HomeMy WebLinkAboutZ-3726-C Staff ReportOWNER: Dillard Store Services , Inc.
APPLICANT: Tim Daters, White Daters Engineers
ADDRESS: 1310 Cantrell Road
LEGAL DESCRIPTION: Lots 1,2, & 3, Weeks Subdivision of Block 359, Original City of Little Rock, Arkansas and Part of Lot 1, Allen and Marquands Subdivision of Block 358 Original
City of Little Rock, less and except ROW.
CURRENT ZONING: O-3 and C-3
PRESENT USE: Data Center
PROPOSED USE: Data Center
VARIANCE(S) REQUESTED: Variances are requested from the height and area provisions of Section 36-516 to allow an increased fence height from six (6) feet to eight (8) feet between
a required building setback line and a street right-of- way.
JUSTIFICATION: The applicant’s justification is presented in an attached letter.
STAFF REPORT:
PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT CIVIL ENGINEERING COMMENTS:
No comments required.
B. LANDSCAPE AND BUFFER COMMENTS:
No comments.
C. BUILDING CODES COMMENTS:
No comments required.
D. ANALYSIS:
The O-3 / C-3 zoned property located at 1310 Cantrell Road is occupied by a single-story office building with paved parking along the western perimeter of the site. The building is
set 25-feet from the front (south) property line bordering Cantrell Road, 200-feet from the east property line, over 180-feet from the west property line, and
over 18 feet from the rear (north) property line bordering the Lake Terry portion of the Arkansas River.
The building is located at the eastern most border of the larger Dillard Office campus and serves as the primary data center for the company. The building is bordered to the west by
an existing 47-space paved parking area with an access drive connecting to Cantrell Road to the south. The applicant is proposing to construct a metal frame security fence, 8-foot in
height, on the southwest portion of the site to enclose the parking area and provide a gate at the access drive.
The sketch provided indicates that the fence will begin at the southwest corner of the building and run approximately 40-feet west to the edge of the access drive to the new access gate.
The applicant states that the electric swing gate will consist of two (2) 14-foot sections and will have an automatic card access system. The fence is shown to then turn south and
travel for 25-feet. The fence then turns west bordering Cantrell Road along the north edge of the property for 100-feet terminating at an existing flagstone retaining wall at the west
edge of the site.
Section 36-516 (e)(2) of the City’s Zoning Ordinance states that the office and commercial fence standards; “Between a required building setback line and a street right-of-way, the maximum
height shall be six (6) feet. Other fences may be erected to a maximum height of eight (8) feet.” Therefore, the applicant is requesting a variance to allow a security fence to a height
to eight (8) feet between the building setback line and a street right-of-way.
Staff is supportive of the requested fence height variance. Staff views the request as reasonable and the variance request to generally be in conformance with the development pattern
in the area and notes that nearby office and commercial developments have similarly constructed security fences. The proposed fence will essentially enclose the parking area of the
property and provide controlled access to the site in general. Staff believes that the increased fence height will have no adverse impact on the surrounding properties.
E. STAFF RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends approval of the requested fence height variance to allow a security fence to be constructed to a height of 8-feet between the required building setback and the street
right-of-way as per the staff analysis and submitted survey / site plan.