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HomeMy WebLinkAboutZ-5738-B Staff AnalysisFILE NO.: Z -5738-B NAME: Pyramid Park Short -form POD LOCATION: Located at 11300 Financial Center Parkway DEVELOPER: Colliers International c/o Dickson Flake 400 West Capitol Avenue, Suite 1200 Little Rock, AR 72201 SURVEYOR: McGetrick and McGetrick Engineers 11419 Stagecoach Road, Suite 2100 Little Rock, AR 72210 AREA: 1.45 acres CURRENT ZONING: ALLOWED USES: PROPOSED ZONING: NUMBER OF LOTS: 1 FT. NEW STREET: 0 LF 0-3, General Office District General Office -•l PROPOSED USE: 0-3, General Office District with the 10% accessory uses — Financial Center/Chenal Parkway DOD, signage without public street frontage VARIANCES/WAIVERS REQUESTED: None requested. BACKGROUND: The property located at 11300 Financial Center Parkway is zoned 0-3, General Office District and contains an existing office building. In the 0-3, General Office Zoning District, accessory commercial uses are allowed to occupy a maximum of ten (10) percent of the total building floor area. On July 26, 2001, the Little Rock Planning Commission approved a Conditional Use Permit request to allow Dr. Hal Bienvenu, MD to convert approximately ten (10) percent of his medical office space (98 square feet) to be used for therapeutic massage. The ten (10) percent allowed per the zoning district was occupied by a separate accessory commercial uses. FILE NO.: Z -5738-B Cont. A. PROPOSAL/REQUEST/APPLICANT'S STATEMENT: The current request is a rezoning from 0-3, General Office District to POD, Planned Office Development, for the property located at 11300 Financial Center Parkway. There are no requested changes in the permitted uses of the property. The sole effect of the revised zoning will be to permit an east -facing, flat mount sign for UAMS, a tenant which will occupy approximately one-half of the total building. The sign is located without public street frontage. The property is located within the Financial Center/Chenal Parkway Design Overlay District. The Overlay has specific development criteria related to signage and lighting. The DOD states if for any reason the development cannot be developed without violating the standards of the Overlay the development is to be reviewed through the planning zoning districts section of the zoning ordinance, with the intent to develop a workable development plan which is consistent with the purpose and intent of the overlay standard. The justification provided by the applicant is the radius of Financial Center Parkway immediately east of this property causes the west -bound driver to view the east elevation rather than the elevation fronting Financial Center Parkway. In addition, there is a row of oak trees along Financial Center Parkway and another along the east property line of Pyramid Park. This two-sided row of oaks blocks the view to west -bound traffic for the front elevation but does allow a view corridor to the east elevation. According to the applicant the justification for the change is as much public safety as it is marketing. Patients and visitors going to the UAMS clinics in this new satellite location will be searching for their destination address. It is much safer for a driver to see the UAMS east elevation signage identifying the location than to be turning ninety degrees looking for the clinic location on this busy parkway. B. EXISTING CONDITIONS: The site is developed with an office building with a drive from Chenal Parkway. Within the building there are a number of uses including a satellite office for UAMS. East of the site is Hardin Road which has a number of businesses including a bank, office and extended stay hotel. Further east on Financial Center Parkway are office and hotel uses. South of the site is the Embassy Suites Hotel and office uses. Southwest of the site is a strip center containing restaurant and retail uses. West of the site is a big box retailer containing PetSmart, Barnes and Noble Bookstore and Toys R Us. Just east of this site is the location the 1-630/Shackleford Road overpass will touch down. C. NEIGHBORHOOD COMMENTS: As of this writing, staff has not received any comment from area residents. All property owners located within 200 -feet of the site and the Birchwood Neighborhood Association were notified of the request. K FILE NO.: Z -5738-B (Cont. D. SUBDIVISION COMMITTEE COMMENT: (March 7, 2012) Mr. Dickson Flake was present representing the request. Staff presented an overview of the development stating there were no outstanding technical issues associated with the request. Staff stated the site was located within the Financial Center/Chenal Parkway Design Overlay District. Staff stated per the DOD if a development did not comply with the Overlay standards then the property was to be rezoned to a Planned Development. Staff stated Mr. Flake's clients were requesting signage without public street frontage, necessitating the need for the POD. Staff stated the sign was approximately 3 -feet high by 11 -feet long or 33.25 square feet in area. Mr. Flake commented the justification for the signage without public street frontage was as much public safety as it was for marketing the clinic. He stated westbound motorist could not see the front building sign identifying UAMS until they were directly in front of the building limiting their ability to turn into the parking lot. There was no further discussion of the item. The Committee then forwarded the item to the full Commission for final action. E. ANALYSIS: There were no remaining outstanding technical issues in need of addressing raised at the March 7, 2012, Subdivision Committee meeting. The request is to allow the placement of wall signage along the east fagade of this existing building, which is located without public street frontage. The property is zoned 0-3, General Office District and the request is to rezone the site to POD, Planned Office Development. There are no changes in the permitted uses of the property and the applicant is requesting to maintain the 0-3, General Office District uses and the ten percent accessory uses as allowable uses. The sign will be a flat mount sign for DAMS. The sign is proposed 3 -feet high by 11 -feet long or 33.25 square feet in area. The property is located within the Financial Center/Chenal Parkway Design Overlay District. The Overlay has specific development criteria related to signage and lighting. The DOD states if for any reason the development cannot be developed without violating the standards of the Overlay the development is to be reviewed through the planning zoning districts section of the zoning ordinance, with the intent to develop a workable development plan which is consistent with the purpose and intent of the overlay standard. Although staff is generally not supportive of variances related to signage within the DOD staff feels this is not a typical situation. The curvature of the road is such that the sign is visible from the street at a distance and is at an oblique M FILE NO.: Z -5738-B (Cont. angle to the street rather than perpendicular. In addition the proposed use of the building is a satellite clinic for UAMS. Staff does not feel the placement of a sign approximately 33 square feet in area on this eastern facing facade to identify UAMS will adversely impact the area. F. STAFF RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends approval of the request. PLANNING COMMISSION ACTION: (MARCH 29, 2012) Mr. Dickson Flake was present representing the request. There were no registered objectors present. Staff presented the item along with a recommendation of approval of the request to allow signage without public street frontage on the eastern facade of the building. There was no further discussion of the item. The Chair entertained a motion for approval of the item as presented by staff. The motion carried by a vote of 10 ayes, 0 noes and 1 absent. 2 ITEM NO.: 4. NAME: Pyramid Park Short -form POD LOCATION: located at 11300 Financial Center Parkway Planning Staff Comments_ Z -5738-B 1. Provide notification of property owners located within 200 -feet of the site including the certified abstract list, notice form with affidavit executed and proof of mailing. The notice must be mailed no later than March 14, 2012. The Office of Planning and Development must receive the proof of notice no later than March 23, 2012. 2. Provide the total sign area, total height and width. The item is a request for signage without public street frontage — The request was not routed for comment. Revised plat/plan: Submit four (4) copies of a revised preliminary plat/plan (to include the additional information as noted above) to staff on Wednesday, March 14, 2012. Item # 4.