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HomeMy WebLinkAboutZ-8041 Staff AnalysisMay 25, 2006 ITEM NO.: 7 FILE NO.: Z-8041 NAME: Fellowship Bible Church — Conditional Use Permit LOCATION: NE corner of Wellington Hills and Champlin OWNER/APPLICANT: Shackleford Family Limited Partnership, ETAL / Development Consultants, Inc. PROPOSAL: A conditional use permit is requested to allow for development of a Church campus on this vacant 50 ± acre tract. SITE LOCATION: The property is located on the old Shackleford Dairy site. The location is the northeast corner of what will be the intersection of Wellington Hills and Champlin. 2. COMPATIBILITY WITH NEIGHBORHOOD: The property is located west of the Wellington Subdivision, adjacent to the more intensely zoned and developed properties that front onto Chenal Parkway and Rahling Road. The site fronts onto the Champlin/Kirk Arterial and has immediate access to two other arterials, Chenal Parkway and Rahling Road. The buildings are located near the center of the 50 acre tract and buffers will be provided to the east where the site abuts residential uses. This appears to be an appropriate site for the proposed church. All owners of property located within 500 feet of the site, all residents within 300 feet of the site who could be identified and the St. Charles and Parkway place Neighborhood Associations were notified of this request. An informational meeting was held for all interested parties on May 4, 2006. 3. ON SITE DRIVES AND PARKING: The campus is to contain four principal assembly areas that contain an estimated 3,150 actual seats. The principal assembly areas are " The Worship Center" (main sanctuary; 1,400 seats), "The Encounter" (traditional service; 500 seats), "The Edge" (contemporary service; 800 seats), and "Fellowship Student Ministries" (youth service; 450 seats). The total of 3,150 seats require 787 parking spaces. 2,000 spaces are proposed, with access at multiple points off of the adjacent streets. An additional parking lot is located adjacent to the proposed Fellowship Associates Building. May 25, 2006 ITEM NO.: 7 Cont. FILE NO.: Z-8041 4. SCREENING AND BUFFERS: Site plan must comply with the City's landscape and buffer ordinance requirements. Where the site is adjacent to residentially zoned property, the zoning ordinance requires a minimum fifty -foot (50) buffer, 70% of which is to be undisturbed. Currently, the site plan only reflects twenty foot (20) in an area on the south. Screening is required to be a six (6) foot high opaque screen, either a wooden fence with its face side directed outward, a wall, or dense evergreen plantings, where adjacent to residential property. Interior islands must be a minimum of three hundred (300) feet in area to receive credit toward fulfilling landscape ordinance requirements. These islands are to be evenly distributed throughout the site. An automatic irrigation system to water landscaped areas will be required. Prior to the issuance of a building permit, it will be necessary to provide an approved landscape plan stamped with the seal of a Registered Landscape Architect. The City Beautiful Commission recommends preserving as many existing trees as feasible on this site. Credit toward fulfilling Landscape Ordinance requirements can be given when preserving trees of six (6) inch caliper or larger. 5. PUBLIC WORKS COMMENTS: 1. The proposed right-of-way dedication and boundary street improvements meet Master Street Plan requirements except at the intersection of Wellington Village Drive and Champlin Drive. From the results of the approved traffic study, it was agreed that a second round -a -bout would be installed at this intersection. Provide adequate right-of-way for this installation. 2. With site development, provide design of street conforming to the Master Street Plan. Construct one-half street improvement to these streets including 5 -foot sidewalks with planned development. 3. 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). 2 May 25, 2006 ITEM NO.: 7 (Cont. FILE NO.: Z-804 4. A grading permit in accordance with Section 29-186 (c) & (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. Advanced grading permits have the same requirements as regular grading permits. If grading is proposed in areas with no imminent construction, a variance must be obtained from the Planning Commission. 5. Storm water detention ordinance applies to this property. Show the proposed location for storm water detention facilities on the plan. 6. If disturbed area is one (1) or more acres, obtain a NPDES storm water permit from the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality prior to the start of construction. 7. Street Improvement plans shall include signage and striping. Traffic Engineering must approve completed plans prior to construction. 8. Coordinate design of traffic signal upgrade with proposed street improvements. Plans to be forwarded to Traffic Engineering for approval. 9. Prepare a letter of pending development addressing street lights as required by Section 31-403 of the Little Rock Code. Contact Traffic Engineering at (501) 379-1813 (Steve Philpot) for more information regarding street light requirements. 10. Hauling of fill material on or off site over municipal streets and roads requires approval prior to a grading permit being issued. Contact Public Works Traffic Engineering at 621 S. Broadway, (501) 379- 1817 (Derrick Bergfield) for more information. 11. Driveway locations meet minimum spacing requirements. Provide a certified statement stamped by a licensed engineer prior to issuance of grading permit, certifying that sufficient site distance is provided to meet all AASHTO requirements particular that all driveway locations provide the required AASHTO 2001 Green Book requirements of at least 445 ft of intersection site distance from left turns and 385 ft for right turns maneuvers. Contact Traffic Engineering (Bill Henry) at 379-1816 for further explanation. 6. UTILITY, FIRE DEPT. AND CATA COMMENTS: Wastewater: Sewer main required, with easements. All food preparation facilities must be connected to grease interceptor as required by Little Rock Wastewater Utility. Entergy: No comments received. CenterPoint Energy: No comments received. Southwestern Bell: No comments received. 3 May 25, 2006 ITEM NO.: 7 Cont. FILE NO.: Z-8041 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. A water main extension and on-site fire protection will be required in order to provide service to this property. Contact Central Arkansas Water regarding procedures for installation of water facilities. Approval of plans by the Arkansas Department of Health Engineering Division and Little Rock Fire Department is required. Fire sprinkler systems, which do not contain additives such as antifreeze shall be isolated with a double detector check valve assembly. If additives are used, a reduced pressure zone backflow preventer shall be required. The facilities on-site will be private. When meters are planned off private lines, private facilities shall be installed to Central Arkansas Water's material and construction specifications and installation will be inspected by an engineer, licensed to practice in the State of Arkansas. Execution of Customer Owned Line Agreement is required. 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. This development will have minor impact on the existing water distribution system. Proposed water facilities will be sized to provide adequate pressure and fire protection. Fire Department: No comments received. County Planning: No Comments. CATA: The site is not located on a CATA bus route. SUBDIVISION COMMITTEE COMMENT: (MAY 4, 2006) The applicants were present. Staff presented the item and noted there was additional information needed regarding signage, fencing, building design, phasing, site lighting and dumpster location. Staff asked if any elements of the building were to be illuminated. Staff asked the applicant to provide details on the Fellowship Associates Building, the outdoor event area, the cafes, bookstore and open recreation area. It was noted that a height variance was requested. Public Works, Utility and Landscape comments were noted and discussed. Staff noted the applicants had commissioned an area -wide traffic study and the site plan was based on the results of that study. Staff noted the applicants had been working with Public Works on street and traffic issues. Staff discussed the need for a traffic round -a -bout at Wellington Villages and Champlin. Staff also noted a 4 May 25, 2006 ITEM NO.: 7 (Cont.) FILE NO.: Z-8041 variance was being requested to allow advance grading of the site and the transport of spoil material to other sites. The applicant was advised to meet with the various agencies to discuss their issues. The applicant noted a neighborhood meeting had been scheduled. The applicant was advised to respond to staff issues by May 10, 2006. The Committee forwarded the item to the full Commission. STAFF ANALYSIS: Fellowship Bible Church is requesting approval of a conditional use permit to allow for development of this vacant, 50 ± acre tract as a campus for its facilities. The project is to be developed in two phases. Phase I includes the principal Worship Center building and a 2,000 vehicle parking lot. Phase II is the Fellowship Associates building and an additional 172 parking spaces. Two variances are requested. The applicant is requesting a maximum height of fifty (50) feet for the Worship Center building (clerestory at center of concourse and/or parapet at main worship center), not including a decorative finial or spire at the building entry. A variance is also requested from the Land Alternation Ordinance to allow a grading permit to be issued prior to the imminent development of the site and to allow the hauling of fill material off of the site and over public streets to nearby sites to the north and south of the proposed church site. The principal building is proposed to have an area of 225, 000 ± square feet and is designed as a series of assembly areas and support uses built around a central, interior pedestrian area. Seating consists of 3,150 ± seats in the primary assembly areas and 850 ± seats in classroom areas for a total planned attendance of 4000 ± at peak times. This main building will be ringed by a 2,000 space parking lot. The proposed Fellowship Association Building is to contain 40,000 ± square feet. A 172 space parking lot will be built in conjunction with this building. Signage locations have been added and noted on the site plan. One primary project sign is proposed at the southwest corner of the site. This sign will be a backfilled monument/wall, built into a slope, with letters mounted to the face. The maximum height will be six feet, tapering to two or three feet at each end. The maximum wall surface area is proposed to be 240 square feet. The actual signage will fit within the wall surface area and will occupy 70%-80% of the wall surface. No message/reader board panels are proposed. There are also three smaller entry signs proposed at three of the entry drives. These signs will be an upright monument style with a maximum height of four (4) feet and a maximum surface area of twenty-four (24) square feet. A May 25, 2006 ITEM NO.: 7 [Cont.] FILE NO.: Z-8041 No security fencing is proposed for this site. Vehicle gates may be added at the entry drives to control access during non-use hours. Privacy fencing may be used as part of the screening elements along the eastern land use buffer area. The building design concept is currently still in development and is conceived as a relatively contemporary structure executed in a warm/inviting material and color palate. The project is conceived to be built around an interior "street", which will be realized on each end entrance as a glass curtain wall. The building components that "plug" into this interior concourse will be flat -roofed structures constructed in a neutral, warm stucco-EIFS finish, accented with stone and/or masonry at key entry points. These components will be generally opaque with punched fenestration (windows/glazing). Landscape plantings and structures that begin as pedestrian pathways from each parking lot extend up to the building entries and into the interior concourse — bringing the exterior to the interior. The Fellowship Associates Building is an office use building providing offices for personnel serving in Fellowship Bible Ministries, which is the parent organization of Fellowship Bible Church. This building is not proposed for leasing to the general public. Dumpsters will be located with the facility maintenance buildings. The location is now noted on the site plan and screening will be provided to meet ordinance standards. Trash pick-up will occur during daytime business hours. The vast majority of the site will be developed as one initial phase of work. The Fellowship Associates Building area is outlined and noted as a future phase. There is no certain time that this phase will take place. The Church does not have a site lighting layout at this time. Lighting will be designed to light the parking and building areas with pole mounted lights. Fixtures will be directional/shielded style lights, directed down to the site surface area, and pole heights will be a maximum of thirty (30) feet. Proposed building lighting will be limited to the primary entry areas and, if possible, the decorative element extending above the western entry. Entry areas will use lighting built into the canopies and directed down to the ground surface. All lighting will be designed to adhere to current regulations. The cafes will be open during church functions and some of the normal operation hours. These uses will close no later than 9:00 p.m. The bookstore will be open during normal daytime business hours on Tuesday through Friday, as well as during church services and functions on Sundays and weekday evenings. This use will also close no later than 9:00 p.m. The outdoor event area is planned to utilize a stage that is built as part of the building structure with a sloped lawn seating area. A PA system will be used with some functions, as well as lighting for the stage and associated pedestrian areas. 11 May 25, 2006 ITEM NO.: 7 [Cont.] FILE NO.: Z-8041 Sound volumes will be kept to a level that will prevent bleedover to adjacent properties. All functions will end no later than 9:00 p.m. There are no private school or full time daycare uses proposed. There will be childcare available during church functions. There will also be a "Mother's Day Out program that provides short term care, twice a week (currently Wednesdays and Thursdays), during daytime business hours. The open recreation area is planned to be developed as open park space with area for informal field game and practice use. The Church does not propose to develop formal athletic fields that are striped or otherwise defined and no bleachers or lighting are proposed. The applicant has reviewed the option of a second round -a -bout with City of Little Rock Traffic and has proposed to construct a traditional intersection at Champlin and Wellington Village Road. The intersection will provide a northbound right -turn lane on Champlin and a westbound right -turn lane on Wellington Village Road. This alternative has been approved by City of Little Rock Traffic. All related street improvements will be built to full width instead of half -street width. Street, drainage, and utility improvements will be constructed prior to or along with the site development in coordination with the early excavation work. Will comply. The FBC properties will require excavation in the range of 400,000 to 500,000 cubic yards and is mostly cut that will require placement elsewhere. This project proposes to minimize hauling to off-site locations by placing excess material on other properties owned by Whisenhunt Investments (sellers to FBC) in the immediate vicinity. All planned hauling will occur over the proposed streets adjacent to FBC and across Chenal Parkway at the Kirk Road intersection. Any damages to existing streets will be repaired immediately to prevent problems with traffic flow and safety. The overall infrastructure project planned by Whisenhunt Investments will include new construction and/or widening to Champlin Drive, Wellington Village Road, Wellington Hills Road, Kirk Road, Chenal Parkway, and Kanis Road (west of Chenal). Streets will be built to the full requirements as negotiated with City of Little Rock Traffic. The intersections at Kirk and Chenal, as well as Kanis and Chenal, will be rebuilt to accommodate the new roads and signalization requirements. Proposed locations for storm water detention ponds are shown on the revised site plan. Some detention may also be provided underground. 7 May 25, 2006 ITEM NO.: 7 (Cont.) FILE NO.: Z-8041 The land use buffer along the southern boundary is proposed to be twenty (20) feet in width due to the pending changes in land use and zoning classification and that will change the current multi -family classification if approved. Additional buffer area will be added if the proposed changes are not approved. To staff's knowledge there are no outstanding issues. The applicant has responded to issues raised at Subdivision Committee and reflected in the analysis above. There is no Bill of Assurance for this acreage tract. STAFF RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends approval of the requested conditional use permit 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. Staff recommends approval of the following variances: 1. A height variance to allow a building height of fifty (50) feet for the main building with a steeple not to exceed twice that height as measured from grade. 2. A variance from the Land Alteration Ordinance to allow advance grading of the site with the fill material to be hauled off-site, over public streets to nearby sites. 3. A variance to allow the ground -mounted signs as proposed. PLANNING COMMISSION ACTION: (MAY 25, 2006) The applicants were present. There were no objectors present. Two letters of support had been received and forwarded to the Commission. Staff presented the item and the variances and recommended approval of the item subject to compliance with the conditions outlined in the "Staff Recommendation" above. Staff added a condition to the approval of the land alteration variance to read: Preserve the trees located south of the Chenal-Kanis intersection and along the north property line south of Kanis Road on the site to be filled. There was no further discussion. May 25, 2006 ITEM NO.: 7 (Cont. FILE NO_: Z-8041 The item was placed on the Consent Agenda and approved as recommended by staff, including all staff comments and conditions. The vote was 6 ayes, 1 noe and 4 absent. E