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HomeMy WebLinkAboutZ-6187 Staff AnalysisSeptemb,Pr" %2, 1996 ITEM NO.: 6 Z-6187 Owner: Applicant: Location: Request: Purpose: Size: Existing Use: Crystal Hill Baptist Church Joe White, Jr. 16,500 Block of Lawson Road (at Crystal Valley Road) Rezone from R-2 to 0-3 Develop as offices for Pulaski Baptist Association 2.89± acres Vacant property SURROUNDING LAND USE AND ZONING North - Densely wooded and undeveloped; zoned 0-2 South - Church site; zoned R-2 East - Church site and cemetery; zoned R-2/Quarry; zoned I-2 West - Densely wooded and undeveloped; zoned R-2 PUBLIC WORKS COMMENTS The Boundary Street Ordinance requires improvements according to the Master Street Plan. A conference with staff is recommended prior to construction plan submittal to discuss the site plan and improvements required by ordinance. Drainage and excavation ordinances will apply to construction. Crystal Valley's 1992 traffic count was 1840 ADT. Lawson Road's 1992 traffic count was 4880 ADT east of this location. PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION ELEMENT There is no CATA bus route located within close proximity of this site. Septergber 12, 1996 ITEM NO.. Z-6187 Cant. LAND USE ELEMENT The site is located in the Ellis Mountain District. The adopted Land Use Plan recommends Public Institutional Use (PI). The request is for Office. The location is at the intersection of two arterials. An existing church and church related uses are to the east and south. There is industrial and mining to the northeast and to the west is residential. Staff would suggest amending the Plan to show the PI and Mixed Use area northwest of the Lawson -Crystal valley intersection as Office. Office use should provide a good transition from the industrial uses (east, northeast) to the residential uses (west). STAFF ANALYST The request before the Commission is to rezone this 2.89± acre tract from "R-2" Single Family to "0-3" General Office. The property is currently heavily wooded and undeveloped. The applicants propose to develop the site as offices for the Pulaski Baptist Association. The Pulaski Baptist Association serves as a type of "umbrella" organization for Southern Baptist churches located in that part of Pulaski County which is south of the Arkansas River. The property is located approximately 2.5 miles west of 1- 430, outside of the Little Rock city limits but within the City's zoning jurisdiction. The area is very rural in nature with the primary land use being large tracts of undeveloped woodland. Other uses in the immediate vicinity include a large tract of undeveloped 0-2 zoned property to the north, an R-2 zoned church site and cemetery across Lawson Road to the south and east and undeveloped R-2 property to the west. A large quarry is located along Lawson Road farther to the east. Portions of the quarry property are zoned I-2 and R-2. The Ellis Mountain District Land Use Plan recognizes the intersection of Lawson and Crystal valley Roads as appropriate for nonresidential uses. The properties directly at the intersection are shown as Public Institutional which is indicative of the Crystal Hill Baptist Church and cemetery being located on either side of the intersection. Directly north of the intersection, the Plan recommends Mixed Use and Light Industrial is shown farther east along Lawson Road. The intersection of these two arterial streets is an appropriate location for a small area of office zoning. The office zoning will provide a good transition from the Industrial uses on the east to the residential properties on the west. To further support this concept of establishing FA Septempper �2, 1996 ITEM NO.: 6 Z-6187(Cont.) Office to serve as a buffer, staff would recommend amending the Plan to show the PI and MX areas northwest of the intersection as Office. All of the area shown as MX in this area is already zoned 0-2. This is an appropriate and minor Plan Amendment which should benefit the residential uses to the west. STAFF RECOMMENDATION Staff recommends approval of the requested 0-3 zoning and of an amendment to the Ellis Mountain District Land Use Plan to show Office for the area northwest of the intersection of Lawson and Crystal Valley Roads. PLANNING COMMISSION ACTION: (SEPTEMBER 12, 1996) The applicant was present. There were no objectors present. Staff presented the stem and recommended approval of the requested 0-3 zoning and of the minor amendment to the Ellis Mountain District Land use Plan. The rezoning request and associated plan amendment were placed on the Consent Agenda and approved by a vote of 10 ayes, 0 noes and 1 absent. 3 NAME: Land Use Plan Amendment - Ellis Mountain District _LOCATION: Northwest of Lawson/Crystal Valley Roads REQUEST: Change Mixed Use and Public Institutional to Office SOURCE- Rezoning Request - Z-6187 STAFF REPORT: As part of the staff review of a rezoning case, the area around Lawson and Crystal Valley was reviewed. The Plan shows Mixed Use and Public Institutional. The request was for Office use. The area is not developed. There is a large ridge to the north and major roads (arterials) to the south and east. To the northeast is a mining operation and several heavy commercial uses. The zoning in the area is industrial and mining. To the south and southeast is an existing church and church related uses. The area is still basically rural in nature. The intersection is proposed to be a major one (the west Loop and Lawson Road). The ownership of the site has been by the church across the street. The use pattern was shown so as to allow expansion of the use. Since a church is an office, by right, use and since this is a major intersection an office classification appears appropriate. Further the Mixed use area (undeveloped) to the north is zoned "0-2" Office. Office has become a desired use between single family and higher uses Commercial and Industrial. Thus a change to Office appears appropriate. STAFF RECOMMENDATIO : Approval