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HomeMy WebLinkAboutZ-6577 Staff AnalysisDecember 3, 1998 ITEM NO.: C FILE NO.• Z-6577 NAME• LOCATION• OWNER APPLICANT: PROPOSAL: ORDINANCE DESIGN STANDARDS: 1. Site Location: Little Rock Fire Station Conditional Use Permit 14215 Taylor Loop Road Donald L. Warmack Estate/ City of Little Rock A conditional use permit is requested to allow for construction of a City of Little Rock Fire Station on this R-2 zoned 1.03 acre tract. The property is located on the east side of the east end of Taylor Loop Road, approximately 1,100 feet south of Cantrell Road. 2. Compatibility with Neighborhood: The property is located within a single family residential neighborhood. All abutting properties are zoned R-2 and occupied by single family homes. Fire stations have traditionally been viewed as an acceptable element of neighborhoods. This particular station will be constructed in a residential design to blend more easily with the neighborhood. Of Little Rock's 21 existing fire stations, 11 are either within or adjacent to residential neighborhoods. The site will be developed to conform to all required screening and landscaping codes. Staff believes the use is compatible with the neighborhood. The Westchester and Secluded Hills Neighborhood Associations were notified of the proposal. 3. On -Site Drives and Parkincr: The site is served by a'single driveway taking access from Taylor Loop Road. There are 12 on-site parking spaces which have been determined to be adequate for the proposed station. One of the 12 spaces is designated as handicap accessible. December 3, 1998 SUBDIVISION ITEM NO.: C Cont. FILE NO.: Z-6577 4. Screening and Buffers: Areas set aside for buffers and landscaping meet ordinance requirements when averaged out. However, a portion of the proposed north parking area projects 8 feet into the required land use buffer width of 15 feet along the northern perimeter. A 6 foot high opaque screen, either a wooden fence or dense, evergreen plantings are required along the northern, southern and eastern property lines. 5. Public Works Comments: 1. Taylor Loop Road is listed on the Master Street Plan as a minor arterial. A dedication of right- of-way to 45 feet from centerline is required. 2. Provide design of streets conforming to "MSP" (Master Street Plan). Construct one-half street improvement to these streets including 5 foot sidewalks with planned development. 3. Stormwater detention ordinance applies to this property. 6. Utility and Fire Department Comments: No comments were received from the utility companies. The applicant should contact the various agencies to determine what requirements pertain to this proposal. The Fire Department has approved this site location and design. 7. Staff Analysis: The City of Little Rock is requesting a conditional use permit to allow for construction of a new fire station on the R-2 zoned, 1.03 acre tract located at 14215 Taylor Loop Road. The site is currently vacant. The previous owner cleared the site and did some grading to level the property. The property is located on the east side of the east end of Taylor Loop Road, between the Westchester and Secluded Hills Neighborhoods. All surrounding properties are zoned R-2 and are occupied by single family homes. A variety of commercial and office uses are located further north of the site, closer to the Taylor Loop/Cantrell Road intersection. The site consists of one lot which is 150 feet wide and 300 feet deep. The proposed fire station building itself is 71 feet by 127.3 feet, a total of 9,038 square feet. Two bays are proposed on the south side K December 3, 1998 SUBDIVISION ITEM NO.: C (Cont.) FILE NO.: Z-657 of the building. A single driveway will take access from Taylor Loop Road and 12 on-site parking spaces are proposed. The building itself will be constructed in a manor that will present a residential appearance from the street. The building will be one-story in height and will have a brick or rock finish and a pitched roof with shingles. The applicant has stated that the building will be constructed similar to Station No. 21, located at 17000 Chenal Valley Drive. Staff believes the proposal to be reasonable and recommends approval of the conditional use permit. There are several uses that, although not residential in nature, are typically found in residential areas and are considered part of the fabric of a neighborhood. These include churches, schools, fire stations and, more recently, alert centers and police substations. The conditional use permit process offers an opportunity to review the development of these uses to assure that they are compatible with the adjacent residential neighborhood. Every effort will be made to develop this site in a manor that will be compatible with and will have the least negative impact on the neighborhood. The goal of the Little Rock Fire Department is to establish a fire department station in each area of the City that is required to maintain the City's class II fire rating. The closest fire station to this location is approximately five miles away. In order to meet the requirements of the Insurance Services Organization (ISO) and the City's class II rating, fire stations must be no more than three miles apart. This requires that each station be located within a specific area that is relatively small in size. The location of each station within that specific area is further dictated by the availability of land that will meet the Fire Department's needs for size and access. This proposed station is to be located on an arterial street that will provide easy access to the surrounding area via Taylor Loop, Rahling Road, Hinson Road or Cantrell Road. Eleven of the City's twenty-one existing fire stations are located within or adjacent to residential neighborhoods. Approval of this conditional use permit will contribute to the general health, welfare and safety of the citizens of Little Rock. 3 December 3, 1998 SUBDIVISION ITEM NO.: C Cont. FILE NO.: Z-6577 8. Staff Recommendation: Staff recommends approval of the requested conditional use permit subject to compliance with the following conditions: 1. Compliance with the City's Landscape and Buffer Ordinances. 2. Compliance with Public Works Comments. 3. All site lighting is to be low-level and directional, aimed away from adjacent residential properties. SUBDIVISION COMMITTEE COMMENT: (SEPTEMBER 24, 1998) Betty Riley, of the City of Little Rock Department of General Services, was present. Staff presented the item and described the proposal. The Public Works and Landscaping Comments were briefly discussed. The Committee determined there were no other issues and forwarded the item to the full Commission for final resolution. PLANNING COMMISSION ACTION: (OCTOBER 29, 1998) The applicant was present. There were several objectors present. Staff informed the Commission that the City was requesting deferral of the item to the December 3, 1998 meeting. The deferral was requested to allow the city to determine if there was another property in the area that would meet the Fire Department's requirements. There was no further discussion. A motion was made to waive the bylaws and accept the late request for deferral. The motion was approved by a vote of 8 ayes, 0 noes and 3 absent. The deferral request was placed on the Consent Agenda and approved by a vote of 8 ayes, 0 noes and 3 absent. PLANNING COMMISSION ACTION: (DECEMBER 3, 1998) The applicant was not present. There were no objectors present. Staff informed the Commission that the applicant had, on November 30, 1998, requested withdrawal of the item. 4 December 3, 1998 SUBDIVISION ITEM NO.: C Cont. FILE NO.: Z-6577 A motion was made to waive the bylaws and to accept the late request for withdrawal. The motion was approved by a vote of 7 ayes, 0 noes and 4 absent. The withdrawal request was placed on the Consent Agenda and approved by a vote of 7 ayes, 0 noes and 4 absent. 5