HomeMy WebLinkAboutZ-8800 Staff AanalysisAUGUST 27, 2012
File No.: Z-8800
Owner: Jimmy Duong
Applicant: Bao Chan
Address: 5501 Asher Avenue
Description: Southwest corner of Asher Avenue and Polk Street
Zoned: C-3
Variance Requested: A variance is requested from the parking provisions of Section 36-
502 to allow a restaurant use with reduced parking.
Justification: The applicant's justification is presented in an attached letter.
Present Use of Property: Vacant Commercial Building
Proposed Use of Property: Restaurant
STAFF REPORT
A. Public Works Issues:
1. At time of building permit, the north driveway on Polk Street shall be closed.
Curb and gutter shall be installed to replace driveway.
2. At time of building permit, contact Mel Hall at 501-918-5217 for inspections of
any work in the public right-of-way prior to placement of concrete or asphalt or
for on -site clarification of requirements prior to commencing work.
3. At time of building permit, repair, replace or extend existing damaged or
missing curb and gutter, sidewalk, ramps or concrete driveway aprons within
the public right-of-way adjacent to the site.
B. Landscape and Buffer Issues:
Site plan must comply with the city's minimal landscape and buffer ordinance
requirements.
If the rehabilitation of the existing structures exceeds the fifty percent (50%) of the
replacement cost of the building then the landscaping must be brought into
compliance accordingly.
The landscape ordinance will require a nine foot (9') wide landscape strip around
the sites entirety; if the building rehab meets the fifty percent threshold.
AUGUST 27, 2012
ITEM NO.: 6 (CON'T.
Additional green space and trees are highly recommended by the City of Little
Rock and the City Beautiful Commission.
C. Staff Analysis:
The C-3 zoned property at 5501 Asher Avenue is occupied by a one-story
commercial building. The property is located at the southwest corner of Asher
Avenue and Polk Street. Access drives from Asher Avenue and Polk Street serve
the property. Paved parking is located on the north, south and east sides of the
building. The paved parking area contains 36 striped spaces, with six (6) of the
spaces being double stacked spaces at the southwest corner of the building.
The applicant proposes to use the existing 3,960 space foot commercial building
as a restaurant. A restaurant use previously occupied the building. At that time
the paved parking lot to the west was used as off -site parking. That parking
agreement no longer exists.
Section 36-502(b)(3)c. of the City's Zoning Ordinance requires 39 on -site parking
spaces for the proposed restaurant use. Therefore, the applicant is requesting a
variance from this ordinance standard to allow the restaurant use with 36 on -site
parking spaces.
Staff is supportive of the requested parking variance. Staff views the request as
reasonable. The applicant is providing 36 parking spaces for the proposed
restaurant use. This represents 92 percent of the parking requirement. The
double -stacked spaces at the southwest corner of the property can be used for
employee parking. The property has a history of restaurant use. Additionally,
there are nearby options for off -site parking if the need arises. Staff believes the
proposed restaurant use at this location with slightly reduced parking will have no
adverse impact on the adjacent properties or general area.
D. Staff Recommendation:
Staff recommends approval of the requested parking variance, subject to
compliance with the following conditions:
1. Compliance with the Public Works comments as noted in paragraph A. of
the staff report.
2. Compliance with the Landscape and Buffer comments as noted in
paragraph B. of the staff report.
3. The property must be used as an "eating place, inside", with no drive-thru
window and no outdoor dining.
AUGUST 27, 2012
ITEM NO.: 6 CON'T.
BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT: (August 27, 2012)
The applicant was present. There were no objectors present. Staff presented the application
with a recommendation of approval, with conditions.
The item was placed on the Consent Agenda and approved, as recommended by staff with a
vote of 4 ayes, 0 nays and 1 absent.