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HomeMy WebLinkAboutZ-6754 Staff AnalysisOctober 25, 1999 Item No.: 7 File No. Owner: Address: Description: Zoned: Variance Requested: Justification: Present Use of Proper : Proposed Use of Property: Staff Report: A. Public Works Issues: Z-6754 Little Rock Chamber of Commerce 200 East Markham Street Part of Block 34, Original City GB A variance is requested from the off-street parking provisions of Section 36-417. There is a lack of space on the site to accommodate the needed building size and the required parking. Parking lot New Chamber of Commerce building Recommend Deferral until following: 1. Applicant needs to provide right-of-way documents clearly defining right-of-way proposed and existing right-of-way for Main Street Bridge and La Harpe Blvd. for AHTD approval prior to Board of Adjustment Action. Parking spaces shown will be changed significantly if this approval is not obtained. 2. Variances in design standards for curb radii, centerline radii, and pavement width must be submitted to AHTD for approval. 3. Pavement width of 25 feet from face of curb to face of curb and 33 feet from double yellow to face of curb on La Harpe Blvd. is acceptable to Staff -subject to AHTD approval. However, right-of-way width and median width for both La Harpe Blvd. and Markham Street require Board of October 25, 1999 Item No.: 7 (Cont.) Director's approval prior to issue going to Board of Adjustment. Pavement on Markham Street shall align with width west (40.5 wide back of curb to back of curb). Curb radii shall be improved to 30 feet and access ramp relocations will be required to include angled ramp at La Harpe Blvd. and Markham Street and ramp to west at Main Street. 4. Sidewalk on La Harpe Blvd. is to be buffered and be minimum 5 feet wide. 5. Curb line on La Harpe Blvd. west of drive is to be angled back to allow deceleration to maximum extent and to allow 6 feet sidewalk at closest point. 6. Parking shall be angled in lot to indicate one way movement and to make spaces accessible. 7. Right-of-way is to be widened on Markham to 5 feet from back of curb in area of bus drop off. 8. 5 foot sidewalks are needed between ballards and tree wells in bus drop off area. 9. Alignment on La Harpe Blvd. as shown, shall be coordinated with curb construction to east. If not, reconstruction will be required. 10. Traffic signals shall be relocated to accommodate construction at La Harpe Blvd. and Markham Street. B. Staff Analysis: The Greater Little Rock Chamber of Commerce proposes to construct a new, three story, 17,000 square feet building on the GB zoned property located at 200 East Markham Street. The project comprises the entirety of the block bounded by East Markham, La Harpe and the Main Street bridge. The proposed 17,000 office use requires 56 on-site parking spaces. (1 space per 300 square feet of building). The site plan proposes 27 parking spaces, 3 of which don't meet ordinance standards and must be removed, leaving 24 on-site parking spaces. The applicant is requesting a variance to allow for a reduction in the number of spaces. Staff is supportive of the requested variance. Although there is a shortage of public parking immediately adjacent to the site, there appears to be adequate parking available within the larger area around the site. A public parking deck is located one block to the south, at 2nd and Main Streets. A public parking lot with a 3 hour parking limit, is located across La Harpe, to the north. An hourly parking lot is located to the northeast, also across La Harpe. A 2 October 25, 1999 Item No.: 7 (Cont. substantial portion of the site is set aside for public plazas, reducing the area available for on-site parking. On September 16, 1999, the Planning Commission approved a comprehensive rezoning plan for Downtown Little Rock. The complex pattern of zoning, including the Central Little Rock Urban Renewal Project Zoning, will be replaced by the Urban Use (UU) and Low Density Residential (R4 -A) Districts. The Chamber site is included within the Urban Use District. No off-street parking is required in the'Urban Use District. The Board of Directors is schedule to act on the zoning plan on October 19, 1999. As it is currently worded, the Rezoning Ordinance will not take effect for 6 months after it is passed by the Board. There are numerous right-of-way issues yet to be resolved, as noted in Public Works Comments. Portions of the site proposed for development lie within current right-of-way. The applicant is working with the Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department and the City's Public Works Department to address those issues. The Public Works staff has suggested deferral of this item until these issues are resolved. The Planning Staff would prefer that the Board of Adjustment address the issue before it, the parking variance. Approval of the variance can be conditioned upon the other issues being resolved. If the right-of-way issues are not resolved, the site plan will have no value and the applicant will have to "start from scratch." C. Staff Recommendation: Staff recommends approval of the requested parking variance sublect to compliance with the following conditions: 1. Compliance with Public Works Comments including any variance of those requirements as may be granted by the Board of Directors. 2. Compliance with the Ordinances. BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT: Pat McGetrick was present were no objectors present. recommendation of approval conditions outlined in the City's Landscape and Buffer (OCTOBER 25, 1999) representing the application. There Staff presented the item and a subject to compliance with the " Staff Recommendation" above. 3 October 25, 1999 Item No.: 7 (Cont.) In response to questions from the Board, Mr. McGetrick stated that the Chamber employed 12-13 full-time persons and that 30 percent of the building area was taken up by an auditorium that would not be used on a daily basis. In response to a question from Norm Floyd, Mr. McGetrick stated that parking available in the area was sufficient to meet the Chamber's daily needs. Mr. McGetrick also stated that it was not financially feasible to put a parking structure under the building. A motion was made to approve the parking variance subject to compliance with the conditions proposed by staff. The motion was approved by a vote of 4 ayes, 1 noes and 0 absent. 4