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HomeMy WebLinkAboutZ-8060-A Staff AnalysisDECEMBER 19, 2011 ITEM NO.: 1 File No.: Z -8060-A Owner: Mark West Applicant: Nikki Burgess -West Address: 6400 Geyer Springs Road Description: West side of Geyer Springs Road at Frozen Road Zoned: 1-2 Variance Requested: A variance is requested from the paving provisions of Section 36- 508 to allow a temporary gravel vehicular use area. Justification: The applicant's justification is presented in an attached letter. Present Use of Property: Auto Repair and Sales Proposed Use of Property: Auto Repair and Sales STAFF REPORT A. Public Works Issues: No Comments B. Landscape and Buffer Issues: Site plan must comply with the City's minimal landscape and buffer ordinance requirements. The zoning buffer ordinance requires an average seventeen -foot (17') wide street buffer along Geyer Springs Road. The parking lot needs to be shifted west to meet this minimal city ordinance requirement. The landscape ordinance requires a nine -foot (9'-0") wide perimeter landscaping strip along Geyer Springs Road. A variance from this minimal amount will require City Beautiful Commission approval prior to the issuance of a building permit. Curb and gutter or another approved border will be required to protect landscaped areas from vehicular traffic. DECEMBER 19, 2011 ITEM NO.: 1 (CON'T. The landscape ordinance requires a minimum of 8 % of the paved areas be landscaped with interior islands of at least 7 Y2 feet in width and 150 square feet in area. Proposed plan does not currently reflect this minimum. Upon rehabilitation or building addition in the future the parking lot and associated landscaping may need to be upgraded to meet minimal City Landscape and Zoning Ordinance requirements. A franchise agreement with the City of Little Rock will be required in conjunction with any/all amenities located within the public right-of-way. 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. C. Staff Analysis: The 1-2 zoned property located at 6400 Geyer Springs Road is occupied by three (3) one-story commercial buildings which house an auto repair and sales business. The property is located along the west side of Geyer Springs Road, between W. 65th Street and the railroad right-of-way to the north. A driveway from Geyer Springs Road near the southeast corner of the property serves as access. There is an area of paved parking on the north side of the building. The property is fenced with chain-link fencing. The applicant is proposing to gravel a portion of the property along the Geyer Springs frontage, as noted on the attached site plan. The gravel area is proposed for the display of vehicles for sale. The applicant is proposing use of the gravel area for 18 months, after which it would be paved. The applicant is proposing new wood and "cable wire" fencing as part of the project. The area where the temporary gravel vehicular use area is proposed is currently grass -covered. Section 36-508 of the City's Zoning Ordinance requires that all vehicular use areas be paved where subject to wheeled traffic. Therefore, the applicant is requesting a variance from this ordinance requirement to allow a gravel vehicular use area for 18 months. Staff is not supportive of the requested paving variance. There is a rather large area of asphalt paving along the north side of the building. A large portion of the existing paved area is occupied by vehicles which are not operational. DECEMBER 19, 2011 ITEM NO.: 1 (CON'T. Staff feels that some of these vehicles could be consolidated/eliminated to make room for vehicular display until such time that the applicants are ready to pave the additional area. Additionally, the proposed gravel area would be in a very visible/prominent location of the property along the Geyer Springs Road frontage. Staff does not believe it appropriate to install a new gravel vehicular use area (even on a temporary basis) at this location along Geyer Springs Road. The properties across Geyer Springs Road to the east are developed with paved vehicular use areas, with a newly developed property to the southeast, at the corner of Geyer Springs Road and W. 65th Street. D. Staff Recommendation: Staff recommends denial of the requested paving variance. BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT: (December 19, 2011) Staff informed the Board that the application needed to be deferred to the January 30, 2012 agenda so that a property ownership issue could be resolved. The item was placed on the Consent Agenda and deferred to the January 30, 2012 agenda with a vote of 4 ayes, 0 nays and 1 absent. JANUARY 30, 2012 ITEM NO.: A File No.: Z -8060-A Owner: Mark West Applicant: Nikki Burgess -West Address: 6400 Geyer Springs Road Description: West side of Geyer Springs Road at Frozen Road Zoned: 1-2 Variance Requested: A variance is requested from the paving provisions of Section 36- 508 to allow a temporary gravel vehicular use area. Justification: The applicant's justification is presented in an attached letter. Present Use of Property: Auto Repair and Sales Proposed Use of Property: Auto Repair and Sales STAFF REPORT A. Public Works Issues: No Comments B. Landscape and Buffer Issues: Site plan must comply with the City's minimal landscape and buffer ordinance requirements. The zoning buffer ordinance requires an average seventeen -foot (17') wide street buffer along Geyer Springs Road. The parking lot needs to be shifted west to meet this minimal city ordinance requirement. The landscape ordinance requires a nine -foot (9'-0") wide perimeter landscaping strip along Geyer Springs Road. A variance from this minimal amount will require City Beautiful Commission approval prior to the issuance of a building permit. Curb and gutter or another approved border will be required to protect landscaped areas from vehicular traffic. JANUARY 30, 2012 NO.: A (CON'T. The landscape ordinance requires a minimum of 8 % of the paved areas be landscaped with interior islands of at least 7'/Z feet in width and 150 square feet in area. Proposed plan does not currently reflect this minimum. Upon rehabilitation or building addition in the future the parking lot and associated landscaping may need to be upgraded to meet minimal City Landscape and Zoning Ordinance requirements. A franchise agreement with the City of Little Rock will be required in conjunction with any/all amenities located within the public right-of-way. 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. C. Staff Analysis: The 1-2 zoned property located at 6400 Geyer Springs Road is occupied by three (3) one-story commercial buildings which house an auto repair and sales business. The property is located along the west side of Geyer Springs Road, between W. 65th Street and the railroad right-of-way to the north. A driveway from Geyer Springs Road near the southeast corner of the property serves as access. There is an area of paved parking on the north side of the building. The property is fenced with chain-link fencing. The applicant is proposing to gravel a portion of the property along the Geyer Springs frontage, as noted on the attached site plan. The gravel area is proposed for the display of vehicles for sale. The applicant is proposing use of the gravel area for 18 months, after which it would be paved. The applicant is proposing new wood and "cable wire" fencing as part of the project. The area where the temporary gravel vehicular use area is proposed is currently grass -covered. Section 36-508 of the City's Zoning Ordinance requires that all vehicular use areas be paved where subject to wheeled traffic. Therefore, the applicant is requesting a variance from this ordinance requirement to allow a gravel vehicular use area for 18 months. Staff is not supportive of the requested paving variance. There is a rather large area of asphalt paving along the north side of the building. A large portion of the existing paved area is occupied by vehicles which are not operational. JANUARY 30, 2012 ITEM NO.: A CON'T. Staff feels that some of these vehicles could be consolidated/eliminated to make room for vehicular display until such time that the applicants are ready to pave the additional area. Additionally, the proposed gravel area would be in a very visible/prominent location of the property along the Geyer Springs Road frontage. Staff does not believe it appropriate to install a new gravel vehicular use area (even on a temporary basis) at this location along Geyer Springs Road. The properties across Geyer Springs Road to the east are developed with paved vehicular use areas, with a newly developed property to the southeast, at the corner of Geyer Springs Road and W. 65Th Street. D. Staff Recommendation: Staff recommends denial of the requested paving variance. BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT: (December 19, 2011) Staff informed the Board that the application needed to be deferred to the January 30, 2012 agenda so that a property ownership issue could be resolved. The item was placed on the Consent Agenda and deferred to the January 30, 2012 agenda with a vote of 4 ayes, 0 nays and 1 absent. BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT: (January 30, 2012) Mark and Nikki West were present, representing the application. There were no objectors present. Staff presented the application with a recommendation of denial. Mark West addressed the Board in support of the application. He explained the desire to use asphalt millings instead of paving at this time. He described his proposed use of the temporary non -paved area. Vice -Chairman Scott asked how many cars would be displayed on the existing paved area. Mr. West noted that he could display approximately seven (7). He explained that the temporary non -paved area would be used to display vehicles for sale. There was a brief discussion regarding the existing asphalt area and new fence. Vice - Chairman Smith explained that there are other components of a parking area such as curbing and landscaping. Mr. West explained the need for the delay in paving. He noted that other resources would be available to pay for a paved lot in 18 months. Chairman Winchester asked how long the auto repair/sales business had been on the property. Mr. West noted four (4) years. JANUARY 30, 2012 ITEM NO.: A ICON'T. The issue of the temporary non -paved area was discussed further. Rajesh Mehta asked how large the gravel area would be. Mr. West responded 1,800 square feet. Mr. Mehta asked about the cost for paving. Mr. West responded that it would be approximately $5,000 for asphalt millings and $30,000 for paving. Mr. West explained that he wanted to delay the parking lot improvements until a time closer to his purchase of the property. Jeff Yates expressed concern with Mr. West leaving the property before the 18 months is up and the paving never getting installed. Mr. West noted that there was no need for him to move. He explained that he could afford this location and had the resources to grow at this location. There was additional discussion related to the property and type of application which was proposed for the parking area. Staff noted that a chip -seal type of application was temporary. There was further discussion related to chip -seal application. Vice -Chairman Smith explained the possible problems with supporting a variance for a non -paved parking area. Mr. Yates made additional comments related to the issue of chip -seal parking areas. There was brief additional discussion related to this issue. Staff asked if there were going to be any new driveways from Geyer Springs Road. Mr. West stated that there would be no new drives. There was brief additional discussion related to staff's past recommendations on deferral of paving issues. The drainage issue was discussed. In response to a question from the Board, Mr. West noted that landscaping would be installed initially, except for the interior landscaping which would be installed when the lot is paved. There was a brief discussion related to fencing and lighting of the property. There was a motion to approve the paving deferral, subject to he following conditions: 1. There will be no new driveways from Geyer Springs Road. 2. The area of parking be properly prepared and graded as per City requirements. 3. The area of parking have a sub -base as per city requirements. 4. Asphalt millings be installed with some required landscaping along the street property line. 5. Within 18 months, the area of parking must be constructed to City requirements, including paving, curb and gutter, landscaping and irrigation. The, motion passed with a vote of 5 ayes, 0 nays and 0 absent. Staff explained that a landscape architect will need to design and prepare plans for the parking lot to assure that the plan conforms to City code requirements.