The proposed parking lot is compatible with uses in the area and will help to reduce the church's on -street parking demand. All owners of properties located within 200 feet of the site, all residents within 300 feet who could be identified and the Downtown and Wright Avenue Neighborhood Associations were notified of this request. ON SITE DRIVES AND PARKING: The church's sanctuary has a seating capacity of 250 persons, requiring 62 parking spaces. There is currently some unimproved on-site parking. Under this proposal, 62 parking spaces will be constructed. Access will be from a single driveway off of Izard Street on the east and a single driveway off of Wright Avenue on the south. The applicant has addressed staffs concerns with driveway spacing by removing a proposed second driveway onto Izard Street. 4. SCREENING AND BUFFERS: Site plan must comply with the City's minimal landscape and buffer ordinance requirements. February 28, 2008 ITEM NO.: 2 (Cont. FILE NO.: Z -5615-A The landscape and buffer ordinance require a minimal six foot nine inch wide (6'-9") landscape strip around the sites entirety. Currently, this proposal reflects parking located within this minimal area. It is recommended to eliminate the egress apron on the southeastern corner in addition to the elimination of a few of the parking spaces. A variance from the City Beautiful Commission must be obtained prior to the issuance of a building permit otherwise. An automatic irrigation system to water landscaped areas will be required for all newly landscaped areas. Street trees are recommended on this site. 5. PUBLIC WORKS COMMENTS: 1. Due to the use of the property, the Master Street Plan specifies that Wright Avenue for the frontage of this property must meet commercial street standards. Dedicate right-of-way to thirty (30) feet from centerline. 2. A twenty (20) foot radial dedication of right-of-way is required at the intersection of Wright Avenue and Izard Street. 3. A twenty (20) foot radial dedication of right-of-way is required at the intersection of Wright Avenue and Chester Street. 4. A twenty (20) foot radial dedication of right-of-way is required at the intersection of Wright Avenue Bypass and Izard Street. 5. Driveway locations do not meet the traffic access and circulation requirements of Section 30-43 and 31-210. The code requires driveway spacing on a commercial street to be 125 feet from the property line and 250 feet from another driveway or intersection. The driveway to the south must be removed due to the distance from the north driveway, property line, and Wright Avenue/lzard Street intersection. The width of driveway must not exceed 36 feet. 6. At time of development, sidewalks with appropriate handicap ramps are required in accordance with Section 31-175 of the Little Rock Code and the Master Street Plan to be installed on Wright Avenue Bypass. 7. At time of development, sidewalks with appropriate handicap ramps are required in accordance with Section 31-175 of the Little Rock Code and the Master Street Plan along Wright Avenue. 8. At time of development, repair or replace any curb and gutter or sidewalk that is damaged in the public right-of-way prior to occupancy. PA February 28, 2008 ITEM NO.: 2 (Cont.) FILE NO.: Z -5615-A 9. At time of development, old curb cuts should close with new curbing. 10. At time of development, plans of all work in right-of-way shall be submitted for approval prior to start of work. Obtain barricade permit prior to doing any work in the right-of-way from Traffic Engineering at (501) 379-1805 (Travis Herbner). 6. UTILITY, FIRE DEPT. AND CATA COMMENTS: Wastewater: Existing sewer main located in project area. Contact Little Rock Wastewater for details prior to construction. Entergy: No comment received. Centerpoint Energy: No comment received. AT&T (SBC): No comment received. Water: Contact Central Arkansas Water if larger and/or additional water meter(s) are required. If larger meter(s) are required, location may be different than that of the existing meter(s). Fire Department: Approved as submitted. Contact Captain Dennis Free at Little Rock Fire Department; Phone # 918-3757. County Planning: No Comments. CATA: The site is located on a CATA bus route. Planning Division: No Comments. SUBDIVISION COMMITTEE COMMENT: (FEBRUARY 7, 2008) The applicants were present. Staff presented the item and noted little additional information was needed. Staff asked the applicant to provide a signage plan and to specify the use of the two structures shown on the east half of the church site. Public Works and Landscape Comments were addressed. Right-of-way dedication and street improvements were discussed. It was noted that sidewalks were needed and old curb cuts needed closing. Staff noted that one driveway on the Izard Street frontage needed to be removed from the plan to comply with spacing requirements. Staff noted that the landscaping strip in one area fell below the minimum ordinance standards. 3 February 28, 2008 ITEM NO.: 2 (Cont.) FILE NO.: Z -5615-A The applicants were advised to submit responses and revised site plans to staff. The Committee determined there were no other issues and forwarded the item to the full Commission. STAFF ANALYSIS: On November 3, 1992, the Commission approved a conditional use permit to allow this existing church to construct a new, 250 -seat sanctuary addition. A 25 -space parking lot was also approved at the northeast corner of the block. The parking lot was never constructed. On December 1, 1992, the Board of Directors passed Ordinance No. 16,312, which granted a waiver of the right-of-way dedication and boundary street ordinance requirements for Wright Avenue Bypass (17th Street) located on the north perimeter of the church site. The church subsequently acquired the remainder of the block bounded by Wright Avenue, Izard Street, Chester Street and Wright Avenue Bypass (17th Street). Much of the east half of the block is zoned C-3. The northeast corner is zoned R-4, as the portion of the block where the church building is located. A conditional use permit is requested to allow for construction of a 62 -space parking lot on the east half of the block. Two buildings currently on the east half of the block will remain for the time being. One is an occupied single-family residence. The second is a small take-out only cafe building, which is currently being used by a nearby day care center for food preparation. A single driveway will provide access off of Izard Street on the east and Wright Avenue on the south. The applicant submitted a revised site plan addressing most of the issues raised at Subdivision Committee. A proposed second driveway to Izard Street has been removed. Sidewalks are shown along Wright Avenue and Wright Avenue Bypass (17th Street) and old curb cuts are shown to be closed and curbed. The church is requesting a waiver of the requirement to dedicate additional right- of-way for Wright Avenue located on the south side of the church site and of the requirement to construct the street to commercial street standards. The right-of- way is currently 40 feet. The Master Street Plan requires 60 feet for commercial street; 50 feet for typical residential streets. Staff is supportive of the request. The street in question has been in place for over 100 years and is typical of many of the streets in the Original City of Little Rock. Most of the east -west traffic in the immediate area utilizes 17th Street/Wright Avenue Bypass, located on the north side of the church. The church has shown the construction of a 5 -foot wide sidewalk on the Wright Avenue frontage, with a setback of 2± feet from the curb of the street. A small portion of the parking lot intrudes into the required street buffer/landscape area at the southeast corner of the block. There is adequate 12 February 28, 2008 ITEM NO.: 2 (Cont. FILE NO.: Z -5615-A width available for planting. If a minimum width of 4.5 feet cannot be provided at this point, a variance will be required from the City Beautiful Commission. To staff's knowledge, there are no other issues. The Original City of Little Rock bill of assurance does not address use issues. STAFF RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends approval of the requested C.U.P. subject to compliance with the following conditions: 1. Compliance with the comments and conditions outlined in Sections 4, 5 and 6 of the agenda staff report. 2. Any site lighting must be shielded downward and into the site. Staff recommends approval of a waiver of the right-of-way dedication and boundary street ordinance requirements for Wright Avenue on the south side of the church subject to a sidewalk being constructed and any old curb cuts being closed with new curbing. Staff recommends approval of a variance to allow a reduced street buffer/landscape strip width at the southeast corner of the new parking lot. PLANNING COMMISSION ACTION: (FEBRUARY 28, 2008) The applicant was present. There were no objectors present. Staff presented the item with a recommendation of approval. The Chairman placed the item before the Commission for inclusion within the Consent Agenda for approval, as recommended by staff. A motion to that effect was made. The motion passed by a vote of 9 ayes, 0 nays and 2 absent. 5