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HomeMy WebLinkAboutZ-8014 Staff AnalysisAPRIL 24, 2006 ITEM NO.: C File No.: Owner: Applicant: Address: Description: Zoned: Z-8014 The Capitol Joint Venture/LDRP Limited Partnership/100 Main Building, LLC Kent Taylor, Cromwell Architects Engineers 100 Main Street East'/ of Block 78, Original City of Little Rock UU Variance Requested: Variances are requested from the parking, buffer and sidewalk paving provisions of Sections 36-342.1, 36-511 and 36-522 to allow construction of a new surface parking lot. Justification: The applicant's justification is presented in an attached letter. Present Use of Property: Office Building Proposed Use of Property: Parking Lot STAFF REPORT A. Public Works Issues: 1. Obtain a franchise agreement from Public Works (John Barr, 371-4646) for the improvements located in the right-of-way. B. Landscape and Buffer Issues: Site plan must comply with the City's minimal landscape and buffer ordinance requirements. The UU district requires street trees a minimum of 3 inches in caliper to be placed 30 feet on center with a water source provided. A minimum six foot and nine inch (6'-9") perimeter landscaping strip is required along the northern, southern and eastern perimeters of the site. This area is to be located out of the public right-of-way. This is a requirement of both the landscape ordinance and the buffer ordinance. A variance from this requirement will require approval from both the City Beautiful Commission and the Board of Adjustment. APRIL 24, 2006 ITEM NO.: C (CON'T. The landscape ordinance requires a tree every thirty (30) feet in the perimeter landscaping strip. The plan submitted does not reflect his minimum. The proposed plan doesn't reflect interior landscaping minimums. Eight percent of the paved surface area should be green space. Interior islands should be evenly distributed throughout the site. It appears that the parking lot maneuvering area could be reduced allowing for more greenspace along the perimeters of the site. A franchise agreement must be obtained for any/all landscaping to be located within the public right-of-way. An automatic irrigation system is required. Prior to the issuance of a building permit, it will be necessary to submit a landscape plan with the seal of a Registered Landscape Architect. C. Staff Analysis: The UU zoned property at 100 Main Street is occupied by a multi -story office building which previously housed the Trailways Bus Station. There is a paved alley along the rear (west side) of the building running between West Markham and West 2nd Streets. There is parking under the existing building. The property owners propose to remove the existing building from the site and construct a new valet parking lot for the Capitol Hotel which is located within the west half of the block. The proposed valet parking lot will contain 173 parking spaces, with access drives from West Markham Street and West 2nd Street. Portions of the proposed parking lot will allow for double and triple stacked parking, as noted on the attached site plan. The proposed parking lot will be enclosed with an ornamental brick and steel fence, with landscaping. The applicant is requesting several variances with the proposed development plan. The first requested variance is from Section 36-342.1(c )(10)b. of the City's Zoning Ordinance. This section states that surface parking is to be located behind or adjacent to a structure, never between the building and abutting street. The proposed parking lot will be located between the Capitol Hotel and Main Street. The second variance is from Section 36-522(b)(3)b.which requires a minimum street buffer width of 6 feet -9 inches along the Main street, West Markham Street and West 2nd Street frontages. The West Markham Street and West 2nd Street buffer widths exceed ordinance standards, but the street buffer along Main Street is 4.5 feet in width (inside the property line). There is an additional 10 feet of landscaped area proposed in the Main Street right- of-way. 2 APRIL 24, 2006 NO.: C (CON'T. The next requested variance is from the parking design provisions of Section 36-511. This section requires that right angle parking spaces be a minimum of 9 feet wide and 20 feet deep, with 20 feet of maneuvering area. As noted previously, some of the parking spaces within this proposed lot are double and triple stacked. Additionally, the depths of the spaces range from 16 to 16.5 feet (center stacked spaces) to 18 feet (perimeter spaces). The next requested variance is from the sidewalk paving provisions of Section 36-342.1(c )(6)a. This section states that sidewalks in the UU district consist of a minimum five (5) foot concrete walk, excluding the first two (2) feet from the curb. The applicant proposes to construct stone and brick sidewalks and curbs. The applicant proposes to have stone curbs along the West Markham Street fronta�e, with flagstone paving, with brick paving and concrete curbs on the Main and West 2" Street frontages. The last requested variance is from the landscape provisions of Section 36-342.1(c )(5)b., which requires street trees in the UU zoning district. The applicant requests to plant no street trees in conjunction with this project. The applicant notes that street trees around the perimeter of this site could conflict with the River Rail overhead power lines. The applicant is proposing to plant trees within the landscape/buffer strips along all three (3) street frontages. Staff is supportive of the requested variances. Staff believes the applicant has submitted a quality redevelopment plan for the property. The applicant has noted that the proposed valet parking lot could be a temporary use for the property, with a possible high-rise condominium development in the future. With the parking lot being for valet parking, the design should work given the fact that the applicant will have flexibility in determining where various sizes of vehicles will be parked within the lot. The applicant is also requesting variances from the Landscape Ordinance requirements which will have to be approved by the City Beautiful Commission at an upcoming meeting. Staff does recommend that two (2) trees be planted in each of the two (2) interior landscape islands as shown on the proposed plan. Otherwise, staff believes the proposed valet parking lot with variances will have no adverse impact on the adjacent properties or the general area. D. Staff Recommendation: Staff recommends approval of the requested variances associated with the proposed parking lot, subject to the following conditions: 1. Compliance with the Public Works and Landscape/Buffer requirements as noted in paragraphs A and B of the staff report. 2. Any variances from the Landscape Ordinance must be approved by the City Beautiful Commission 3. Two (2) trees (size and type to conform to the Landscape Ordinance) must be planted within each of the two (2) interior landscaped islands shown on the proposed site plan. 3 APRIL 24, 2006 111:1IT, 10161W�16Ii7Pits BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT: (MARCH 27, 2006) Staff informed the Board that the applicant requested the application be deferred to the April 24, 2006 Agenda. Staff supported the deferral request. The item was placed on the Consent Agenda and deferred to the April 24, 2006 Agenda by a vote of 4 ayes, 0 nays and 1 absent. BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT: (APRIL 24, 2006) The applicant was present. There were no objectors present. Staff presented the item and a recommendation of approval. The applicant offered no additional comments. The item was placed on the Consent Agenda and approved as recommended by staff by a vote of 3 ayes, 0 nays and 2 absent. 4