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HomeMy WebLinkAboutZ-7885 Staff AnalysisJuly 21, 2005 ITEM NO.: 16 FILE NO.: Z-7885 NAME: Suds Car Wash — Conditional Use Permit LOCATION: 8001 Geyer Springs Road OWNER/APPLICANT: Coulson Oil Group/The Holloway Firm PROPOSAL: A conditional use permit is requested to allow for construction of a new car wash facility on this C-3 zoned tract. SITE LOCATION: The property is located on the southeast corner of the Geyer Springs/1-30 Interchange. 2. COMPATIBILITY WITH NEIGHBORHOOD: The property is located in an area that is characterized by intensive commercial development. The property is at the corner of the Geyer Springs/Interstate 30 Interchange. Convenience stores with gas pumps occupy the other 3 corners of the interchange. The C-3 zoned properties to the south and east contain restaurants, banks a furniture rental store, a mini -warehouse business and the headquarters of the Arkansas State Police. A variety of commercial uses extend along Geyer Springs Road to the north and south. The proposed use should be compatible with uses and zoning in the area. All owners of property located within 200 feet of the site, all residents within 300 feet who could be identified and the SWLR United for Progress, Windamere and Cloverdale Neighborhood Associations were notified of this request. 3. ON SITE DRIVES AND PARKING: Access to the site will be via two driveways; one on Geyer Springs and one on the interstate frontage road. The Geyer Springs entrance is at an existing access driveway/easement. As is typical with a car wash, there are no designated parking spaces. Parking will occur in the wash bays or at the vacuum islands, with additional stacking space at each. Access and parking appear sufficient. July 21, 2005 ITEM NO.: 16 (Cont.) FILE NO.: Z-7885 4. SCREENING AND BUFFERS: The plan submitted does not allow for the 30 -foot wide on-site landscape buffer along Interstate 30 required by both Zoning and Landscape Ordinances. Variances of the Landscape Ordinance require City Beautiful Commission approval. 5. PUBLIC WORKS COMMENTS: 1. Geyer Springs Road is classified on the Master Street Plan as a principal arterial. Existing right-of-way width meets Master Street Plan requirements. 2. The proposed land use would classify the 1-30 Frontage Road on the Master Street Plan as a commercial street. Existing right-of-way is adequate. 3. Repair or replace any curb and gutter or sidewalk that is damaged in the public right-of-way prior to occupancy. Plans of all work in right-of- way shall be submitted for approval prior to start of work. Obtain a barricade permit prior to doing any work in the right-of-way from Traffic Engineering at (501) 379-1817 (Derrick Bergfield). 4. Stormwater detention will not apply to the proposed development. 5. Property frontage needs to have the sidewalks and ramps brought up to the current ADA standards. 6. For the 1-30 Frontage Road, obtain permits for improvements within State Highway right-of-way from AHTD, District VI. 6. UTILITY FIRE DEPT. AND CATA COMMENTS: Wastewater: Sewer available, not adversely affected. Entergy: No Comments received. CenterPoint Energy: No Comments received. Southwestern Bell: No Comments received. Water: All Central Arkansas Water requirements in effect at the time of request for water service must be met. 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 2 July 21, 2005 ITEM NO.: 16 (Cont. FILE NO.: Z-7885 Arkansas Water regarding procedures for installation of the hydrant(s). Contact Central Arkansas Water regarding the size and location of the water meter. Fire Department: Fire hydrant may be required. County Planning: No Comments. CATA: The site is located on a CATA Bus Route. SUBDIVISION COMMITTEE COMMENT: (JUNE 30, 2005) Bob Holloway, David Atkins and Mark Redder were present, representing the application. Staff described the proposed conditional use permit. Staff noted that additional information relating to building design and height, signage, vacuum islands, fencing and site lighting needed to be provided. The applicants noted that the existing sign pole on the property would be used. Staff also noted that a copy of the instrument dedicating the 26 -foot access and utility easement on the property needed to be provided. Mike Hood, of Public Works, briefly reviewed the Public Works requirements for the property. Bob Brown, of the Planning Staff, noted that a 30 -foot wide landscape buffer was required along the 1-30 property line. Mr. Holloway noted that a variance would be requested from the Planning Commission and City Beautiful Commission for the reduced interstate buffer. After the discussion, the Committee forwarded the application to the full Commission for final action. STAFF ANALYSIS: The C-3 zoned property at 8001 Geyer Springs Road is occupied by a vacant convenience store with gas pumps. The applicants propose to raze that building and redevelop the property for a Sud's car wash. The new development will consist of a single building with three self -serve car wash bays, two automatic carwash bays and an equipment room. Three vacuum islands will be located in front of the building, at the perimeter of the paved driveway -parking area. The site will be completely redeveloped with new landscaping, paving and street improvements. The new building will be one-story in height and will have a varied exterior, which includes metal and tile accents. The building will also be painted with the Sud's motif to have the appearance of bubbles. Signage will consist of one ground - 3 July 21, 2005 ITEM NO.: 16 (Cont.) FILE NO.: Z-7885 mounted sign at the northeast corner of the site and wall signs on the building facades. The signage will comply with commercial district standards. A variance is needed to allow signage on the building's south fagade since it does not face a street. Staff is supportive of the variance since the south fagade faces the access driveway for the commercial subdivision. The facility will operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. There is no attendant on site. The attendant is on call 24 hours per day and visits the site 3 to 4 times per day to clean-up, empty refuse containers and provide general maintenance. No new fencing is proposed, other than the screening fence around the dumpster. A small canopy will cover each of the vacuum islands. There will be no signage on the vacuum canopies. Site lighting will consist of building lights and'thoebo�' type pole lights. The redeveloped site is proposed to have a landscaped street buffer of 10 feet on the north perimeter where the site abuts the interstate frontage road. Section 36-522(a)(3) of the Zoning Ordinance requires a minimum street buffer width of 30 feet where a site abuts an expressway. Staff is supportive of a variance to allow the reduced street buffer width of 10 feet. The site actually abuts a frontage road and is further separated from the interstate traffic lanes by the interstate entrance ramp. The site is separated from the frontage road by unpaved right-of-way, which varies in width from 15 to 25 feet. This variance will also require approval from the City Beautiful Commission. The applicant submitted responses to issues raised at Subdivision Committee and reflected in the analysis above. The 1966 Bill of Assurance does not address use issues. The access easement along the south perimeter of the site will be recorded prior to an application being filed for a building permit. To staffs knowledge there are no other issues. STAFF RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends approval of the requested C.U.P. subject to compliance with following conditions: 1. Compliance with the staff comments and conditions outlined in Sections 4, 5 and 6 of the agenda staff report. 2. All site lighting is to be shielded downward and into the site. 3. The site is to be kept clean; trash is to be picked up and trash cans emptied daily. 4. There is to be no signage on the vacuum island canopies, which denotes the name of the facility. E July 21, 2005 ITEM NO.: 16 FILE NO.: Z-7885 5. There is to be no flashing, oscillating or pulsating of any neon on the building. Staff recommends approval of variances to allow a wall sign on the south fagade of the building and to allow a reduced street buffer width of 10 feet on the north (expressway) perimeter. PLANNING COMMISSION ACTION: (JULY 21, 2005) 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. There was no additional discussion. The item was placed on the Consent Agenda and approved as recommended by staff. The vote was 11 ayes, 0 noes and 0 absent. 5