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HomeMy WebLinkAboutZ-5844 Staff AnalysisApril 4, 1995 ITEM NO.: C FILE NO.: Z-5944 NAME: LOCATION: OWNER/APPLICANT: PROPOSAL: ORDINANCE DESIGN STANDARDS: 1. Site Location U -Haul of Arkansas - Conditional Use Permit 3221 John Barrow Road Kenneth Okpala and Jay Harrison A conditional use permit is requested to allow the rental of U -Haul trucks and trailers from the convenience store located on this C-3 zoned property. The applicant proposes to display approximately 4 trucks and 3 trailers on the site. The property is located at the northeast corner of West 33rd Street and John Barrow Road. 2. Compatibility with Neighborhood The subject property consists of a small strip shopping center located on the east side of Barrow Road, between West 32nd and West 33rd Streets. The center contains a small convenience store with gas pumps, a 4 -bay coin operated car wash, a beauty salon and a City of Little Rock neighborhood alert center. A second small, neighborhood commercial center is located southwest of this site, across John Barrow Road. These commercial properties are located on John Barrow Road, which bisects the John Barrow neighborhood, a large, primarily single-family development. Staff has taken a consistent position that any commercial uses on this portion of John Barrow Road should be more of a neighborhood commercial nature. Due to the relationship of these commercial properties to the adjacent single-family residential properties, low intensity, retail type uses are more appropriate. Staff does not believe the display and rental of trucks and trailers is compatible with the neighborhood. April 4, 1995 S BDIVISI ITEM No.: C Cont. FILE NO.: Z-5944 3. On -Site Drives and Parkin�r The site contains adequate parking and stacking space for the uses currently in place. The applicant has already parked trucks and trailers on the property. This creates two immediate problems. Some of the vehicles are being parked on an unpaved portion of the lot in violation of city code. Those vehicles parked on the pavement are taking up required parking and blocking the driveway. 4. Screening and Buffers A landscaping upgrade within the northern and northwestern buffer areas would serve to help improve the appearance of the site. If a larger area is paved to accommodate the parking of these vehicles, that new parking area must be landscaped and buffered to comply with city code. 5. City Engineer Comments Dedicate 5 feet of additional right-of-way for the alley. Dedicate 5 feet of additional right-of-way for West 33rd Street. If the alley is to be used as access, improve it to comply with code. 6. utility and Fixe Department Comments Parking of vehicles and trailers will have to be put in a designated area of the property so as not to interfere with Fire Department access to all of the property. 7. Analysis The applicant is requesting a conditional use permit to allow the rental of U -Haul trucks and trailers from the convenience store located on this C-3 zoned property. Staff cannot support the request and bases their opposition on the following issues. Staff has consistently taken the position that the commercial properties located in the heart of the John Barrow neighborhood should only be occupied by low intensity, neighborhood commercial uses. The display and rental of trucks and trailers is not consistent with this view. The site is relatively small, with limited area available for display and storage of trucks and trailers. Those vehicles already being displayed on the site are either parking on an unpaved portion of the property in violation of City Code or are parked in front of the 2 April 4, 1995 SUBDIVISION ITEM NO.: C Cont. FILE NO.: Z-5944 convenience store which creates a congested situation for other traffic on the site. 8. Staff Recommendation Staff recommends denial of this application as being too intense of a use and incompatible with the adjacent neighborhood. SUBDIVISION COMMITTEE COMMENT: (FEBRUARY 2, 1995) Jay Harrison, of U -Haul of Arkansas, was present. Staff presented the item and noted the City Engineer, Landscaping, Fire Department and Parking Comments outlined above. Mr. Harrison was directed to provide details on any proposed signage for the U -Haul business. He was also advised to provide a letter of authorization from the owner of the property and to have the owner of the property complete the right-of-way dedication form. Mr. Harrison stated that he would speak with the owner regarding the required paperwork and the required right-of-way dedication. A brief discussion then followed concerning the location of the trucks and trailers on the site. David Scherer, of the City Engineer's Office, explained the requirement to dedicate additional right-of-way for the alley and West 33rd Street.and to improve the alley. The Committee then forwarded the item to the full Commission. PLANNING COMMISSION ACTION: (FEBRUARY 21, 1995) Kenneth Okpala and Kenneth Vadnais were present representing the ` application. There were two objectors present representing the John Barrow Neighborhood Association. Staff presented the item and after outlining the concerns noted in the staff analysis, offered a recommendation of denial. Kenneth Vadnais, of U -Haul Co. of Arkansas, addressed the Commission. He stated that additional paving will be put in to accommodate the U -Haul trucks and trailers. Mr. Vadnais stated that this new parking area will be properly landscaped and buffered. He continued by stating that notices had been sent to adjacent property owners and there appeared to be no opposition to the proposed use. Mr. Vadnais-concluded by stating that there would be no vehicle repair taking place at this site and that the proposed use was appropriate for the neighborhood. 3 April 4, 1995 SUBDIVISION ITEM NO_: C (Cont,) FILE N Z-5944 Commissioner Adcock asked Mr. Vadnais if he had had any contact with the neighborhood association. Mr. Vadnais responded that the required notices had been sent and that he received no response. Commissioner Adcock stated that she had received negative comments from the neighborhood association. Commission Willis asked how many vehicles were to be displayed on the site. Mr. Vadnais responded that four trucks and four trailers of varying sizes were to be kept at this location. In response to a question from Commissioner Willis, Bob Brown, Plans Review Specialist, stated that a 6 foot wide buffer would be required on Barrow Road and a 13 foot wide buffer would be required on West 32nd Street if a new parking area was built. Betty Snyder, President of the John Barrow Neighborhood Association, addressed the Commission in opposition to the proposal. She stated that 45-50 persons present at a February 20, 1995 Association meeting voted to oppose the application. In response to a question from Chairman Walker, Ms. Snyder stated that the proposed use was out of character with the neighborhood, whether the parking area was paved and landscaped or not. George Brown, Vice President of the John Barrow Neighborhood Association, addressed the Commission in opposition to the item. He stated that the proposed use was not compatible with the John Barrow Neighborhood Plan which had been developed over the past 1 1/2 years. Mr. Brown stated that the neighborhood was united in support of the Plan. In response to a question from Commissioner Woods, Tim Polk, Assistant Director of the Department of Neighborhoods and Planning, stated that the John Barrow Neighborhood Plan encompassed John Barrow, Kensington, Campus Place and Twin Lakes neighborhoods. After further discussion, Commissioner Willis and Chairman Walker each expressed a desire to see a site plan showing the proposed new parking area and the associated landscaping and screening. Mr. Vadnais responded that a plan will be produced showing the proposed improvements. Mr. Polk stated that staff's recommendation would still be denial based on the inappropriate nature of this use in a primarily residential neighborhood. He stated that the John Barrow Neighborhood Plan indicated that any additional commercial uses should be located along Kanis Road or Asher Avenue. After a brief discussion, a motion was made to defer the item to the April 4, 1995 Commission meeting. The deferral was granted 4 April 4, 1995 SUBDIVISION ITEM O.: C (Cont.) FILE NO.: ti- 944 to allow the applicant to prepare a revised site plan and meet with the neighborhood. The vote was 8 ayes, 0 noes and 3 absent. BDIVISION COMMITTEE COMMENT: (MARCH 16, 1995) The applicant was not present. Staff informed the Committee that no revised site plan had been submitted showing the vehicle parking area and the associated landscaping and buffers. There was no discussion. The Committee forwarded the item to the full Commission. PLANNING COMM(APRIL 4, 1995) Kenneth Vadnais was present representing the application. There were 3 objectors present. Staff presented the item and informed the Commission that no site plan had been submitted showing the vehicle parking area and the associated landscaping and buffers. Staff also reminded the Commission that the recommendation was still denial of this application as being too intense of a use and incompatible with the adjacent neighborhood. Mr. Vadnais addressed the Commission. He stated that no site plan had been prepared because no expansion of the vehicle use area was proposed. He stated that the application was being amended to request only the parking of three trucks on the site, utilizing the existing paved area in front of the convenience store. Mr. Vadnais also informed the Commission that a meeting had been held with the John Barrow Neighborhood Association and the Association was still opposed to the proposed use. Commissioner Walker asked if there was no effort made to upgrade the site's landscaping or screening. Mr. Vadnais responded that the applicant could not afford such improvements. During a discussion of the site's landscaping, Commissioner Putnam asked why U -Haul did not pay to do the landscaping upgrade. Mr. Vadnais responded that U -Haul was only assisting the applicant and that the company could not afford to do such upgrades at its 13,000 sites nationwide. Commissioner Adcock stated the proposed use goes against the John Barrow Neighborhood plan. Betty Snyder, President of the John Barrow Neighborhood Association, addressed the Commission in opposition to the item. She stated that the proposed use was incompatible with the neighborhood and asked the Commission to deny the application. 5 April 4, 1995 SDIVISIO ITEM NO.: C (Cont.) FILE NO.: Z-5944 George Brown, Vice -President of the John Barrow Neighborhood Association, addressed the Commission in opposition to the item. He presented a petition signed by several neighborhood residents also opposed to the proposed U -Haul facility. Ruth Bell, of the League of Women Voters, spoke in opposition to the application. She stated that the proposed use went against the adopted John Barrow Neighborhood Plan. Kenneth Vadnais again briefly addressed the Commission and asked for approval of the application, as amended. After a further discussion of the landscaping and screening required on the site, the question was called and a vote taken. The vote was 0 ayes, 10 noes and 1 absent. The application was denied. 6