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HomeMy WebLinkAboutZ-6976 Staff AnalysisFebruary 8, 2001 ITEM NO.: 14 FILE NO.: Z-6976 NAME: Greater Macedonia Baptist Church - Conditional Use Permit LOCATION: 514 East 24th Street OWNER/APPLICANT: Greater Macedonia Baptist Church PROPOSAL: To obtain a conditional use permit to build a new church structure with parking areas on the property of the existing church zoned R-4, Two Family Residential, located at 514 East 24th Street. ORDINANCE DESIGN STANDARDS: 1. SITE LOCATION: This site is located on the north side of east 24th Street, 1-i! block west of the I-30 frontage road. It covers :h of the block between Commerce and Bragg Streets. 2. COMPATIBILITY WITH NEIGHBORHOOD: The proposed site is zoned R-4, Two Family Residential, and is bounded by R-4 properties to the north, west and one lot to the east. The other two lots to the east are zoned 0-1, Quiet Office. Across 24th Street to the south the zoning is PCD, Planned Commercial Development, and to the southeast the zoning is I-2, Light Industrial. The property to the south contains the old Veteran's hospital complex and a pottery sales business. There are residential homes on most of the property to the north, west, and two of the three lots to the east. With proper buffers and screening from the surrounding residential properties, Staff believes this would be a reasonable expansion for the church and continue to be compatible with the neighborhood. February 8, 2001 ITEM NO.: 14 (Cont.) FILE NO.: Z-6976 The Downtown, East of Broadway, and MacArthur Park Neighborhood Associations, 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: The proposed site plan includes drives into the two new parking areas, one from 24th Street, and one from Bragg Street. Parking requirements for a church are based on 1 space for every 4 seats in the main sanctuary. Parking for this new Church would be based on the seats gained over the original seating of 280 in the current main sanctuary. The gain would be 115 seats resulting in an additional parking requirement of 28 spaces. The proposed site plan shows 34 new parking spaces plus the existing 25 spaces would also remain. 4. SCREENING AND BUFFERS: The full land use buffer requirement along the eastern perimeter adjacent to residential property is 18 feet. This can be reduced with the transfers allowed and the flexibility allowed in designated "mature areas". However, the width normally must not be less than 9 feet. The land use buffer along the northern perimeter of the site must not drop below a width of 6.7 feet. A total of 8 percent (633 square feet) of the interior of the eastern parking lot adjacent to the new church is required to be landscaped. Interior islands are required to be at least 150 square feet in area. Since this site is located within a designated "mature area" some flexibility with this requirement is allowed. The off site northeast parking area would meet minimum requirements for land use buffers when this flexibility if applied, and no interior landscaping would be required as long as less than 12 parking spaces are provided. A 6 foot high opaque screen, either a wooden fence with its face side directed outward or dense evergreen E February 8, 2001 ITEM NO.: 14 (Cont.) FILE NO.: Z-6976 plantings, is required along the northern, eastern, and southern site perimeters adjacent to residential properties. This requirement would result in the need for an opaque screen around three sides of the off site northeast parking area. A water source within 75 feet of all landscaped areas will be required. 5. PUBLIC WORKS COMMENTS: a. East 24t' Street is classified on the Master Street Plan as a commercial street. Dedicate right-of-way to 30 feet from centerline. 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. c. Property frontage needs to have the sidewalks and ramps brought up to the current ADA standards. d.Stormwater detention ordinance applies to this property. e. Plans of all work in right-of-way shall be submitted for approval prior to start of work. f. Driveways shall conform to Sec. 31-210 or Ordinance 18,031. 6. UTILITY, FIRE DEPT. AND CATA COMMENTS: Water: No objection. Wastewater: Existing sewer mains located on property. Contact Little Rock Wastewater Utility prior to construction. Southwestern Bell: No comments received. ARRA: Approved as submitted. Entergy: The church must bear the cost of relocation of any utility poles. Fire Department: Approved as submitted. However, contact Dennis Free, 371-3752, at the fire department concerning placement of fire hydrant. 3 February 8, 2001 ITEM NO.: 14 (Cont. FILE NO.: Z-6976 CATA: Site is on bus route #6 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 structure with additional parking on Property zoned R-4, Two Family Residential. The current church is located on the west half of their property. The new church and parking would be on the east half. There is one lot in the middle, lot 10, that the church does not own. The proposed building does not fit on the site within required setbacks. The proposal would have setbacks between 12 to 20 feet in the rear and 13 feet in the front. The ordinance requires 25 feet for both. However, the required side setbacks -of 5 feet would be exceeded. The lots differ in size in the different blocks of the subdivisions where this property exists and are offset near the north west corner of the new church building. That would cause a small portion of the new building to have a rear setback of only 12 feet. The area that has only a 20 foot setback abuts a 20 foot ally right-of-way. The front, while only 13 feet from the property line, would be setback 25 feet from the current 24th Street pavement and it is not expected that the pavement width would be widened any time soon. Taking all of this into consideration, Staff would support the variances for the reduced setbacks. The proposed building height is 37 feet with a 61.5 foot steeple. The ordinance allows a 35 foot height and 70 foot steeple. A variance for 2 feet additional building height would be required. Staff supports that variance. Parking would be based on the increase in seating above the existing church sanctuary capacity. That increase would be 115 seats, resulting in an additional parking requirement of 28 spaces, based on one space for every 4 seats. The proposed site plan shows 34 new parking spaces, plus the existing 25 spaces would also remain. Therefore, ordinance minimum parking standards are 4 February 8, 2001 ITEM NO.: 14 (Cont.) FILE NO.: Z-6976 exceeded by the proposal based on the increase in seating. The final number of parking spaces should include 3 handicapped accessible spaces located with easy access to the main entrance of the new church. For information, the total new seating capacity of 395 would normally generate a parking requirement of 98 spaces. The total number of parking spaces provided after the new construction would be 64. This site is located on the edge of the residential neighborhood, near the I-30 frontage road and Roosevelt Road. Therefore, traffic could to a large degree access the site without having to move through the residential neighborhood. That would lesson the traffic impact of the larger congregation on the surrounding neighborhood. Ground mounted signage has been requested in -,the front along 24th Street that would not exceed the office sign standard. That is normally the standard allowed for a church located in residential zoning. Staff supports the requested signage. The land use buffers are met, considering transfers, averaging, and the flexibility allowed because the site is in a "mature" area. Staff is comfortable with the 6 foot buffer along the east side of the larger parking area, 6.7 feet along the northern perimeters of both new parking areas, and 4 feet on the south side of the offsite northeast parking area. This is because they abutt alley right-of-ways or because of the "mature area" allowance. In addition, opaque screening must be provided along the northern, western, eastern, and southern perimeters abutting residential zoning. That screening would also separate the vehicle areas from abutting residential areas. One other issue is street improvements. The applicant has requested a waiver to street improvements. Sidewalks would be installed, but the applicant wishes to leave the existing curb and gutters in place. Since no changes to the streets in this area are expected anytime in the foreseeable future, Staff is willing to support the waiver of street construction if all existing extra curb cuts and driveways are removed, 5 February 8, 2001 ITEM NO.: 14 (Cont.) FILE NO.: Z-6976 curbs are replaced, and sidewalks are constructed at those locations. Staff believes the proposed church expansion should continue to be compatible with this neighborhood as long as screening and buffers are constructed as described above. 8. 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 including comments and variances described in this report. b. Comply with Public Works Comments to include the discussion in the analysis section above regarding street improvements. c. Comply with Fire Department Comment. d. All exterior lighting must be low intensity and directed downward and inward to the property and not towards any residential zoned area. Staff also recommends approval of the variances for 2 feet additional building height, front and rear setback variances described above in Section 7, and the waiver of street improvements coupled with the requirements also described in Section 7 above. SUBDIVISION COMMITTEE COMMENTS: (JANUARY 18, 2001) Ron Woods was present representing the application. Staff gave a brief description of the proposal and briefly reviewed the comments provided to the applicant. The discussion focused primarily on the Staff comments regarding required street improvements, setbacks, parking, buffers and landscaping. Signage and structure heights were also briefly discussed. The Subdivision Committee Chair suggested to the applicant that he contact all neighborhood associations for this area and discuss the plans. C February 8, 2001 ITEM NO.: 14 (Cont.) FILE NO.: Z-6976 There being no further issues, the Committee accepted the proposal and forwarded the item to the full Commission for final action. PLANNING COMMISSION ACTION: (FEBRUARY 8, 2001) Ron Woods, project architect, 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 listed under "Staff Recommendation," and including the variances for front and rear setbacks, height, and the waiver of street improvements, all as noted in paragraph 8 above. The item was placed on the Consent Agenda and approved as submitted to include staff comments and recommendations, variances and recommendation for waiver of street improvements, as noted above. The vote was 9 ayes,.0 nays and 2 absent. 7