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HomeMy WebLinkAboutZ-5862 Staff AnalysisNovember 29, 1994' ITEM NO.: A FILE NO.: Z-5862 NAME: PRO-LIFE CENTER -- SITE PLAN REVIEW LOCATION: 1515 S. University Ave. DEVELOPER: Rev. Thomas W. Keller 1321 S. Van Buren St. Little Rock, AR 72204 666-5073 4. AREA: 0.6 ACRES NUMBER OF LOTS: I ZONING: c-3 PLANNING DISTRICT: 9 CENSUS TRACT: 18 VARIANCES REQUESTED: STATEMENT OF PROPOSAL: PROPOSED USES: None FT. NEW STREET: 0 Commercial Amusement The applicant proposes the development of the 0.6 acre site for a "Pro -Life Center", consisting of a building containing a meeting room, an office, a racquetball gym, and rest rooms. Parking for 12 vehicles is provided, with access to be taken from Hendrix St. The off -premises outdoor advertising sign located on the property is to be removed. A. PROPOSAL/REOUES : Approval by the Planning Commission is sought for a site plan to include construction of a single 1,763 square foot building on the site, with a parking lot for 12 vehicles, and access to the parking lot to be from Hendrix St. The site plan review request was mandated by the court order which rezoned the property to C-3. B. EXISTING CONDITIONS: The site is currently undeveloped, except for an outdoor advertising sign which is situated on the property. University Ave. forms the west boundary of the site; Hendrix St. lies at the northwest corner of the tract. The east 85 feet of the property is within a federally designated floodway (or, an area east of a line 100 feet from the November 29, 1994 - SUBDIVISION ITEM NO.: A (Cont. centerline of a 30 foot wide drainage right-of-way). The floodplain extends to the west an additional 25 feet. To the south is a commercially developed tract, and is used for medical offices. The site is zoned C-3, with C-3 property to the north (beyond the Hendrix St. cul-de-sac) and south and across University Ave. To the northeast along Hendrix St. and directly to the east is R-2 property. C. ENGINEERINGIUTILITY COMMENTS: Public Works comments that the site plan must be revised to provide access to the site from University, not from Hendrix. Access to or from Hendrix will not be permitted. The issue of the parking lot and drainage swale in the floodway must be addressed. All requirements made under the building permit response are applicable, including: 1) dedication of the right-of-way for University Ave. expansion as required by the Master Street Plan; 2) the submission of a complete grading plan for the site; 3) elevating all building improvements located in the floodplain to a minimum floor elevation of 313.0 feet. Water Works reports that the Fire Department needs to evaluate the fire protection for this project. Access off University and/or an additional fire hydrant may be required. The applicant needs to contact Water Works for the meter size and location. An acreage fee of $150 per acre applies This charge is in addition to the normal connection fee. Wastewater reports that sewer is available, and that there will be no adverse effect on the system. Arkansas Power & Light Co. will require easements. Arkansas Louisiana Gas Co. approved the submittal without comment. Southwestern Bell Telephone Co. approved the submittal without comment. The Fire Department commented that the entrance drive must have a minimum width of 20 feet. Landscape review reports that the areas set aside for buffers and landscaping meet ordinance requirements. A 61 high opaque screen is required to screen the site form K November 29, 199-4 SUBDIVISION ITEM NO.: A (Cant.) FILE NO.: Z-5862 the residential properties to the east and northeast. The screen may be a wood fence, with its structural supports facing inward, or be dense evergreen planting. The location of fencing and plantings must be verified with Public Works to avoid restricting the flow of stormwater. D. TSSUES/LEGAL/TECHNICAL/DESIGN: The Public Works comment concerning the requirement for dedication of additional right-of-way along University Ave. will necessitate relocating the building and parking area. The Master Street Plan designates University Ave. as a principal arterial. Principal arterials are to have a 110 foot right-of-way. The development of the subject site will require dedication of right-of-way to provide one-half of the 110 foot requirement, or 55 feet. Presently, 45 feet has been dedicated on the east side of the University Ave. centerline. Therefore, an additional 10 feet dedication is required. This will move the building line further to the east, requiring the building and parking lot to be relocated. With the floodway line (beyond which no construction can take place or obstructions can be erected) being located just 25 feet to the west of the present location of the building, the developable area is even more restricted. (Note: The creek has been channelized in the subdivision in which the site is located, and, if requested, the Corpse of Engineers can amend the F.E.M.A. maps to show the floodway contained within the channel. The applicant, then, could have use of more of the property, since the floodway would not consume nearly 100 feet of the rear of the property.) E. ANALYSIS: The requirement to dedicate additional right-of-way for University Ave., coupled with the fact that the floodway designation takes 100 feet of the rear of the lot, leaves very little developable area on the site. Basically, the 25 feet of flood plain area, plus 15 feet between the floodplain line and the building line is the developable area. This could be remedied greatly by requesting that the Corpse of Engineers modify the flood maps to contain the floodway within the concrete channel along the rear of the property. This would allow use of a great deal of additional land on the lot. As it now stands, though, it is doubtful that the amount of parking proposed by the applicant can be located on the site. Also, the required opaque screen (fence), which cannot obstruct flood waters cannot be located in the floodway. 3 November 29, 1994 SUBDIVISION ITEM NO.: A �Ccnt_) FILE NO.: Z_ Hendrix St. is a residential street, and access to it from University Ave. was closed. A cul-de-sac was provided as a turn -around for the residential traffic in the residential subdivision, and no access was permitted to University Ave. The Public Works requirement that parking for the proposed Pro -Life Center be taken from University Ave. should mean that access from the site to Hendrix St. should be restricted. A "no access" easement and, if necessary, barricades should be provided to assure that traffic does not take a "short-cut" from the site to Hendrix St. The site, as presented, will require substantial re -design. The building and parking will have to be moved further to the east, and planned improvements (a drainage swale and required screening) will have to be removed from the floodway; or, alternatively, the Corpse of Engineers will have to be requested to re -designate the floodway limits. Since there are substantial changes which will be needed, and since staff has reviewed any proposed changes, a recommendation for approval cannot be made at this time. F. STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS: Staff recommends deferral of the site plan review, pending submission of a revised site plan which conforms to the various requirements for dedication of required right-of- way; placement of the building, parking, buffers, and landscaping; and, elimination of structures and obstructions in the floodway. 9UBDIVISLQ_1L_Q0MMITTEE COMMENT: (AUGUST 18, 1994) The Reverend Mr. Keller was present. Staff reviewed the plan with the Committee members. The Public Works staff reviewed with Rev. Keller the civil engineering requirements noted in the discussion outline, including the requirement to shift the parking lot so that no part of it is in the floodway; to shift the drive so that the access to the parking is from University Ave., not Hendrix St.; and to eliminate the drainage swale which is shown to be cut into the floodway. Staff outlined the landscaping and buffer requirements, and the Public Works staff cautioned the applicant about placing any fencing or any of the buffer requirements in the floodway or floodplain. The Committee clarified with Mr. Keller that he had reviewed and understood the comments contained in the discussion outline, then forwarded the application to the Commission for the hearing. 4 November 29,1994. SUBDIVISION ITEM NO.: A (Cont.) FILE NQ.: Z-5862 PLANNING-COMMISSIQN ACTION: (SEPTEMBER 6, 1994) Staff reported that there are substantive issues to be resolved regarding placement of the building, the drive, parking, landscaping, fencing, etc. Rev. Keller, the applicant, has, staff reported, asked verbally that the item be deferred in order for him to have additional time to address staff concerns and the deficiencies noted in the agenda write-up, but had not provided a written request. Rev. Keller, staff related, was present to make the request to thq,Commission. Rev. Keller, addressing the Planning Commission, stated that he needed a deferral until the November 29, 1994 hearing in order to revise his site plan. The item was included on the consent agenda for deferral, and the deferral until November 29, 1994 was approved with the vote of 10 ayes, 0 nays, 0 absent, 0 abstentions, and 1 open position. STAFF UPDATE: The applicant has submitted a revised site plan which addresses the concerns noted by Public Works. The primary concerns was the encroachment of the parking lot, fencing and drainage swale into the floodway; this has been remedied. Staff also opposed access to the site by way of Hendrix Street; this has been changed so that access is from University Avenue. There are no remaining issues to be resolved. PLANNING COMMISSION ACTION: (NOVEMBER 29, 1994) Staff reported that all deficiencies and issues have been resolved, and that the applicant had provided plans which keep all improvements out of the floodway easementf as required. Staff reported that the applicant has agreed to erect barricades around the Hendrix St. cul-de-sac prior to beginning construction, as requested by the residential neighbors along Hendrix St. The item was included on the Consent Agenda for approval, and was approved with the vote of 10 ayes, 0 nays, I absent, and 0 abstentions. 5