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HomeMy WebLinkAboutZ-5743 Staff AnalysisNovember 16, 1993 ITEM NO.: F FILE NO.: 7-5743 NAME• LOCATION: OWNER APPLICANT• PROPOSAL: ORDINANCE DESIGN STANDARDS: 1. Site Location Curran Conway Park - Conditional Use Permit West 24th Street and Harrison Street City of Little Rock Parks and Recreation Department A conditional use permit is requested to allow for the installation of certain improvements on this existing 25 acre city park, zoned R-3 . The proposed improvements include a new component playground system, informal soccer fields, picnic pavilion, a bikeway and the installation of an outfield wall for the existing baseball field. Curran Conway Park occupies 25 acres of wooded, gently rolling land located within an area bounded by West 24th Street, Monroe Street, West 26th Street and Harrison Street. 2. Com atibilit with Nei hborhood The park was originally developed by the Little Rock Boys Club many years ago and was sold to the City of Little Rock in July 1977. Much of the site has remained in an undeveloped state with the baseball field being the primary traffic generator for the park. Staff has concerns about only one aspect of the proposed improvements, that being the outfield wall. With the resolution of this one issue, the other proposed improvements should be compatible with the neighborhood. 3. on-Sitp Drives and Parkin There are currently approximately 110 on-site parking spaces. The majority of these are clustered in the west end of the park, near the playground and the entrance to the baseball field. November 16, 1993 ITEM NO.: F (Continued) FILE NO.: Z-5743 If the soccer fields are successfully developed, additional parking may be needed in the east end of the park, which is separated from the west end by Blakemore Ditch and an area of dense woods. 4. Screening and Buffers No additional screening or buffers required. 5. City Engineer Comments No comments 6. Utility Comments No comments 7. Analysis All in all, staff feels that the proposed improvements are a welcomed addition to this existing park. The soccer fields, playground expansion, bikeway and picnic pavilion will allow for greater neighborhood usage of this largely unused city park. The University of Arkansas at Little Rock baseball team uses Curran Conway field as its home field. Over the years, the UALR baseball team has made many improvements to the field and has now erected a new outfield wall. The wall will serve the dual purpose of containing the field of play (reducing the number of balls hit out of the park) and of providing more area to be made available as advertising space. The wall, as constructed, has generated much neighborhood opposition. The City of Little Rock Department of Parks and Recreation is working with neighborhood residents and UALR to find an amicable resolution to this issue. 8. Staff Recommendation Staff recommends approval of the application subject to resolution of the outfield wall issue. Fa November 16, 1993 ITEM ND • F (Continued) FILE NO_: 2-5743 SUBDIVISION COMMITTEE COMMENT: (OCTOBER 5, 1993) Truman Tolefree and Mark Webre were present representing the City Parks and Recreation Department. Dana Carney, of the Planning staff, presented the item and outlined the several improvements proposed under this conditional use permit application. He explained that the required notice to property owners within 200 feet have been sent only to those owners of property within 200 feet of the north and east perimeter of the park as they were the ones most directly affected by the proposed improvements. The Subdivision Committee concurred that those property owners adjacent to the west and south would not be directly impacted by the proposed improvements. Staff informed the Committee that several signs advertising the upcoming Planning Commission meeting had been posted around the property and that the required legal ad had been placed in the newspaper. Discussion quickly turned to the outfield wall and its impact on nearby residences. Mr. Tolefree stated that the City Parks Department had an agreement with UALR that allows UALR to make improvements to the baseball field, but that the outfield wall went beyond the spirit of that agreement. Mr. Tolefree stated that many neighborhood residents had expressed concern over the loss of vision of the park and open space caused by the construction of the wall. He further stated that the City Parks Department was meeting with residents and representatives of UALR to resolve the wall issue. Mark Webre then presented sketches of several alternatives which are currently being discussed. He stated that it was the Parks Department's desire to have this issue resolved prior to the October 19, 1993 Planning Commission meeting. The Committee determined that there were no other outstanding issues concerning the other proposed improvements and forwarded this item to the full Commission for final resolution. PLANNING COMMISSION ACTION: (OCTOBER 19, 1993) The applicant was not present. There were no objectors present. Staff informed the Commission that the applicant had written requesting that this item be deferred until the November 16, 1993 Planning Commission meeting. 3 November -16, 1993 ITEM O.: F (Continued) FILE NO.: Z-5743 As part of the Consent Agenda, this item was deferred to the November 16, 1993 Commission meeting. The vote was 9 ayes, 0 noes, 1 absent and 1 open position. SUBDIVISION COMMITTEE COMMENT: (OCTOBER 28, 1993) Mark Webre was present representing the City Parks and Recreation Department. Mr. Webre stated that a compromise had been reached regarding the outfield wall issue. He stated that the outfield wall would be 16 feet tall. A drawing was presented to the Committee showing the fence design incorporating an 8 foot high solid wood wall and a green, vinyl coated chainlink fence extending to a height of 16 feet. Mr. Webre informed the Committee that this arrangement was satisfactory to the City, UALR and neighborhood residents. The Committee determined that there were no other outstanding issues and forwarded this item to the full Commission for final resolution. PLANNXNG COMMISSION ACTION: (NOVEMBER 16, 1993) Mark Webre was present representing the City's Park and Recreation Department. There were four neighborhood residents who desired more information on the item. Dana Carney, of the Planning staff, presented the item and informed the Commission that a compromise had been reached on the outfield wall issue, which had been agreed to by the City, UALR and neighborhood residents. Mark Webre then addressed the Commission. He explained the wall design as was presented to the Subdivision Committee. A neighborhood resident then addressed the Commission. She stated that she agreed with all items proposed in the conditional use permit with the exception of the picnic pavilion. She told the Commission that she feared the presence of the pavilion would bring undesirable individuals to the area who would congregate at the park. Mr. Louis Sims next addressed the Commission. He also stated that he was in opposition to the proposed picnic pavilion. 4 November 16, 1993 ITEM NO.: F (Continued) FILE NO.: Z--5743 Commissioner McDaniel asked Mr. Webre if the Parks Department was "willing to fall on their sword" over the picnic pavilion. Mr. Webre responded that the Parks Department desired to work with everyone on this issue and that the vast majority of neighborhood residents had agreed to all of the proposed improvements. Commissioner McDaniel then made a motion to approve the application, less the pavilion. Jim Lawson, Director of the Department of Neighborhoods and Planning, then addressed the Commission. He stated that he had encouraged the Parks Department to think long term when the site plan was submitted for this application and that the proposed pavilion was not necessarily a short-term improvement. Commissioner Nicholson stated that she was not comfortable telling the City Parks Department that they cannot build a picnic pavilion in a city park. Chairman Walker stated that he understood Commissioner McDaniel's motion to not necessarily imply complete removal of the pavilion, but only removal from this application. Chairman Walker continued by stating that the Parks Department can come back to the Commission, at a later date, with a proposal to construct the pavilion. After further discussion, Mr. Lawson asked if there were not some middle ground that could be agreed to, such as making the pavilion part of a later phase. Chairman Walker stated that there appeared to be a consensus among the commissioners to approve the application, without the pavilion, and that the Parks Department was not making an issue of the pavilion. A vote was then taken on the revised conditional use permit application. The vote was 8 ayes, 1 noe, 1 absent and 1 open position. 5