HomeMy WebLinkAboutZ-9805 - Staff Report
File No.: Z-9805
Owners: Tim and Allison Hicks
Applicant: Tim Hicks
Address: 2221 North Spruce Street
Legal Description: Lot 20, Block 9, of the Country Club Addition to the City of Little Rock, Pulaski County Arkansas
Zoned: R-2
Present Use: Single-family Residence
Proposed Use: Single-family Residence
Variance(s) Requested: A variance is requested from the area provisions of Section 36-156 to permit more than 30% coverage of the rear yard for an accessory structure.
Justification: The applicant’s justification is presented as per the submitted letter.
STAFF REPORT :
Planning and Development Civil Engineering Comments:
No Comments.
B. Buffering and Landscape Comments:
In October 2020 the City adopted the “Heights Landscape Design Overlay District,” requiring installation of one tree per 40 linear feet of street frontage within the Heights District
Boundary, applicable to [among other types] residential construction in excess of 600 square feet.
C. Building Codes Comments:
No Comments.
D. Staff Analysis:
The property at 2221 North Spruce Street is in a predominantly R-2 zoned neighborhood, within the Heights Landscape Design Overlay District.
The applicant is proposing to remove the existing single-story structure and construct a new 5,200 square foot residence with a covered patio connection to a new accessory garage structure
and pool in the rear yard area of the property.
The site plan indicates that the proposed 625-square foot accessory garage structure is located in the rear yard area 3-feet from the north property line and 5-feet from the east property
line with a new 288-square foot pool structure located to the south. The rear yard space is approximately 1,600 square feet in area. The proposed structures will yield approximately
57-percent coverage of the rear yard exceeding the maximum code allowance of 30-percent.
Section 36-156(2)(c) requires the accessory building not to occupy more than thirty percent (30%) of the required rear yard area. Therefore, the applicant is requesting a variance to
allow the new accessory structures to exceed the coverage requirements to a maximum of fifty-seven percent (57%).
Staff is supportive of the requested variance to allow the accessory structures to occupy more than 30% of the rear yard area. Staff views the request as reasonable. The proposed garage
and pool will not be out of character with other accessory structures throughout this neighborhood and believes and increased area coverage will have no adverse impact on the adjacent
properties or the general area.
E. Staff Recommendation:
Staff recommends approval of the requested rear yard coverage to a maximum of 57% as per the above staff analysis and the submitted survey / site plan sketch subject to the following
conditions:
1. A building permit being obtained for all construction.
2. Install trees, if deemed applicable at the time of building permitting, in
accordance with Heights Landscape Design Overlay District requirements.