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HomeMy WebLinkAboutZ-6851 Staff AnalysisMay 11, 2000 ITEM NO.: 26 FILE NO.: Z-6851 NAME: Earlene Sheppard - Conditional Use Permit TDCATION: 4421 West 17th Street OWNER/APPLICANT: Mandy Hackett / Earlene Sheppard PROPOSAL: To obtain a conditional use permit for a two -section 2,560 square foot, manufactured home as the primary residence on property zoned R-3, Single Family Residential, located at 4421 West 17th Street. ORDINANCE DESIGN STANDARDS: 1. SITE LOCATION: This site is located on the south side of 17th Street, between Washington and Peyton Streets. 2. COMPATIBILITY WITH NEIGHBORHOOD: The proposed site is zoned R-3, Single Family Residential, and is surrounded by R-3 zoned properties, most of which contain single family site built residences. This is a well established residential neighborhood and there are no other manufactured homes within the area. Based strictly on a technical review, this proposed home would be compatible with the neighborhood when set up to meet City requirements for set up and anchoring of manufactured homes. Staff has received letters from the Midway, Hope, Curran -Conway, and Oakforest Neighborhood Associations, and The Movers & Shakers Crime Group, all opposed to this application. Their primary , objections center on decreased property values and decreased appearance of the neighborhood. 3. ON SITE DRIVES AND PARKING: There is one typical residential curb cut for access to this site. Normal residential parking would be provided. May 11, 2000 SUBDIVISION ITEM NO.: 26 (Cont.) 4. SCREENING AND BUFFERS: No comments. 5. PUBLIC WORKS COMMENTS: No comments. FILE NO.: Z-6851 6. UTILITY, FIRE DEPT., AND CATA COMMENTS: No objections. 7. STAFF ANALYSIS: The applicant has requested a conditional use permit to place a two -section manufactured home on this R-3 Single Family Residential vacant property as the primary and only residence. The site is surrounded by R-3 zoned property containing single family site built houses. All siting requirements are met. Technically there are no issues. Staff believes this is a reasonable request and would not have an adverse impact on the neighborhood. 8. STAFF RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends approval of the conditional use permit and recommends the home be set up and anchored according to City Building Code requirements, and Little Rock City Ordinance Section 36-254 (d)(5) as follows: a. A pitched roof of three (3) in twelve (12 ) or fourteen (14) degrees or greater. b. Removal of all transport elements. c. Permanent foundation. d.Exterior wall finished so as_ to be compatible with the neighborhood. e.Orientation compatible with placement of adjacent structures. f. Underpinning with permanent materials. g. off-street parking per single-family dwelling standard. 2 May 11, 2000 SUBDIVISION ITEM NO.: 26 (Cont. SUBDIVISION COMMITTEE COMMENTS: FILE NO.: Z-6851 (APRIL 20, 2000) Jerry and Earlene Sheppard, and Mandy Hackett were present representing the application. Staff gave a brief description of the proposal. Neither the applicant nor Staff had any questions. The Committee had no questions, but they strongly recommended that the applicant contact the Hope Neighborhood Association and discuss the proposal. PLANNING COMMISSION ACTION: (MAY 11, 2000) Earlene Sheppard, the applicant, her son Jerry Sheppard the proposed occupant, and Mandy Hackett, the property owner, were present representing the application. There were six registered supporters and four registered objectors present. Staff presented the item with a recommendation for approval subject to compliance with the conditions listed under "Staff Recommendation," paragraph 8 above. Ms. Sheppard explained that she had decided to apply for a manufactured home at this site because it was the lot next door to her, and a cheaper alternative than adding on to her existing house. She added that she was trying to have her children live close to her because she was disabled and needed their care when she gets sick. She continued that her son had talked to the surrounding neighbors and to the Hope Neighborhood Association and hadn't received any opposition to the idea. Just recently she found out that many people did oppose the manufactured home because they felt it would decrease their property value. She stated that she didn't understand why it would since many of the existing houses were boarded up, illegal activities were occurring, the average cost of the existing homes was about $20,000 with a few in the $40,000 range, and this would be a brand new, nice $50,000+ manufactured home. She passed out pictures of some of the current houses in the area, and the manufactured home. Jerry Sheppard spoke in favor and basically reiterated Earlene Sheppard' s comments. 3 May 11, 2000 SUBDIVISION ITEM NO.: 26 (Cont.) FILE NO.: Z-6851 Robin Brooks, Barbara Williams, and Brae Lawrence spoke in favor of the proposal and stated they felt the manufactured home would not reduce the value of homes in the area, but would actually increase the value. Mandy Hackett, the property owner, spoke in favor of the proposal and stated that the Sheppards are good people and having her children close would be a good thing. Margie Haney spoke in favor of the proposal and stated that she was a long time resident in this neighborhood and that the neighborhood had deteriorated due to the drug activity and shootings. She asked why not get rid of the drug houses and let the manufactured home come in. She added that she wished she could get one. Valarie Conway, resident directly to the east of this site, spoke in opposition. She didn't like the way the front of the manufactured house would face the side of the lot instead of toward the street. She felt that it wasn't a traditional house, would be an eye sore, and decrease the value of her $60,000 home next door. She added that in her work with developing a neighborhood action plan that they wanted site built homes constructed, not manufactured homes brought in. She also submitted a copy of the petition of people opposed to the manufactured home. M. L. Morehead, resident at the northwest corner of Peyton and 17th Street, spoke in opposition. She stated that her house was worth more than $45,000 and that she felt this proposed manufactured home was being jammed into a long narrow lot and would be oriented differently than any other home in the area. Also, she felt many people in the neighborhood were working hard to upgrade their homes and improve the neighborhood, and that none of the homes immediately surrounding this vacant lot were the type of run down homes the Sheppard's had shown. She added that because of all the recent work people had done, that maybe the records the Sheppard's found did not reflect current values. She also stated that she talked to other people about manufactured homes and that the values do go down quickly according to her sources. She also was concerned whether the proposed manufactured home would be placed on a 4 May 11, 2000 SUBDIVISION ITEM NO.: 26 (Cont.) FILE NO.: z-6851 regular foundation like the other homes. If it wasn't, she felt that would bring down the property value too. She concluded by saying that she had worked hard to improve her neighborhood and that this proposal would detract from it. Glen Conway, resident immediately to the east, stated he wasn't specifically opposed to this proposal, but asked whether this home could be placed anywhere else in the City such as next to any of the Commissioners. He added that when the Sheppard's originally spoke to him about the proposal that he didn't know the size of the unit, and the proposed unit would take most of the lot. Kimberly Jones, another resident nearby also spoke in opposition. She stated that the value of her parent's house at 4322 W. 17th was also much more than $45,000, and that neither she nor her parents want the manufactured home in the neighborhood. Jerry Sheppard submitted to the Chair copies of the documents he used to determine the property values in the area. He added that he knew some homes were worth more, but that he felt that values in the $20,000 range were indicative of the values in the neighborhood in general. Commissioner Lowry stated that he couldn't vote in favor of an item when so many of the neighbors, about 50, showed their opposition by signing a petition. Commissioner Muse encouraged the applicant to look into acquiring an existing home in the area of adequate size, and taking advantage of resources available to renovate and expand homes in neighborhoods like this under programs to upgrade existing neighborhoods. He stated he didn't have anything against manufactured housing, but he was concerned about the orientation of the entrance and size of this particular unit for the lot being proposed. He couldn't vote for the item mainly because of the orientation. A motion was made to approve the application as submitted to include staff comments and recommendations. The motion failed by a vote of 3 ayes, 4 nays, 1 abstention, 2 absent, and 1 open position. Commissioner Rector abstained. 5