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Home My WebLink AboutZ-6923 Staff AnalysisOctober 26, 2000 ITEM NO.: 11 NAME: LOCATION: OWNER/APPLICANT: FILE NO.: Z-6923 Pulaski Heights Presbyterian Church - Conditional Use Permit 4401 Woodlawn Drive The Session of Pulaski Heights Presbyterian Church PROPOSAL: To obtain a conditional use permit to add a day care center for 50 children maximum, and a residence for 4 college students maximum, all in existing facilities with no exterior changes, on property zoned R-2, Single Family Residential located at 4401 Woodlawn Drive. ORDINANCE DESIGN STANDARDS: 1. SITE LOCATION: This one acre site is located on the south side of Woodlawn Drive, between Ash and Walnut Streets. 2. COMPATIBILITY WITH NEIGHBORHOOD: This site is zoned R-2, Single Family Residential, and is surrounded by R-2 zoning. A little further away the zoning is R-3, R-4 and R-5. So it is definitely a residential area. The church has existed at this site for many years and as far as -Staff is aware, it has been compatible with the neighborhood. Staff does not believe these additional uses within existing facilities should change that compatibility. The Hillcrest Residents Neighborhood Association, all property owners within 200 feet, and all residents within 300 feet that could be identified, were notified of the public hearing. 3. ON SITE DRIVES AND PARKING: This site has one existing driveway from both Woodlawn Avenue and Ash Street. Neither the drives nor the parking area would be changed. Existing church parking would be October 26, 2000 SUBDIVISION ITEM NO.: 11 (Cont.) FILE NO.: Z-6923 used for the day care and student residents. Since the day care would operate other than during normal church services, the church's 25 space parking area would serve the day care as well. It would exceed the 10 required parking spaces for the day care plus the 4 spaces required for the resident students. 4. SCREENING AND BUFFERS: No comments. 5. PUBLIC WORKS COMMENTS: The following requirements apply only if any outside construction is accomplished. a. A 20 feet radial dedication of right-of-way is required at the corner of Walnut & Woodlawn and at the corner of Woodlawn & Ash Street. b. Property frontage needs to have the sidewalks and ramps brought up to the current ADA standards. c. Repair or replace any curb and gutter or sidewalk that is damaged in the public right-of-way prior to occupancy. d. Plans of all work in right-of-way shall be submitted for approval prior to start of work. 6. UTILITY, FIRE DEPT. AND CATA COMMENTS: Water: No objection. Wastewater: "Sewer service for this church is not shown on Utility maps. No sewer main is located in their area for their use. They are probably using a community service line, which is a 4" line used by more than one residence or business that crosses other property to tie into a utility sewer main. The closest sewer main to this location is over a block away from the church. The utility is in the process of designing a sewer main extension that would serve not only the church but also the other residences in this area. We would recommend that no changes be done at the church to increase the sewage flow until such time as the sewer main extension is constructed. If you have any further questions, please contact the Little Rock Wastewater Utility for details. 2 October 26, 2000 SUBDIVISION ITEM NO.: 11 (Cont.) FILE NO.: Z-6923 Southwestern Bell: No comments received. AR,IKLA: No comments received. Entergy: Approved as submitted. Fire Department: Approved as submitted. CATA: Site is close to bus routes #1, 8 and 21 and has no effect on bus radius, turnout and route. 7. STAFF ANALYSIS: The applicant has requested a conditional use permit to allow a day care for 50 children and a residence for 4 college students as added uses within the existing church facilities. There are no exterior changes proposed to the existing structures or the parking area. So siting criteria is not an issue. The day care would operate from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday in the lower floor of the rear annex facility. The playground would be inside the U-shaped courtyard surrounded by buildings on three sides, which would greatly reduce any sounds toward neighboring residential areas. The existing 25 space on-site parking area would be used for both staff members and for dropping off and picking up children. Since the day care would operate other than during normal church services, there should be no conflict of the use of parking spaces. There would be more than enough parking as the day care would only have a requirement for 10 spaces. The four students would be carefully screened by the church who would only accept upper level undergraduate or graduate level students, preferably from the medical school. The students would live year round in an existing one story building in the southwest corner of the property. They would park adjacent to the building they would live in. As stated by the applicant, the purpose for the student housing would be to provide rent free housing in exchange for the students assisting in worship leadership, doing some work around the church and providing an on-site security presence on the grounds. 01 October 26, 2000 SUBDIVISION ITEM NO.: 11 (Cont.) FILE NO.: Z-6923 Staff believes these added uses would be compatible with the neighborhood. However, there is one other consideration regarding the day care. There is a long-standing problem with an inadequate sewer system in the area. Sewer service for this church is not shown on Utility maps. No sewer main is located in their area for their use. They are probably using a community service line, which is a 4" line used by more than one residence or business that crosses other property to tie into a utility sewer main. The closest sewer main to this location is over a block away from the church. The utility is in the process of designing a sewer main extension that would serve not only the church but also the other residences in this area. We would recommend that no substantial changes be done at the church to increase the sewage flow until such time as the sewer main extension is constructed. Both Wastewater and the Health Department have recommended the problem be fixed before any use or usage be allowed to increase. Until that problem is resolved, Staff believes the day care center should not open. The student residence with only 4 students could proceed. 8. STAFF RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends approval of the conditional use permit subject to compliance with the following conditions: a. Do not open the day care center until the sewer system problem is resolved. b. All exterior lighting installed must be low intensity and directed downward and inward to the property and not towards any residential zoned area. Staff also recommends approved of the 3 foot by 3 foot sign near the entrance to the day care. SUBDIVISION COMMITTEE COMMENTS: (OCTOBER 5, 2000) Thomas Carter, Pastor, was present representing the application. Staff gave a brief description of the proposal, and reviewed the comments provided to the applicant. Public Works noted that their comments applied only if any exterior construction took place. The applicant provided the intended hours of operation of 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through 4 October 26, 2000 SUBDIVISION ITEM NO.: 11 (Cont.) FILE NO.: Z-6923 Friday. Staff noted the comment about signage. The applicant said if they added any signage it would probably be a 3 foot by 3 foot maximum, no more than six feet tall, near the entrance to the day care center. That would fall within the normal office sign standards normally applied to church property. Noting it as part of the C.U.P. would permit that size and location for the sign. The rest of the discussion was about the sewer system problems. The applicant said they were notified by the Health Department on May 19, 2000 about the problem, and that Wastewater personnel told them at that time they expected it to take about four to six months to fix. Wastewater told the Planning Staff that a method of resolving the problem had still not been decided. A completion date was not provided. The applicant agreed that the day care center would not begin operation until the wastewater issue was resolved. There being no further issues, the Committee accepted the proposal and forwarded the item to the full Commission for final action. PLANNING COMMISSION ACTION: (OCTOBER 26, 2000) Thomas Carter, Pastor, was present representing his application. There were no registered objectors present. Staff presented the item with a recommendation for approval, to include the 3 foot by 3 foot sign near the entrance to the day care, subject to compliance with the conditions listed under "Staff Recommendation," paragraph 8 above. The item was placed on the Consent Agenda and approved as submitted to include staff comments and recommendations. The vote was 10 ayes, 0 nays and 1 absent. 5