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HomeMy WebLinkAboutZ-6624-A Staff AnalysisJune 25, 2009 ITEM NO.: 9 FILE NO.: Z NAME: Little Rock Fire Department West Little Rock Fire Station - Conditional Use Permit LOCATION: 4500 Rahling Road OWNER/APPLICANT: City of Little Rock, Gregory Summers - Fire Chief PROPOSAL: A conditional use permit is requested to allow for - construction of a City Fire Station on this undeveloped, 2.65 acre, R-2 zoned tract. SITE LOCATION: W -Al The site is located at the southwest corner of the intersection of Rahling Road and Taylor Loop Road. 2, COMPATIBILITY WI_rH NEIGHBORHOOD: This site and all surrounding properties are zoned R-2, residential. Single family residences are located on the properties to the north, south and west. A church occupies the property across Rahling Road to the east. The proposed station will be located on the northern portion of the tract. The southern portion may be developed as a small, neighborhood park. Until that time, that portion of the site will remain wooded. The western portion of the site will remain wooded, providing a buffer against the residences located beyond a natural drainage ditch to the west. The property is located at the intersection of a collector and minor arterial street with another institutional used located nearby. LRFD intends to construct the building to be compatible with the surrounding homes. Staff believes the site could be developed to be compatible with the neighborhood. All owners of properties located within 200 feet of the site, all residents within 300 feet who could be identified and the Westchester/Heatherbrae and Secluded Hills Neighborhood Associations were notified of this request. 3. ON SITE DRIVES AND PARKING: The site will have access from both Taylor Loop Road and Rahling Road.. A parking lot will be constructed in front of the building on the Taylor Loop side. Additional parking will be located behind the building. Fire engines will exit the site out of the drive on Taylor Loop Road and will enter the station from the Rahling Road drive. June 25, 2009 ITEM NO.: 9 Cont. FILE NO.: Z -6624-A 4. SCREENING AND BUFFERS: Site plan must comply with the City's landscape and buffer ordinance requirements. An automatic irrigation system is required for all the newly planted landscaped areas on the site. A landscape plan with the seal of a Registered Landscape Architect will be required prior to the issuance of a building permit. The City Beautiful Commission recommends preserving as many existing trees as feasible on this tree -covered site. Credit toward fulfilling Landscape Ordinance requirements can be given when properly preserving trees of six (6) inch caliper or larger. 5. PUBLIC WORKS COMMENTS: 1. A Sketch Grading and Drainage Plan should be provided as required per Section 29-186 (e). 2. Taylor Loop Road is classified on the Master Street Plan as a collector street. A dedication of right-of-way thirty (30) feet from centerline will be required. Show the centerline of the right-of-way on the survey. 3. A twenty (20) foot radial dedication of right-of-way is required at the intersection of Taylor Loop Road and Rahling Road. 4. Easements are required for all storm water drainage areas. The existing creek should be located within a public dedicated drainage easement. The creek has been reported out of the banks during rain event. Considerations should be taken during improvement of the property. 5. Sidewalks with appropriate handicap ramps are required in accordance with Section 31-175 of the Little Rock Code and the Master Street Plan to be installed along Rahling Road at the property line. 6. With site development, provide design of street conforming to the Master Street Plan. Construct one-half street improvement to Taylor Loop Road including 5 -foot sidewalks with planned development. The new back of curb should be located eighteen (18) feet from the centerline adjacent to the subject property. The widening will require the extension of the box culvert. ii June 25, 2009 ITEM NO.: 9 [Cont. FILE NO.: Z -662=-A 7. Plans of all work in right-of-way shall be submitted for approval prior to start of work. Obtain barricade permit prior to doing any work in the right-of-way from Traffic Engineering at (501) 379-1805 (Travis Herbner). 8. A grading permit in accordance with Section 29-186 (c) & (d) will be required prior to any land clearing or grading activities at the site. Other than residential subdivisions, site grading and drainage plans must be submitted and approved prior to the start of construction. 9. Storm water detention ordinance applies to this property. Show the proposed location for storm water detention facilities on the plan. 10. If disturbed area is one (1) or more acres, obtain a NPDES storm water permit from the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality prior to the start of construction. 11. Street Improvement plans shall include signage and striping. Traffic Engineering must approve completed plans prior to construction. 12. Street lights are required by Section 31-403 of the Little Rock Code. Provide plans for approval to Traffic Engineering. Street lights must be installed prior to platting/certificate of occupancy. Contact Traffic Engineering 379-1813 (Steve Philpott) for more information. 13. Per Section 29-189 (d), groups of trees and individual trees that are not to be removed or are located within required undisturbed buffer areas shall be protected during construction by protective fencing and shall not be used for material storage or for any other purpose. 14. Driveway locations and widths do must meet the traffic access and circulation requirements of Sections 30-43 and 31-210. The width of driveway must not exceed thirty-six (36) feet. A variance must be requested for the proposed driveway spacing. Provide distance from the center of the driveways to the intersecting right-of-way. 6. UTILITY, FIRE DEPT. AND CATA COMMENTS: Wastewater: Sewer available to this project. Entergy: Ten (10) foot UG easement required along both street frontages. Centerpoint Energy: Approved as submitted. AT&T (SBC): No comment received. Water: All Central Arkansas Water requirements in effect at the time of request for water service must be met. A Capital Investment Charge based on the size of the meter connection(s) will apply to this project in 3 June 25, 2009 ITEM NO.: 9 Cont. FILE NO.: Z -6624-A addition to normal charges. Due to the nature of this facility, installation of an approved reduced pressure zone backflow preventer assembly (RPZ) is required on the domestic water service. This assembly must be installed prior to the first point of use. Central Arkansas Water (CAW) requires that upon installation of the RPZA, successful tests of the assembly must be completed by a Certified Assembly Tester licensed by the State of Arkansas and approved by CAW. The test results must be sent to CAW's Cross Connection Section within ten (10) days of installation and annually thereafter. Contact the Cross Connection Section at 377-1226 if you would like to discuss backflow prevention requirements for this project. The Little Rock Fire Department needs to evaluate this site to determine whether additional public and/or private fire hydrant(s) will be required. If additional fire hydrant(s) are required, they will be installed at the Developer's expense. Fire Department: Install and place fire hydrants per code. County Planning: No Comments. CATA: This site is not located on a CATA bus route. SUBDIVISION COMMITTEE COMMENT: (JUNE 4, 2009) Fire Chief Gregory Summers and LRFD Administrative Services Manager Paula Patterson were present. Staff presented the item and noted some additional information was needed. Staff asked that the applicant provide information on building height and design, signage and fencing. Staff asked if fire engines would exit onto Rahling Road or Taylor Loop Road and at what point vehicle sirens would be activated. Staff noted the proposed park area would be developed as a separate phase. Public Works Comments were discussed at length. The applicant was advised to have the street centerlines noted on the survey and to request a variance for driveway locations. It was noted that the remainder of the comments would apply at the time of building permit submittal. Landscape and Utility Comments were noted. Chief Summers informed the Committee that a neighborhood meeting was scheduled for June 15 at 5:30 p.m. He stated the meeting would be held at the CALS branch located on Rahling Circle. The applicant was advised to respond to staff issues by Wednesday, June 10, 2009. The Committee forwarded the item to the full Commission. C! June 25, 2009 ITEM NO.: 9 (Cont STAFF ANALYSIS: ILE NO.: Z -6624-A The City of Little Rock Fire Department is requesting approval of a conditional use permit to allow for construction of a new fire station on the R-2 zoned property located at 4500 Rahling Road. On March 4, 1999, a conditional use permit was approved for a fire station on this site. Due to a lack of funding, the station was not built. The City will be applying for an American Recovery and Reinvestment Act grant for funding to construct the fire station. One of the requirements for a city to receive this grant is to have a project that is "shovel - ready" at the time the grant is awarded. The City is proposing to construct a two - bay station on the north half of the site. The southern half is shown as a small, neighborhood park. Funding from the grant cannot be used toward the park. The Fire Department will work with staff of the City's Park Department in an effort to have the park area constructed. Approval of the C.U.P. will allow the park to also be constructed but will not mandate that the park be constructed in conjunction with the station since funding will be from different sources. The fire department proposes to construct a one-story building. Materials and design have not been selected. However, the department states the building will be constructed in a manner that is aesthetically compatible with the neighborhood. Signage will consist of wall signage containing the department name and station number. There are no plans for any fencing. Fire engines will exit the site onto Taylor Loop Road and enter the site from Rahling Road. This design is needed in order to eliminate the need for fire apparatus turning around on Rahling Road or the need for a traffic signal at this site. In accordance with federal law, vehicle sirens will be activated immediately upon exiting the station. There is no bill of assurance for this acreage tract. Staff is supportive of the proposal to construct a fire station and neighborhood park on this site. Little Rock presently has a Class 2 rating with the Insurance Services Office (ISO). The ISO rating measures the major elements of a community's fire suppression system and develops a numerical grade. Insurance companies use these ratings in establishing premiums for both commercial and residential property policies. This rating affects the entire city; consequently, the better the rating the lower the insurance premiums will be citywide. The property at Taylor Loop and Rahling Road is located in the western part of the city, which has experienced tremendous growth in recent years. Little Rock's westward growth has created a critical need for a fire station in that area. According to ISO, the criterion for station placement is determined by actual road miles. Engine company placement should be within 1.5 miles and ladder trucks should be within 2.5 miles of residential structures and business establishments. 5 June 25, 2009 ITEM NO.: 9 (Cont.) FILE NO.: Z -6624-A This location will enable the Little Rock Fire Department to meet the parameters of the ISO regulations. Variances are requested for driveway widths and spacing. City code requires driveways on collector streets such as Taylor Loop Road to be located 250 feet from other driveways or intersections and 125 ft. from the property line. Due to the configuration of the property along Taylor Loop Road, these code requirements cannot be met. Staff recommends approval of the variance for driveway spacing on Taylor Loop Road. City code requires driveways on minor arterial streets such as Rahling Road to be located 300 feet from other driveways or intersections and 150 ft. from the property line. Since this driveway will be used for fire apparatuses to only enter the fire facility to eliminate the need for fire apparatus turning around on Rahling Road or the need for a traffic signal at this site, staff recommends approval of the variance for driveway spacing on Rahling Road. City code requires the maximum driveway width to be 36 ft. in width. Since the facility is a fire station with fire apparatuses beyond the normal vehicle size with large turning radiuses, staff recommends approval of the variance to increase the driveway width to 40 feet. STAFF RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends approval of the requested C.U.P. to allow construction of a fire station and park on this site subject to compliance with the comments and conditions outlined in Sections 4, 5 and 6 of the agenda staff report. Staff recommends approval of the variances to allow reduced driveway spacing and increased driveway width as proposed. PLANNING COMMISSION ACTION: (JUNE 25, 2009) The applicants were present. There were several objectors present. Letters of support had been received from an area resident and from the Westchester-Heatherbrae Neighborhood Association. Staff presented the item and noted some modifications had been made in response to concerns raised by the neighbors. Staff noted the driveway onto Taylor Loop Road had been removed and the site would have two driveways onto Rahling Road. Staff noted the building had been moved further south on the site, allowing for more buffering along Taylor Loop Road. Staff stated the park element had been removed from the plan since the building and parking had been pushed south 9 June 25, 2009 ITEM NO.: 9(Cont.)FILE NO.: Z -6624-A on the site. Staff stated there would likely be a future emergency traffic signal installed on Rahling Road since the fire trucks would now be exiting onto Rahling, not Taylor Loop. Staff noted an area along the west perimeter of the site was incorrectly labeled as an undisturbed tree mass. Public Works staff had determined that necessary drainage work on the creek that traverses the site would result in loss of some of that western tree mass. Staff recommended approval of the application, subject to compliance with the conditions outlined in Sections 4, 5 and 6 of the agenda staff report. Staff also recommended approval of driveway spacing variances for the driveways on Rahling Road and driveway width variances. Little Rock Fire Chief Gregory Summers addressed the Commission. He stated the City had been trying to build a station in the area since 1998. He stated there was now the possibility of the City obtaining a grant to build the station. Chief Summers stated the criteria for the grant included the City having to own the land and having an approved plan. He stated the most recent ISO study showed the City to be five stations short of the recommended number for a City of Little Rock's size and population. Chief Summers stated the ISO study specifically identified this location for a station. Chief Summers stated the station would be designed to complement the neighborhood. He said it was appropriate to have fire stations in neighborhoods. Cory Boelkens, of 4211 Wesley Drive, spoke in opposition. He cited concerns about the traffic, noise and reduced property values that could result from having a fire station in the neighborhood. Mr. Boelkens noted three stations that he said were within fifteen minutes of the neighborhood. He stated removal of the trees from the site would reduce privacy. Kay Crutchfield, of 18 Hanna Lane, said she echoed the same sentiments. She questioned how the Fire Department determined service areas. Forest Snow, of 4212 Forest Dale Dr., stated he had the same concerns. He presented a petition signed by 49 persons who opposed the proposed fire station. He suggested placing the station on Cantrell Road. Marty White, of 4215 Wesley drive, said he had the same concerns. He stated he moved to his home in 2000 and knew the site was approved for a fire station but he did not know the details. He said other fire stations were not located within three -hundred feet of residences. Mr. White stated he would rather have a police substation than a fire station. Preston Zachary, of 15211 Taylor Loop Road, voiced concerns about noise and drainage. 7 June 25, 2009 ITEM NO.: 9 (Cont. FILE NO_: Z -6624-A Franchelle Owen, of 4201 Wesley drive, voiced concerns about drainage and said she did not want to see a deep ditch. Chief Summers responded that the project would address drainage concerns. He stated the Fire department did not need fifteen minute response times. He stated the goal was four minutes for initial response and eight minutes for full -on response. He stated the City was barely maintaining a Class 2 ISO rating. Chief Summers stated the fire insurance for every resident of the City would be affected if the ISO rating went up from a Class 2 to a Class 3. He stated he had met with neighborhood residents and had tried to address their concerns. Chief Summers stated the Fire Department was not trying to invade the community but was trying to enhance the community. Commissioner Adcock asked Chief Summers to estimate the anticipated number of runs to be made from this station. Chief Summers responded that he estimated three -hundred calls per year and most would be medical responses. In response to questions from Commissioner Rouse, Chief Summers stated the outside speakers on the site would only be used during daylight hours. He stated sirens on the vehicles would be operated as needed to exit the site onto the road. Chief Summers stated the area of need was now more clearly defined than ten years ago. He stated the building would likely be constructed of rock, brick and siding to match the architecture of the church located across Rahling Road. The Chief discussed the locations of other stations in west Little Rock and noted the area of required coverage was out of compliance with ISO standards. Commissioner Laha noted to Mr. White that he had moved into his home in 2000, after the fire station had been initially approved. Mr. White stated he had not been made aware of plans for a station until a few months after he moved in. In response to a question from Commissioner Laha, Mr. White stated knowing about the station would have made a difference in whether or not he bought his property. Commissioner Rouse asked Mr. White if the Chief's statement that the outside speakers would not be used after dark made a difference. Mr. White continued to question the need for the station. Vice -chair Yates commented that the proposed station had been on the City's plans for many years. He stated the issue had been thoroughly discussed both in the past and currently. A motion was made to approve the application, including the variances, subject to compliance with the comments and conditions noted in the staff recommendation above. The motion passed with a vote of 7 ayes, 0 noes and 4 absent. LV