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HomeMy WebLinkAboutZ-9009 Staff AnalysisFILE NO.: A-325 NAME: Port Harbor Annexation REQUEST: Accept 27 acres plus or minus to the City LOCATION: Along the Arkansas River, east of Industrial Harbor Drive SOURCE: Bryan Day, Executive Director Little Rock Port Authority GENERAL INFORMATION: • The County Judge set a hearing on the annexation for February 25, 2015. • The area requesting annexation is primarily vacant with one structure at the end of Industrial Harbor Drive. • There is one property owner. • The site is contiguous to the City of Little Rock along a portion of its northern and western boundaries. • The annexation request is to obtain City services. • The site is arc shaped along the western bank of the Arkansas River, east of Industrial Harbor Drive. • Currently the property is not zoned, however the applicant has requested that the 27 acres be zoned 1-3, Heavy Industrial as the land currently within the City at this location is zoned. • The property owners have developed a portion of the land for the Port Authority offices and is marketing the remaining areas for future industrial related uses. AGENCY COMMENTS: Public Safety: Fire: No Comment Received. Police: The Little Rock Police Department has indicated they have no issues with this annexation. FILE NO.: A-325 Infrastructure and Communitv Facilities: Central Arkansas Transit: Central Arkansas Transit has indicated they have no issues with the requested annexation. Parks and Recreation: No Comment Received, Public Works: The Solid Waste Division of Public Works indicated they have no issues with this annexation. Public Works, Engineering has indicated they have no issues with the annexation. Utilities. Central Arkansas Water: No Comment Received. Entergy: Entergy Arkansas (Distribution Engineering) has indicated they have no issues with the annexation. Reliant -Energy: No Comment Received. Wastewater Utility: The Little Rock Wastewater Utility has no issues with this annexation. Southwestern Bell: No Comment Received. Schools: Little Rock: No Comment Received. The annexation is within the Little Rock School District. Pulaski County Special: No Comment Received. The annexation area is not within the Pulaski County Special School District. ANALYSIS: The site is mostly undeveloped and open fields between Industrial Harbor Drive and the Arkansas River with a rail spur bisecting it. The offices of the Little Rock Port Authority are located at the end of Industrial Harbor Drive and are within the annexation area. The remainder of the area is undeveloped. The Little Rock Port Authority is marketing this land for industrial developments which would use the port facilities for a portion or all of their transportation needs. The annexation area and surrounding areas are part of the Little Rock Port and have been for several decades. The adjacent areas were annexed to the City of Little Rock in July 1979. The Slack Water Harbor which crosses the annexation area was constructed in 1987. The materials from dragging this Slack Water Harbor were used to partial fill areas around the harbor, including the annexation area. 2 FILE NO.: A-325 (Cont. The land to be annexed, due in part to its configuration, would likely be developed along with lands currently in the City for any future industrial development. The tracts of land the Port authority is marketing would front along Industrial Harbor Drive (which is inside the City) and continue in to the area under consideration for annexation. Staff of the Little Rock Port Authority recently discovered that this arc of land had not been annexed. After discussions with City Staff and verification of ownership and legal descriptions, it was determined the 'arc of land' had not previously been annexed as some had assumed. Since the Port Authority offices are within the area and future building sites overlap into the area, the Authority is now requesting to have this land annexed. Pulaski County Planning has indicated that they have no issues with the annexation of this land to the City of Little Rock. There is an existing force main (2-inch) along Industrial Harbor Drive that would service any use that might be located on the land to be annexed. There also is an existing water line (12-inch) along Industrial Harbor Drive. These utilities were installed to service the annexation area as well as the areas currently in the City. The closest mass transit route is Route 20-Airport College Station. It goes along Fourche Dam Pike, crossing Lindsey Road. Via public street, Route 20 is some one and three-quarters of a mile from the annexation area. Fire Station 4 is located on Lindsey Road just east of Fourche Dam Pike and services the Little Rock Port area. That station is just under 2-miles via existing streets from the annexation area. The surrounding areas are zoned 1-3, Heavy Industrial and are part of the Port Industrial District. The tracts that will be developed in the future will likely include land from the annexation with lands that are already within the City Limits. The applicant has requested that the land be classified the same as the rest of their ownership. Since the area is part of an industrial park where the land is zoned 1-3, Heavy Industrial, it would appear reasonable to also zone this land 1-3, Heavy Industrial. Staff Recommendation: Approval of both the annexation and classification to 1-3, Heavy Industrial. PLANNING COMMISSION ACTION: (FEBRUARY 26, 2015) This item was placed on the consent agenda for approval. By a vote of 8 for, 1 absent and 2 open positions the consent agenda was approved. 3 February 26, 2015 ITEM NO.: 7 FILE NO.: A-325 NAME: Port Harbor Annexation REQUEST: Accept 27 acres plus or minus to the City LOCATION: Along the Arkansas River, east of Industrial Harbor Drive SOURCE: Bryan Day, Executive Director Little Rock Port Authority GENERAL INFORMATION: The County Judge set a hearing on the annexation for February 25, 2015. The area requesting annexation is primarily vacant with one structure at the end of Industrial Harbor Drive. • There is one property owner. • The site is contiguous to the City of Little Rock along a portion of its northern and western boundaries. The annexation request is to obtain City services. The site is arc shaped along the western bank of the Arkansas River, east of Industrial Harbor Drive. Currently the property is not zoned, however the applicant has requested that the 27 acres be zoned 1-3, Heavy Industrial as the land currently within the City at this location is zoned. The property owners have developed a portion of the land for the Port Authority offices and is marketing the remaining areas for future industrial related uses. AGENCY COMMENTS: Public Safety: Fire: No Comment Received, Police: The Little Rock Police Department has indicated they have no issues with this annexation. February 26, 2015 ITEM NO.: 7 ILE NO.: A-325 Infrastructure and Community Facilities: Central Arkansas Transit: Central Arkansas Transit has indicated they have no issues with the requested annexation. Parks and Recreation: No Comment Received. Public Works: The Solid Waste Division of Public Works indicated they have no issues with this annexation. Public Works, Engineering has indicated they have no issues with the annexation. Utilities: Central Arkansas Water: No Comment Received. Entergy: Entergy Arkansas (Distribution Engineering) has indicated they have no issues with the annexation. Reliant -Energy: No Comment Received. Wastewater Utility: The Little Rock Wastewater Utility has no issues with this annexation. Southwestern Bell: No Comment Received. Schools: Little Rock: No Comment Received. The annexation is within the Little Rock School District, Pulaski County Special: No Comment Received. The annexation area is not within the Pulaski County Special School District. ANALYSIS: The site is mostly undeveloped and open fields between Industrial Harbor Drive and the Arkansas River with a rail spur bisecting it. The offices of the Little Rock Port Authority are located at the end of Industrial Harbor Drive and are within the annexation area. The remainder of the area is undeveloped. The Little Rock Port Authority is marketing this land for industrial developments which would use the port facilities for a portion or all of their transportation needs. The annexation area and surrounding areas are part of the Little Rock Port and have been for several decades. 2 February 26, 2015 ITEM NO.: 7 FILE NO.: The adjacent areas were annexed to the City of Little Rock in July 1979. The Slack Water Harbor which crosses the annexation area was constructed in 1987. The materials from dragging this Slack Water Harbor were used to partial fill areas around the harbor, including the annexation area. The land to be annexed, due in part to its configuration, would likely be developed along with lands currently in the City for any future industrial development. The tracts of land the Port authority is marketing would front along Industrial Harbor Drive (which is inside the City) and continue in to the area under consideration for annexation. Staff of the Little Rock Port Authority recently discovered that this arc of land had not been annexed. After discussions with City Staff and verification of ownership and legal descriptions, it was determined the 'arc of land' had not previously been annexed as some had assumed. Since the Port Authority offices are within the area and future building sites overlap into the area, the Authority is now requesting to have this land annexed. Pulaski County Planning has indicated that they have no issues with the annexation of this land to the City of Little Rock. There is an existing force main (2-inch) along Industrial Harbor Drive that would service any use that might be located on the land to be annexed. There also is an existing water line (12-inch) along Industrial Harbor Drive. These utilities were installed to service the annexation area as well as the areas currently in the City. The closest mass transit route is Route 20-Airport College Station. It goes along Fourche Dam Pike, crossing Lindsey Road. Via public street, Route 20 is some one and three-quarters of a mile from the annexation area. Fire Station 4 is located on Lindsey Road just east of Fourche Dam Pike and services the Little Rock Port area. That station is just under 2-miles via existing streets from the annexation area. The surrounding areas are zoned 1-3, Heavy Industrial and are part of the Port Industrial District. The tracts that will be developed in the future will likely include land from the annexation with lands that are already within the City Limits. The applicant has requested that the land be classified the same as the rest of their ownership. Since the area is part of an industrial park where the land is zoned I- 3, Heavy Industrial, it would appear reasonable to also zone this land 1-3, Heavy Industrial. Staff Recommendation: Approval of both the annexation and classification to 1-3, Heavy Industrial. I