Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutZ-7312 Staff AnalysisNovember 14, 2002 ITEM NO.: 1 ILE NO.: Z-7312 NAME: Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church — Conditional Use Permit LOCATION: 1400 S. Ringo Street OWNER/APPLICANT-� Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church/The Mehlburger Firm PROPOSAL: A conditional use permit is requested to allow for development of church parking lots on these C-3 and R-4 zoned properties. ORDINANCE DESIGN STANDARDS-. SITE LOCATION: The two proposed parking lots are located at the southeast corner of Daisy Gatson Bates Drive and Ringo Street and the southeast corner of Bates and Cross Street. 2, COMPATIBILITY WITH NEIGHBORHOOD: Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church has been part of this neighborhood for many years. The immediate area around the church is characterized by a variety of zonings and uses. Allowing the expansion of these parking lots will not affect the church's coinpatibility with the neighborhood. All owners of property located within 200 feet of the site, all residents within 300 feet who could be identified and the Downtown, Central High and Wright Avenue Neighborhood Associations were notified of this request. 3. ON SITE DRIVES AND PARKING: The total seating capacity in the main worship area is 300. The church existed prior to November 1, 1988 and the parking requirements are one parking space per 5 seats, requiring 60 parking spaces. The church currently has 48 parking spaces in 2 lots located east and west of the church. The church proposes to completely rebuild and expand the 2 lots, resulting in a total of 102 parking spaces. The lot located east of Ringo Street is proposed to have two driveways onto Ringo. Staff is supportive of a variance to allow the reduced driveway spacing. Allowing the two driveways onto Ringo is preferable to having a drive onto Daisy Bates Drive or using the narrow, substandard alley. November 14, 2002 ITEM NO.: 10 (Cont.) FILE NO.: Z-7312 4. SCREENING AND BUFFERS: The width of the proposed on-site street buffer along Daisy L. Gatson Drive drops below the average 13.5 feet minimum allowed. This takes into account the reduction allowed within the designated "mature area" of the city. 5. PUBLIC WORKS COMMENTS: I . As needed, property frontage needs to have the sidewalks and ramps brought up to the current Master Street Plan requirements and ADA standards. 2. Repair or replace any curb and gutter or sidewalk that is damaged in the public right-of-way prior to occupancy. 3. All driveways shall be concrete aprons per City Ordinance (as shown), 4. Driveway spacing criteria (200' center to center) would allow only one, 216'wide driveway on Ringo. All other exiting drive aprons should be removed during construction. Staff supports allowing two driveways onto Ringo Street, as shown. 5. Stormwater detention ordinance applies to this property. 6. UTILITY, FIRE DEPT. AND CATA COMMENTS, Wastewater: Sewer available, not adversely affected. Entergy: No Comments received. Reliant: No Comments received. Southwestern Bell: No Comments received. Water: If there are facilities that need to be adjusted and/or relocated, contact Central Arkansas Water. That work would be done at the expense of the developer. Fire Department: Approved as submitted. County Planning: No Comments received. CATA: No Comments received. 2 November 14, 2002 TEM NO.: 10 (Co SUBDIVISION COMMITTEE COMMENT ILE NO.: Z-7312 (OCTOBER 24, 2002) Frank Riggins, of the Mehlburger Firm, was present representing the application. Staff presented the item and noted additional information was needed regarding the seating capacity of the sanctuary, signage, site lighting and fencing. Public Works and Landscape Comments were presented. Mr. Riggins stated variances were requested for the height of the cross in the meditation garden, the reduced land use buffer on the north perimeter of the parking lot east of Ringo Street and to allow two driveways onto Ringo Street. Mr. Riggins stated the cross would be externally illuminated. Mr. Riggins stated the required minimum landscape strip of 6.7 feet would be installed on the north perimeter of the new parking lot, ea�t of Ringo Street. He noted that the area was now paved with no landscape or buffer strip at all. In response to a question from the Committee, Mr. Riggins stated he would discuss with Public Works the possibility of eliminating one of the driveways onto Ringo Street and using alley access. The applicant was advised to provide 4 copies of a revised site plan and responses to staff issues no later than noon, Wednesday October 30, 2002. The Committee determined there were no other issues and forwarded the item to the full Commission. STAFF ANALYSIS: Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church is located at 1400 S. Ringo Street; the southwest corner of Ringo Street and Daisy Bates Drive. The church has two parking lots located adjacent to the west of the church and across Ringo Street east of the church. A total of 48 parking spaces are located in the parking lots. The parking lots do not conform to landscape and screening requirements in the current code. The church proposes to completely rebuild and expand the two parking lots, resulting in a total of 102 parking spaces. The new parking lots will be designed to conform to the current landscape and screening requirements of the code. The new parking lot east of Ringo Street is proposed to have two driveways, both providing access from Ringo Street. Staff supports a variance to allow reduced driveway spacing. After reviewing the specifics of this proposal, staff determined it was preferable to allow the two driveways over having a driveway onto Daisy Bates Drive or utilizing the narrow, substandard alley east of the parking lot. The two driveways will not conflict with traffic or other uses in the area. 3 November 14, 2002 ITEM NO.: 10 (Cont.) FILE NO.: Z-7312 At the south end of the parking lot east of Ringo Street, the church proposes to develop a "meditation garden" consisting of landscaped pathways and benches built around a centerpoint containing a 70 foot tall cross. The cross will be. - lighted at night by ground mounted flood lights which will be directed such as to not cause light pollution to spill into -the neighborhood to the south. If the cross were mounted on the church building, it could extend to a height of 70 feet by right. Since it is free-standing, a variance is needed to allow the cross to exceed the allowable maximum height of 35 feet in the R-4 district. Staff does support the variance. On October 30, 2002, the applicant submitted a revised site plan and responses to staff issues raised at the Subdivision Committee meeting. The required landscape strip has been shown on the north perimeter of the parking lot. No changes are proposed in signage. Any new site lighting will be low level and directional, aimed away from adjacent properties. The proposed parking lots will not be fenced. However, gates will be erected at the driveways to control access to the lots. To staff's knowledge there are no other outstanding issues. Staff believes the new, upgraded parking lots will be a positive addition to the neighborhood. STAFF RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends approval of the requested conditional use permit subject to compliance with the following condii'ions: 1. Compliance with staff comments and conditions outlined in Sections 4, 5 and 6 of this report. 2. Compliance with the City's Landscapes and Buffer Ordinances. 3. Any new site lighting must be low-level and directional, aimed away from adjacent properties. If the proposed lighting for the cross is found to intrude upon nearby residential properties, the lighting must be removed or redirected. 4. All signage must not exceed that allowed in office and institutional zones.. Staff recommends approval of the requested driveway spacing and height variances to allow two driveways onto Ringo Street and to allow the 70 foot tall cross. rd November 14, 2002 ITEM NO.: 10 _(Cont.) FILE NO.: Z-7312 PLANNING COMMISSION ACTION: (NOVEMBER 14,2002) The applicant was present. There were no objectors present. Staff presented the item and a recommendation of approval subject to compliance with the conditions outlined in the "Staff Recommendation" above. Staff recommended approval of the requested driveway spacing and height variances. There was no further discussion. The item was placed on the Consent Agenda and approved as recommended by staff. The vote was 10 ayes, 0 noes and 1 absent. 5