HomeMy WebLinkAboutZ-6975 Staff AnalysisFebruary 8, 2001
ITEM NO.: 13
FILE NO.:- Z-6975
NAME: The Bible Church of Little Rock -
Conditional Use Permit
LOCATION: 19,100 Highway 10
OWNER/APPLICANT: The Bible Church of Little Rock
PROPOSAL: To obtain a conditional use permit for a
new church site on this property zoned
R-2, Single Family Residential, located
at 19,100 Highway 10.
ORDINANCE DESIGN STANDARDS:
1. SITE LOCATION:
The proposed 18.9 acre site is located on the south
side of Highway 10, approximately 1500 feet east of the
intersection of Highway 10 and Chenal Parkway.
2. COMPATIBILITY WITH NEIGHBORHOOD:
The proposed site is zoned R-2, Single Family
Residential, and is surrounded by R-2 zoning. A 250
foot easement for a primary power transmission line
abuts the site along the west side. Beyond that to the
west the zoning is C-3, General Commercial, but is
currently vacant.
There is a single family house on the property now
which would be removed. To the south and southeast is a
single family housing subdivision. To the north
directly across Highway 10, and to the east a few
hundred feet, are large tracts of land with single
family houses on them. Walnut Valley Christian Academy
lies across Highway 10 to the northeast.
Staff believes the proposed use would have little
adverse impact on the area and is a reasonable use of
this site.
The Johnson Ranch and Aberdeen Court Neighborhood
Associations, all property owners within 200 feet, and
February 8, 2001
ITEM NO.: 13 (Cont.
FILE NO.: 6975
all residents within 300 feet that could be identified,
were notified of the public hearing.
3. ON SITE DRIVES AND PARKING:
The proposed plan includes two access drives from
Highway 10 with 1 `in' and 2 `out' lanes in each.
Driveways would encircle the entire church building and
branch out into surrounding parking areas.
Parking requirements for a church are based on one
space for every four seats in the main sanctuary. Phase
1 for the church would include 1000 seats, requiring
250 parking spaces including 7 handicapped accessible;
344 parking spaces are shown. Future expansion is
planned for eventually 2500 seats, which would require
625 parking spaces including 12 handi.capped,accessible;
696 parking spaces including 12 handicapped accessible
spaces are shown on the proposed site plan.
4. SCREENING AND BUFFERS:
Areas set aside for buffers and landscaping meet with
ordinance requirements as submitted. A utility
easement may not be counted as part of the land use
buffer. The eastern and western land use buffers must
average a width of 40 feet and at no point be less than
9 feet. The southern land use buffer must average 50
feet in width and at no point be less than 9 feet. At
least 70 percent of the land use buffers must remain
undisturbed.
A 6 foot high opaque screen, either a wooden fence with
its face side directed or dense evergreen plantings, is
required along the southern, eastern and western site
perimeters adjacent to residential properties.
An irrigation system to water landscaped areas is
required.
Prior to a building permit being issued, it will be
necessary to provide an approved landscape plan stamped
with the seal of a Registered Landscape Architect.
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February 8, 2001
ITEM NO.: 13 (Cont.) FILE NO.: 6975
5. PUBLIC WORKS COMMENTS:
a. Cantrell Road is classified on the Master Street
Plan as a principal arterial; dedication of right-
of-way to 55 feet from centerline will be required.
b. Provide design of street conforming to "MSP" (Master
Street Plan). Construct one-half street improvement
to these streets including 5 -foot sidewalks with
planned development. Construction should include a
continuous left turn lane and a right hand
deceleration lane into the site.
c. Plans of all work in right-of-way shall be submitted
for approval prior to start of work.
d.Stormwater detention ordinance applies to this
property.
e. Grading permit will be required on this development,
if it is regulated by -Ordinance 18,361.
f.Contact the ADEQ for approval prior to start of
work.
g.A Sketch Grading and Drainage Plan per Sec. 29-
186(e) will be required.
h.Easements for proposed stormwater detention
facilities are required.
i. Obtain permits for improvements within State Highway
right-of-way from AHTD, District VI.
j. Show proposed turning movements at driveways
clearly.
k. Sidewalks shall be shown conforming to Sec. 31-175
and the "MSP".
6. UTILITY, FIRE DEPT. AND CATA COMMENTS:
Water: No objection.
Wastewater: Sewer available, not adversely affected.
Southwestern Bell: No comments received.
ARKLA: Approved as submitted.
Entergy: Requests a 30 foot easement around the entire
perimeter of the proposed site.
Fire Department: Approved as submitted.
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February 8, 2001
ITEM NO.: 13 (Cont.)
FILE NO.: 6975
CATA: Site is located on Express bus route #25 and has
no effect on bus radius, turnout and route.
7. STAFF ANALYSIS:
The applicant has requested a conditional use permit
for a new church to be constructed through a four
phased master plan on the proposed site including
accompanying parking. The church will be moving
entirely from its current location on Breckenridge
Drive. The plan includes one main church structure with
parking areas surrounding it on all sides. Informal
playground areas are proposed for the northwest and
southeast corners.
The northwest playground area would be an open field
for older children to have room for ball sports, but no
organized events or stadium type facilities would be
built. The southeast area would be for younger children
and contain some playground equipment. There is no plan
for a school or day care on site. These two playground
areas would be for church activities and use by church
members, not competition events.
All setback and landscape buffer requirements based on
the Highway 10 Overlay District are met or exceeded by
the proposed plan. The applicant is meeting the
southern buffer and screening with a 100 foot
undisturbed area. However, the applicant has requested
some exceptions to the screening requirements on the
east and west sides. They are asking for a waiver of
the screening requirement along the west side because
the entire west side is bounded by a 250 foot wide
utility easement for a primary transmission power line.
On the other side of the easement the zoning is C-3 for
half of the depth of the Church's property, -and R-2 for
the other half. Staff believes this waiver would be
reasonable because of the utility easement. The
applicant has also asked to defer the east side
screening since the Bible Church owns that property as
well. Since the church owns that property, and there
are no houses or other development currently near this
site on the east side, Staff supports that deferral
until development of a lesser intensity occurs or up to
five years, whichever occurs first. The applicant has
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February 8, 2001
ITEM NO.: 13 (Cont.) FILE NO.: 6975
agreed to a 25 foot undisturbed landscape buffer on
both the east and west sides of the proposed site.
Structural height is another area the applicant is
asking for variances. The proposed height for the
church is 58 feet versus the ordinance allowed maximum
of 35 feet. Also, the proposed steeple height is 95
feet versus an ordinance maximum height of 70 feet.
Variances would be required for both those heights.
Staff supports both variance requests due to the size
of the site (almost 19 acres) and the 380 foot distance
the structure would be from Highway 10.
The applicant has also asked for deferral of street
improvements until adjacent development occurs or up to
five years, which ever occurs first. Public Works would
support deferral of sidewalks, curbs and gutters, but
not deferral of a continuous left turn lane, ::or re -
striping to accommodate a deceleration lane on the
shoulder eastbound to accommodate right turns into the
site.
Staff believes this is a reasonable use for this
property, and should not cause a significant negative
impact other than extra traffic at service times. Those
times would not correspond with normal high traffic
volumes on Highway 10.
B. STAFF RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends approval of the conditional use permit
subject to compliance with the following conditions:
a. Comply with the City's Landscape and Buffer
Ordinances, and provide 25 foot east and west side
and 100 foot south side undisturbed buffers.
b. Comply with Public Works Comments.
C. Contact the Fire Department for required fire
hydrants.
d. All exterior lighting must be low intensity and
directed downward and inward to the property and
not towards any residential zoned area.
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February 8, 2001
ITEM NO.: 13 (Cont.)
FILE NO.: 6975
Staff also recommends approval of the following:
variance requests for increased height (58 foot church
and 95 foot steeple); the deferral of screening along
the east property line until development of a lesser
intensity occurs or up to five years, whichever occurs
first; deferral of street improvements, except for a
continuous left turn lane and re -striping to
accommodate a deceleration lane on the shoulder
eastbound to accommodate right turns into the site,
until adjacent development occurs, Phase 3 begins, or
up to five years, which ever occurs first; and, the
waiver of the screening along the west property line.
SUBDIVISION COMMITTEE COMMENTS: (JANUARY 18, 2001)
Joe White, project engineer, was present representing the
application. Staff gave a brief description of the proposal
and briefly reviewed the comments provided to the` -applicant.
Mr. White asked Public Works if the street improvements
could be deferred for five years or until adjacent
development occurs. The response was that Public Works could
support deferral of sidewalks, curbs and gutters, but not
deferral of turn lanes.
Mr. White produced a letter from Entergy confirming that the
electric utility did not require a 30 foot easement around
the entire perimeter of the site as previously requested.
They require only a 15 foot easement across the front of the
property.
Mr. Brown from Staff commented on the buffer, screening and
landscaping requirements, and clarified the need for 300
square foot landscape islands in the parking area according
to the new landscape ordinance. The applicant stated their
intent to request waivers or deferrals of some of the
screening requirements and mentioned their justification.
Mr. White verified that there was no plan for a school or
day care on site, only the church. He also verified that the
majority of activity on the site would occur on Sunday
mornings and Wednesday nights. Staff asked Mr. White to
provide more sign details, a cross section drawing showing
how much soil cut would be required, and to explain the two
playground areas shown on the site plan.
February 8; 2001
ITEM NO.: 13 (Cont.)
There being no further issues,
proposal and forwarded the item
final action.
PLANNING COMMISSION ACTION:
FILE NO.: 6975
the Committee accepted the
to the full Commission for
(FEBRUARY 8, 2001)
Joe White, project engineer, was present representing the
application. There were no registered objectors present.
Staff presented the item with a recommendation for approval
subject to compliance with the conditions and variances
listed under "Staff Recommendation," paragraph 8 above.
There was no discussion, or questions raised or addressed in
the hearing. One citizen's question about buffering around
the site had already been answered and she stated that she
had no further questions and did not wish to speak.
A motion was made to approve the application as submitted to
include staff comments and recommendations, and the variance
for height, the deferral of east side screening and north
side street improvements, and the waiver of west side
screening as detailed above. The motion passed by a vote of
9 ayes, 0 nays and 2 absent.
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