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Home My WebLink AboutZ-9746 - PC Action Letter 021523February 9, 2023 ITEM NO.: D FILE NO.: Z-9746 NAME: Rivera Event Center – Conditional Use Permit LOCATION: 7521 Geyer Springs Road DEVELOPER: Jesus Rivera 7521 Geyer Springs Road Little Rock, AR 72209 (501) 859-5264 OWNER/AUTHORIZED AGENT: Jesus Rivera 7521 Geyer Springs Road Little Rock, AR 72209 (501) 859-5264 SURVEYOR/ENGINEER: Joe White / Joe White and Associates 25 Rahling Circle, Suite A-2 Little Rock, AR 72203 (501) 214-9141 AREA: 1.19 acres NUMBER OF LOTS: 1 FT. NEW STREET: 0 LF WARD: 2 PLANNING DISTRICT: 13 CENSUS TRACT: 20.02 CURRENT ZONING: C-3 VARIANCE/WAIVERS: No variances requested. A. PROPOSAL/REQUEST/APPLICANT’S STATEMENT: The applicant is requesting a Conditional Use Permit to allow the use of an existing single-story C-3 zoned commercial building for an event center. February 9, 2023 ITEM NO.: D (Cont.) FILE NO.: Z-9746 2 B. EXISTING CONDITIONS: The property is currently developed containing a 7,850 square foot commercial building, paved parking lot for up to (91) vehicles, and two (2) access drives connecting to Geyer Springs Road along the west perimeter of the property. C. NEIGHBORHOOD NOTIFICATIONS: All owners of property located within 200 feet of the site and all neighborhood associations registered with the City of Little Rock were notified of the public hearing. D. ENGINEERING COMMENTS: Existing building and site shall comply with accessibility requirements per AR Fire Prevention Code 3411.4.2 which includes: one accessible building entrance, one accessible route from the accessible building entrance to the accessible parking aisles and stalls and providing required number of accessible parking stalls and aisles. These requirements are to be provided to the maximum extent technically feasible on site. E. UTILITIES/FIRE DEPARTMENT/PARKS/COUNTY PLANNING: Little Rock Water Reclamation Authority: No comments. Entergy: No comments received. Summit Energy: No comments received. AT & T: No comments received. Central Arkansas Water: NO OBJECTIONS; All Central Arkansas Water requirements in effect at the time of request for water service must be met. Fire Department: Maintain Access: Fire Hydrants. Maintain fire apparatus access roads at fire hydrant locations as per Appendix D of the 2012 Arkansas Fire Prevention Code Vol. 1 Section D103.1 Access road width with a hydrant. Where a fire hydrant is located on a fire apparatus access road, the minimum road width shall be 26 feet, exclusive of shoulders. February 9, 2023 ITEM NO.: D (Cont.) FILE NO.: Z-9746 3 Grade Maintain fire apparatus access roads as per Appendix D of the 2012 Arkansas Fire Prevention Code Vol. 1 Section D103.2 Grade. Fire apparatus access roads shall not exceed 10 percent in grade except as approved by the fire chief. If the grade exceeds 10 percent, approval will be denied and the applicant must submit request to be reviewed by Fire Chief for Approval. Loading Maintain fire apparatus access road design as per Appendix D of the 2012 Arkansas Fire Prevention Code Vol. 1 Section D102.1 Access and loading. Facilities, buildings or portions of buildings hereafter constructed shall be accessible to fire department apparatus by way of an approved fire apparatus access road with an asphalt, concrete or other approved driving surface capable of supporting the imposed load of fire apparatus weighing at least 75,000 pounds. Fire Hydrants Locate Fire Hydrants as per Appendix C of the 2012 Arkansas Fire Prevention Code. Section C101 – C105, in conjunction with Central Arkansas Water (Daniel Tull 501-377-1245) and the Little Rock Fire Marshal’s Office (Capt. Tony Rhodes 501-918-3757, or Fire Marshal Derek N. Ingram 501-918- 3756 Number and Distribution of Fire Hydrants as per Table C105.1. Parks and Recreation: No comments received. County Planning: No comments received. F. BUILDING CODES/LANDSCAPE: Building Code: No comments received. Landscape: No Comments. G. TRANSPORTATION/PLANNING: Rock Region Metro: No comments received. Planning Division: No comments. H. ANALYSIS: The applicant is requesting a Conditional Use Permit to allow the use of an existing single-story C-3 zoned commercial building for an event center. February 9, 2023 ITEM NO.: D (Cont.) FILE NO.: Z-9746 4 The property is currently developed containing a 7,850 square foot commercial building, paved parking lot for up to (91) vehicles, and two (2) access drives connecting to Geyer Springs Road along the west perimeter of the property. The site plan shows an existing parking configuration including ninety-one (91) spaces which exceeds the required minimum. Staff believes the current number of parking spaces will be sufficient to serve the proposed uses. The applicant proposes to host events such as wedding receptions, baptisms, birthday parties, Quincereas, and graduation parties with hours of operation between 12:00 p.m. and 12:00 a.m. Fridays through Sundays. The applicant notes that the building is currently finished out with an estimated maximum occupancy of 500 which will be regulated by the fire code and that “booking operations” will be held in the space Monday through Thursday. The applicant notes that the renter (host) of the event will be responsible for service of food or beverages served at the events and that no alcoholic beverages or food service will be provided at the events by the owner of the building. The proposed site plan shows a proposed screened dumpster located at the southeast corner of the developed lot. The dumpster must be screened as per Section 36-523 of the City’s Zoning Ordinance. All new site lighting is low level and directed away from adjacent properties per ordinance requirements. The site plan shows existing signage between the existing Geyer Springs Road access drives. All new signage on the property must comply with Section 36-555 of the zoning ordinance (signs permitted in Commercial zones). The applicant provided responses and additional information to all issues raised during staff’s review of the application. The applicant requested no variances with the proposed Conditional Use Permit. Staff is supportive of the requested Conditional Use Permit to allow the development of an event venue in the existing commercial building. Staff views the request as reasonable. The property is in an area surrounded by similar uses and zoning, with similar commercial developments adjacent to the property to the north, west, and south long Geyer Springs Road. Staff believes the proposed use will have no adverse impact on the surrounding properties. I. STAFF RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends approval of the requested Conditional Use Permit to allow the proposed event center use, subject to compliance with the comments and February 9, 2023 ITEM NO.: D (Cont.) FILE NO.: Z-9746 5 conditions outlined in paragraph E, and the staff analysis, of the agenda staff report. PLANNING COMMISSION ACTION: (JANUARY 12, 2023) The applicant was not present. There were no persons present registered in opposition. Staff informed the Commission that the applicant failed to send the required notices to surrounding property owners as required. Therefore, staff recommended the application be deferred to the February 9, 2023 agenda. There was no further discussion. The item remained on the consent agenda and was deferred as recommended by staff. The vote was 10 ayes, 0 nays, 0 absent and 1 open position. PLANNING COMMISSION ACTION: (FEBRUARY 9, 2023) The applicant was present. There were no persons present registered in opposition. Staff presented the item and a recommendation of approval as outlined in the “staff recommendation” above. There was no further discussion. The item remained on the consent agenda for approval as recommended by staff, including all staff comments and conditions. The vote was 10 ayes, 0 nays and 1 absent.