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HomeMy WebLinkAboutZ-7908 Staff AnalysisSeptember 1, 2005 ITEM NO.: 5 FILE NO.: Z-7908 NAME: Karakra Grocery Store — Conditional Use Permit LOCATION: 1817 S. Woodrow Street OWNER/APPLICANT: Karl Karakra PROPOSAL: A conditional use permit is requested to allow use of the existing building on this 1-3 zoned property for a grocery store (food store). 1. SITE LOCATION: The property is located on the east side of South Woodrow Street, just north of its intersection with West 19th Street. 2. COMPATIBILITY WITH NEIGHBORHOOD: The property is located within an area of 1-2 and 1-3 zoned properties, which extend east of Woodrow Street. Uses in the industrial area include an industrial laundry facility, warehousing, an apartment building, a private club and vacant industrial buildings. Single family residences are located to the west, across Woodrow Street. Utilizing this existing building for a neighborhood grocery store is compatible with uses 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 Central High, Stephens Area Faith and LOVE Neighborhood Associations were notified of this request. 3. ON SITE DRIVES AND PARKI All parking and drives are existing. The site currently has a driveway located on the south side of the building. Six parking spaces are located off of this driveway. Six parking spaces are currently located in front of the building and back into Woodrow Street. To comply with Public Works Comments, those spaces will be eliminated and two parallel spaces will be installed in their place. Sixteen spaces are required for this retail use. Staff is supportive of a parking variance to allow a reduction in the number of on-site parking spaces. It is anticipated that much of the business will be generated by neighborhood residents walking to the store. September 1, 2005 ITEM NO.: 5 Cont. FILE NO.: Z-7908 4. SCREENING AND BUFFERS: No Comments. 5. PUBLIC WORKS COMMENTS: 1. Driveway locations and widths do not meet the traffic access and circulation requirements of Sections 30-43 and 31-210. The property must share a single driveway access with the property to the south centered on the property line. The width of driveway must not exceed 36 feet. 2. A second driveway can also be located along the northern property line. The driveway must be designed to meet city standards. Parallel parking only will be allowed in front of building; no backing out in travel lanes. 3. All driveways shall be concrete aprons per City Ordinance. 4. Plans of all work in right-of-way shall be submitted for approval prior to start of work. Obtain barricade permit prior to doing any work in the right-of-way from Traffic Engineering at (501) 379-1817 (Derrick Bergfield). 6. UTILITY FIRE DEPT. AND CATA COMMENTS: Wastewater: Service line location unknown. Any food preparation facility will require grease trap installed according to LRWU standard requirements. Entergy: No Comments received. CenterPoint Energy: No Comments received. Southwestern Bell: No Comments received. Water: Contact Central Arkansas Water if larger and/or additional water meter(s) are required. Fire Department: Approved as submitted. County Planning: No Comments. CATA: A CATA Bus Route is located along 20th Street, one block to the south. 2 September 1, 2005 ITEM NO.: 5 (Cont.) FILE NO.: Z-7908 SUBDIVISION COMMITTEE COMMENT: (AUGUST 11, 2005) The applicant and his engineer were present. Staff presented the item and noted additional information was needed signage, number of employees, days and hours of operation, site lighting, dumpster location and screening and fencing. Staff noted the need for a parking variance and informed the Commission that the applicant was requesting a waiver of the filing fee. Utility and Public Works Comments were discussed. The applicant stated he would comply with the requirement to eliminate vehicles backing into the right-of- way. He was advised to meet with Public Works staff. The applicant was advised to respond to staff issues by August 17, 2005. The Committee forwarded the item to the full Commission. AFF ANALYSIS: The 1-3 zoned lot located at 1817 South Woodrow Street is occupied by a one- story, 5,000 square foot, block and frame building. The property is part of a larger, industrial site that extends along the east side of Woodrow Street, north of Wright Avenue and parallels the railroad. The applicant is requesting approval of a conditional use permit to allow a neighborhood grocery store. The applicant had purchased the property, cleaned up the building and purchased inventory before becoming aware that the use was not permitted. Staff allowed the applicant to operate the store, at his own risk, prior to the Planning Commission action on the conditional use permit. The store is proposed to operate Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m., Saturday 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and Sunday 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. There will be two employees. Signage consists of an existing 4'X 9'X 20' tall ground sign and one wall sign. Signage complies with ordinance standards for industrial zones. Site lighting consists of the existing street lighting, which shines onto the site. A dumpster and required screening have been shown at the back corner of the property. No additional fencing is proposed. The 5,000 square foot retail use requires 16 on-site parking spaces. The site is completely paved and all parking is existing. There are currently 12 parking spaces on the site, including 5 that back into Woodrow Street. The spaces at the front of the site are to be redesigned to be two parallel spaces, eliminating the backing into Woodrow. There is room for a couple of additional spaces at the rear of the building resulting in a total of perhaps 10 spaces on the site. Driveway access easements allow for movement of vehicles from this site across the adjacent parking lot and driveway to the south. The applicant must comply with Public Works Comments regarding possible relocation of the southern driveway to be a shared drive with the lot to the south. An access driveway 3 September 1, 2005 ITEM NO._ 5 FILE NO.: Z-7908 already exists at this point. Staff is supportive of a parking variance to allow the reduction in on-site parking. It is anticipated that much of the traffic to the store will come from neighborhood residents walking to the site. Staff is supportive of the requested conditional use permit. The neighborhood grocery store will provide a needed service to residents of the community. A vacant building is being put back into use. There is no bill of assurance issue. STAFF RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends approval of the requested conditional use permit subject to compliance with the comments and conditions outlined in Sections 5 and 6 of the agenda staff report. Staff recommends approval of the requested parking variance and the waiver of the filing fee. PLANNING COMMISSION ACTION: (SEPTEMBER 1, 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 further discussion. The item, including the parking variance and fee waiver, was placed on the Consent Agenda and approved as recommended by staff. The vote was 11 ayes, 0 noes and 0 absent. 4