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HomeMy WebLinkAboutZ-5933 Staff AnalysisJanuary 10, 1995 ITEM NO.: 8 FILE NO.: Z-5933 NAME: Word of Outreach Day Care Center and Staff Housing - Conditional Use Permit LOCATION: 2323 Valmar Street OWNER/APPLICANT: Word of Outreach by James Washington PROPOSAL: A conditional use permit is requested to allow for the expansion of this existing, R-3 zoned residential structure for a day care center and a single family dwelling to be used as staff housing. A large, two-story addition is proposed to be constructed onto the existing structure. The ground floor is proposed to be used as a day care/preschool with an enrollment of 75 children. The second floor of the addition will be occupied as a single family dwelling by a staff member of Word of Outreach Ministries. A rear yard setback variance and parking variance is requested. ORDINANCE DESIGN_ STANDARDS: 1. Site Location The property is located at the northeast corner of West 24th Street and Valmar Street, approximately 1 block north of Asher Avenue. 2. Comyatibility with Neighborhood This property is located near the southern fringe of a large, single family residential neighborhood. All adjacent properties are zoned R-3 and occupied by single family residences. One block to the south and east, the Word of Outreach Ministries occupies several properties along the Asher Avenue corridor. These properties contain uses such as a church, private school and residential uses. Staff is concerned about the movement of the institutional use further into the residential neighborhood north of the existing Word of Outreach facilities. The proposed use of this small, residential lot as a large, day care/preschool January 10, 1995 SUBDIVISION ITEM NO.: 8 (Cont.) FILE NO.: Z-5933 with an enrollment of 75 children is a major intrusion into the residential neighborhood. Staff does not believe the proposed use is compatible with the residential neighborhood and feels that the proposed day care/private school would be better located elsewhere. 3. On -Site Drives and Park nQ The applicant is proposing a day care/preschool with an enrollment of 75 students and 6 employees. A total of 13 on-site parking spaces are required for this use plus an adequate drop-off/pickup area. The single family dwelling requires one space, giving a total of 14 on-site parking spaces required. The applicant proposes two on-site parking spaces and a two -car drop-off parallel and adjacent to West 24th Street. Once the required right-of-way is dedicated and the street improvements constructed, it is questionable as to whether these spaces will be available. The proposed parking/drop-off arrangement is totally inadequate for the proposed use. 4. Screening and Buffers A 7 foot wide street buffer along Valmar Street and 2 1/2 foot wide street buffer along 24th Street are required. The Landscape Ordinance requires a 4 foot to 6 foot wide, on-site landscape strip between the proposed vehicular use areas and Valmar Street and 24th Street. The proposal submitted does not provide for landscaping or buffer space along 24th Street. 5. City Engineer Comments Traffic Engineer recommends denial due to insufficient drop- off and parking. Widen 24th Street and provide curb, gutter and sidewalk as required by the Master Street Plan. Dedicate 20 foot radius area for 25 foot turning radius at the corner of West 24th and Valmar Streets. All street plans are to be prepared by a registered engineer. Compliance with the City's Stormwater Detention Ordinance is required. 6. Utility Comments Little Rock Wastewater Utility reports sewer is available in the alley. Contact Wastewater Utility for details. 7. Analysis Word of Outreach Ministries proposes to enlarge this one- story, 950± square foot residential structure by adding a two-story, 4,480 square foot addition. Once completed, the 2 January 10, 1995 SUHDIVISIQ ITEM NO.: 8 (Cont.) FILE NO.: Z--5933 ground floor of the structure is proposed to be used as day care center/preschool with an enrollment of 75 children, ages 5 months to 5 years. The day care/preschool will have a staff of 6 employees. The upper floor of the new addition will contain a single family dwelling to be occupied by a ministry staff member. The property is zoned R-3, requiring a conditional use permit to allow for this expansion of word of Outreach's ministries. In reviewing this application, several items of concern were noted which cause staff to question the appropriateness of this proposed day care center/preschool. A day care center/preschool of the magnitude proposed by the applicant would be a significant intrusion into this single family residential neighborhood. Until this point, Word of Outreach has focused primarily on development south of 24th Street. The ministry's activities have, for the most part, taken place on properties fronting onto Asher Avenue. The couple of properties north of West 24th Street which are currently occupied by Word of Outreach Ministries, are used in a residential fashion. Staff is concerned about this movement of non-residential activity north of West 24th Street, into the residential neighborhood. Staff believes it is appropriate for the applicant to submit a Master Plan, charting future growth in the area and setting appropriate boundaries and parameters which take into consideration the residential integrity of the adjacent neighborhood. The proposed day care center/preschool will have an enrollment of 75 children with 6 employees, requiring 13 on-site parking spaces plus an adequate and safe drop- off/pickup area. The proposed residence requires 1 on-site parking space, giving a total of 14 on-site parking spaces plus the drop-off/pickup area. The applicant proposes to construct 2 parking spaces on the front of the property, at the corner of Valmar and West 24th Streets. A 2 car drop- off/pickup area is proposed to be constructed parallel to West 24th Street. Once the required right-of-way dedication and street improvements are complete, including the reconstruction of the radius at the intersection, these spaces will no longer be usable. Traffic Engineering has stated that the proposed parking spaces at the intersection create a sight -distance problem and must be removed from the plan. This property is not contiguous to other Word of Outreach properties and any required parking/drop-off spaces should be provided on the site. In order to accommodate the proposed enrollment of 75 children, the applicant proposes to add a 4,480 square foot addition to an existing 950+ square foot structure. The proposed, two-story addition will have a reduced rear yard 3 January 10, 19'95 SUBDIVISION ITEM NO.: $ (Cont.) FILE NO.: Z-5933 setback of 5 feet, 11 inches. The ordinance requires a rear yard setback of 25 feet. The property in question is a small, 50 foot by 140 foot residential lot. There is no room on the site for the required parking spaces, resulting in most individuals having to park off-site, either on other ministry owned property south of West 24th Street or on the public streets. Staff feels that the proposed development is an overbuilding of the lot. 8. Staff Recommendation Staff recommends denial of this application as being incompatible with the residential neighborhood, an intense overbuilding of the site and unable to meet Ordinance Standards for setbacks and parking requirements. SUBDIVISION COMMITTEE COMMENT: (DECEMBER 22, 1994) The applicant was not present. Staff presented the item and outlined the parking, Landscaping and City Engineer Comments noted above. David Scherer, of the City Engineer's Office, explained the required right-of-way dedication and street improvements and how those requirements would impact the property. The Planning Staff voiced concerns about the level of activity proposed for this site and questioned whether the applicant was proposing an inappropriately intense development in a residential neighborhood. The Committee determined that Word of Outreach should submit a Master Plan for proposed growth in the area. After further discussion, the Committee forwarded the item to the full Commission. PLANNING COMMISSION ACTION: (JANUARY 10, 1995) The applicant, James Washington, was present. There were no objectors present. Staff presented the item and informed the Commission that the application had been revised in response to concerns raised by staff and the Subdivision Committee. Copies of the revised application and site plan were presented to the Commission. The application, as revised, included the following provisions: 1. The expanded structure for the day-care/preschool will be one story only. 4 January 10,. 1995 SUBDIVISION ITEM NO.: $(Cont.)FILE NO.: Z-5933 2. The structure no longer requires a rear yard setback variance but does require side yard variances for two landings and stairways on the north and south side of the building. 3. Parking has been eliminated from the front of the property and the drop-off/pickup area has been eliminated from the 24th Street side. 4. Four on-site parking spaces will be provided at the rear of the property, taking access from the alley. 5. The proposed residential use has been eliminated from the proposal. 6. The day-care/preschool enrollment has been reduced to 45 children with 4 employees. The applicant stated that the majority of the employees live on the campus and will walk to work. Based on the revision, staff recommended approval, subject to compliance with the City's Landscape and Buffer Ordinances and compliance with the City Engineer's Comments. Staff informed the Commission that the revised site plan did not reflect required right-of-way dedication and Master Street Plan improvements. The applicant must submit a complete and corrected site plan incorporating these requirements. Mr. Washington offered no additional comments. A motion was made to approve the revised application as recommended by staff. The vote was 10 ayes, 0 noes and 1 absent. 5