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HomeMy WebLinkAboutZ-6564 Staff AnalysisSeptember 28, 1998 Item No.: 7 File No.: Owner: Address: Description: Zoned: Variance Requested: Justification: Present Use of Pro ert : Proposed ❑se of Property: Staff Report: A. Public Works Issues: Z-6564 winrock Development Company 600 Wellington Village Road Part of the South 1/, SW 1/4, Section 31, T -1-N, R -13-W C-1 A variance is requested from the tower height restrictions of Section 36-201 to permit construction of a 199 foot tall television/radio tower. Justification is presented in an attached letter from the applicant, Citadel Communications. Vacant Radio Broadcast Studios 1. Wellington Village Road is listed on the Master Street Plan as a minor arterial. Alignment and preliminary plat have not been approved for this arterial. Full 90 foot dedication with approved preliminary plat required. 2. Provide design of street conforming to "MSP". Construct street including 5 foot sidewalk with planned development. 3. Driveways shall conform to Sec. 31-210 of Ordinance 16,577. 4. Stormwater detention Ordinance applies to this property. B. Staff Analysis: Citadel Communications Corporation proposes to develop a 2.3 acre, C-1 zoned site at 600 Wellington Village Road to allow for consolidation of its multiple radio stations. Citadel Communications operates ten commercial radio stations in the Central Arkansas area plus the Arkansas Radio Network. The multiple radio stations are currently broadcast from three locations in Little Rock including the KARN building on 2- 630 at Cedar, the Plaza West Building at McKinley and Lee Streets and the B-98 Building on Merrill Drive. Citadel September 28, 1998 Item M 7 (Con proposes to construct a single 20,000 square foot building on the Wellington Village Road site which would house all of its operations. A 199 foot tall radio tower is proposed for the site. The Code limits the height of metal, ground - mounted towers to 75 feet. Staff believes the proposal to be reasonable. The property is located in an as -yet undeveloped portion of the Villages of Wellington Subdivision, west of St. Charles and north of Chenal Parkway. All abutting properties are also undeveloped. The properties in the area are characterized by pasture and woods . Abutting zoning is C-1 and 0-2. Undeveloped, R-2 zoned property extends to the north. The nearest developed properties to the site are two churches, one located approximately 400 feet to the south and one approximately 800 feet to the northeast. The nearest developed single family property is approximately 1,000 feet to the northeast. The 199 foot tower is required to send the on -air signal to the ten stations' transmitter sites via microwave transmission. Microwave is a lower power, line -of -sight beam. The ten transmitter sites are located to the west, east, southeast, south and southwest. The farthest site is a distance of over 25 miles. The tower will be self- supporting, requiring no guy -wires, lighting or international orange/white painting. No roads currently reach the site. The required streets will be constructed, tying into streets which are "stubbed - out" from the north and south. Staff Recommendation: Staff recommends approval of the requested tower height variance subject to compliance with the following conditions: 1. The tower is to be painted a neutral color such as light blue/gray to more easily blend with the skyline. 2. Compliance with Public Works Comments 3. Compliance with any applicable FAA regulations for lighting the tower 4. There are to be no signs or logos on the tower. 5. Compliance with the City's Landscape and Buffer Ordinances 2 September 28, 1998 Item No.: 7 (Cont. BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT (SEPTEMBER 28, 1998) The applicant was present. There were no objectors present. Staff presented the item and a recommendation of approval subject to compliance with conditions outlined in the "Staff Recommendation" above. The applicant offered no additional comments. The item was placed on the Consent Agenda and approved subject to the following conditions: 1. The tower is to be painted a neutral color such as light blue/gray to more easily blend with the skyline. 2. Compliance with Public Works comments 3. Compliance with any applicable FAA regulations for lighting the tower. 4. There are to be no signs or logos on the tower. 5. Compliance with the City's Landscape and Buffer Ordinances The vote was 4 ayes, 0 noes and 1 absent.