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HomeMy WebLinkAboutZ-7823 Staff AnalysisApril 28, 2005 ITEM NO.: 15 FILE NO.: Z-7823 NAME: Little Rock National Airport Digital Airport Radar — Conditional Use Permit LOCATION: 5100 East Roosevelt Road OWNER/APPLICANT: Little Rock Airport Commission/Mark Stodola PROPOSAL: A conditional use permit is requested to allow for construction of an airport radar facility on this R-2 zoned property. 1. SITE LOCATION: The property is located on the north side of East Roosevelt Road, east of Fourche Dam Pike. 2. COMPATIBILITY WITH NEIGHBORHOOD: The site is located in an area that is transitioning from residential to airport -related activities. These lots are in an area where the homes were destroyed by a tornado. Single family homes are located to the east, along East Roosevelt Road. The properties to the north, south and west are owned by the airport or airport related entities. This entire area is shown on the airport master plan and the City's East of 1-30 Land Use Plan for airport use and expansion. The proposed radar facility is compatible with the adopted plan and will, eventually, be compatible with all uses in the area. All owners of properties located within 200 feet of the site, all residents within 300 feet who could be identified and The Hermitage and East Little Rock Neighborhood Associations were notified of this request. 3. ON SITE DRIVES AND PARKING: A single access drive is proposed off of East Roosevelt Road for service vehicles. No other parking is needed. 4. SCREENING AND BUFFERS: No Comments. April 28, 2005 ITEM NO.: 15 Cont. FILE NO.: Z-7823 5. PUBLIC WORKS COMMENTS: 1. East Roosevelt Road at this location is classified on the Master Street Plan as a collector street. Other adjacent streets have 50' right-of-way widths. The existing right-of-way is adequate. 2. All driveways shall be concrete aprons per City Ordinance. 3. A grading permit in accordance with Section 29-186(c) and (d) will be required prior to any land clearing or grading activities at the site. Site grading, and drainage plans will need to be submitted and approved prior to the start of construction. 6. UTILITY FIRE DEPT. AND CATA COMMENTS: Wastewater: Sewer available, not adversely affected. Entergy: No Comments received. CenterPoint Energy: Approved as submitted. Southwestern Bell: No Comments received. Water: All Central Arkansas Water requirements in effect at the time of request for water service must be met. A Capital Investment Charge based on the size of the meter connection(s) will apply to this project in addition to normal charges. This fee will apply to all meter connections including any metered connections off the private fire system. Additional fire hydrant(s) will be required. Contact the Little Rock Fire Department to obtain information regarding the required placement of the hydrant(s) and contact Central Arkansas Water regarding procedures for installation of the hydrant(s). Fire Department: No Comments received. County Planning: No Comments. CATA: This site is located on a CATA Bus Route. SUBDIVISION COMMITTEE COMMENT: (APRIL 17, 2005) The applicants were present. Staff presented the item and noted additional information was needed on the proposed structure. Staff commented that the 2 April 28, 2005 ITEM NO.: 15 (Cont. FILE NO.: Z-7823 driveway needed to be paved and any site lighting needed to be shielded downward and into the site. Staff asked that a cover letter be provided and that information be provided on the testing schedule for the generator. Staff also noted that the bill of assurance seemed to prohibit the use. Public Works, Utility and Landscape Comments were noted. There was a general discussion of the nature of and need for the facility. Staff asked that these comments be included in the cover letter. The applicants were instructed to reply to staff issues no later than April 13, 2005. The Committee forwarded the item to the full Commission. STAFF ANALYSIS: The Little Rock Municipal Airport Commission is requesting a Conditional Use Permit for Lots 75, 76, 77, 78, and 79, and Lots 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, and 96 of the Rose Meadows Subdivision — Phase II. This property is located on the north side of East Roosevelt Road, East of Talisman Race, South of Rose Meadow Lane, and West of Rose Meadow Place and is currently zoned R-2, Single Family. The conditional use requested is for the installation of a communication receiving and transmitting facility to support a Digital Airport Radar system for the Federal Aviation Administration's Air Traffic Control Tower at Little Rock National Airport. This facility will consist of a 200 foot by 200 foot crushed stone covered site that includes an 87 foot tall steel tower, concrete masonry unit equipment building with standing seam metal roof, precast engine generator shelter, and associated foundations, walkways, equipment, and security fencing required to support the installation as shown on the enclosed site plan. This Digital Airport Radar system is a new, state-of-the-art system that will replace the current analog system. It will more accurately detect aircraft and weather conditions within an approximate radius of sixty (60) nautical miles of Little Rock, Arkansas. The system will improve reliability, provide additional weather data, reduce maintenance cost, improve performance and provide digital data to new digital automation systems for presentation on air traffic controller displays. The addition of this new equipment will bring Little Rock Air Traffic Control up to a state-of-the-art facility and will greatly compliment new equipment being installed at the present time. The Little Rock Terminal Radar Approach Control Facility currently provides service to 750 to 1200 operations per day. These include arrival to and departures from the Little Rock National Airport and various public and private 3 April 28, 2005 FILE NO.: Z-7823 airports within the approach control airspace responsibility. These locations include such airfields as North Little Rock, Conway, Searcy, Saline County, Stuttgart, Pine Bluff and the Little Rock Air Force Base. On April 13, 2005, the applicant responded to issues raised at Subdivision Committee. An elevation of the facility was provided. The driveway will be paved with a concrete apron as required by City Ordinance. The site will be enclosed by a seven (7) foot tall chain link fence topped by three (3) strands of barbed wire; for an overall height of eight (8) feet. Site lighting will be directed into the facility and away from the nearby residences. FAA approval will be provided prior to the request for a building permit. The facility will be an FAA facility. The generator used to supply emergency power to the facility will be tested on a quarterly basis. The 1963 bill of assurance does appear to still be valid and contains the following statement: "No lot shall be used except for residential purposes. No buildings shall be erected, altered, placed or permitted to remain on any lot other than for one single-family dwelling not to exceed two and one-half stories in height and a private garage for not more than two cars." The facility is to be located in area designated by the airport's master plan and the City's East of 1-30 Land Use Plan for airport use and expansion. The residential properties to the east are also shown for future airport use, although the Plan recognizes the existing residential uses. Staff is supportive of the requested C.U.P. To staff's knowledge, there are no other outstanding issues. STAFF RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends approval of the requested C.U.P. subject to compliance with the following conditions: 1. Compliance with the comments and conditions outlined in Sections 4, 5 and 6 of the agenda staff report. 2. Site lighting is to be directed into the facility and away from nearby residences. 3. FAA approval must be provided prior to a request for a building permit. Staff recommends approval of a variance to allow the DASR tower to be 87 feet in height. 4 April 28, 2005 ITEM NO.: 15 (Cont_ FILE NO.: Z-7 PLANNING COMMISSION ACTION: (APRIL 28, 2005) The applicants were present. There were two (2) registered objectors present. Commissioners Langlais and Williams recused. Staff presented the item and a recommendation of approval subject to compliance with the conditions outlined in the "Staff Recommendation" above. Chairman Rahman asked the objectors to speak first. Connie Farnham, owner of a nearby property, spoke in opposition. She stated she did not live in the area. She voiced concern about screening the site, generator noise and the use of barbed wire. She asked what it meant that the bill of assurance did not permit the use. Susan Baier, of 5204 East Roosevelt Road, voiced concerns about airplane noise and generator noise. Commissioner Meyer suggested that testing of the generator could be limited to certain, appropriate hours. Pat Sellars, of the Little Rock National Airport, discussed the Airport's noise mitigation process. He stated the generator was tested on a quarterly basis and was used whenever a storm was in the area so there would be no loss of power. He committed to testing the generator in the middle of the day. Mr. Sellars stated this site was the best site; the only site that would give air traffic control the best view. He stated landscaping would be installed around the base of the site but the airport could not do a wood privacy fence for security reasons. In discussing the bill of assurance issue, Commissioner Rector asked how many lots the airport owned. Earl Mott, of Garver Engineers, responded that the airport owned about 40 of the 90t lots in the subdivision. He stated the Airport would acquire more lots in the future. Commissioner Rector asked about noise mitigation and a sound study. Pat Sellars responded that the timing of the next sound study depended on funding from the FAA. In response to a question from Commissioner Floyd, Pat Sellars and Howard Lewis, of the FAA, described the sound study and the proposed antennae array. In the ensuing discussion of screening, Mr. Sellars again committed to installing landscaping around the base of the site. Commissioner Rector commented on the high quality of landscaping at the airport suggested that the landscaping around the base of the radar site be of the same quality. Mr. Sellars agreed. Connie Farnham reiterated her concern about the airport not always following through on its commitments. 5 April 28, 2005 ITEM NO.. 15 Cont. FILE NO.: Z-7823 A motion was made approve the C.U.P.; including all staff comments and conditions, with the requirement of landscaping around the perimeter of the site. The motion was approved by a vote of 7 ayes, 0 noes, 1 absent, 2 recusing (Langlais, Williams) and 1 abstaining (Adcock). C.