HomeMy WebLinkAboutZ-9339 Staff AnalysisJULY 30, 2018
ITEM NO.: 3
File No.: Z-9339
Owner: First Presbyterian Church
Applicant: Sharon Welch -Blair
Address: 800 Scott Street
Description: Southwest corner of Scott Street and E. 8th Street/Northwest
corner of Scott Street and E. 9t" Street
Zoned. UU
Variance Requested: A variance is requested from the sign provisions of Section
36-342.1 to allow ground -mounted signs in the UU zoning
district.
Justification: The applicant's justification is presented in an attached letter.
Present Use of Property: Church and Parking Lot
Proposed Use of Property: Church and Parking Lot
STAFF REPORT
A. Public Works Issues:
1. If any of the signs are to be located within the right-of-way, then they must be
permitted with a franchise agreement with the Public works. Franchise permit
applications can be found at hops://www.littlerock.gov_/city-administration/city_
departments/public-works/. The application fee is $75.00. Contact the Little
Rock Public Works department at 501-371-4818 for more information.
B. Staff Analysis:_
The UU zoned property located at 800 Scott Street is occupied by the First
Presbyterian Church development. The property includes the entire half block along
the west side of Scott Street, between E. 8t" and E. 9th Streets.
A large church building is located within the north half of the property, with a paved
parking lot within the south half. A paved alley is located along the west property
line.
The applicant proposes to install three (3) small ground -mounted signs, as noted on
the attached site plan and graphics. The first proposed sign will be a monument
sign located at the northeast corner of the property within a small grass -covered
area. This sign will be approximately 5 feet-9 inches in height, with a sign area of
approximately 25 square feet. The other two (2) signs will be located at the
southeast corner of the property within the parking lot area. These signs will also
JULY 30, 2018
ITEM NO.: 3
IFASOWCUS
be monument -type signs placed in an "L" shape. Each sign will have a height of six
(6) feet and a sign area of approximately 56 square feet. All signs will be located at
least five (5) feet inside any property line. The sign at the northeast corner of the
property will replace a ground -mounted sign which was removed several years ago.
Section 36-342.1(c )(11) of the City's Zoning Ordinance requires that any ground -
mounted signage in the UU zoning district be reviewed and approved as a variance
by the Board of Adjustment. Therefore, the applicant is requesting a variance to
allow the three (3) ground -mounted signs for the church facility.
Staff is supportive of the requested sign variance. Staff views the request as
reasonable. The church property encompasses an entire half block within the
downtown area. The overall property has three (3) street frontages (Scott, E. 8t" and
E. 9th Streets), with one (1) sign proposed for each frontage. The proposed signs
are relatively small in size, smaller than the maximum size typically allowed in office
zoning. The proposed signs will be compatible with other signs throughout the
downtown, UU zoned, area. Staff believes the proposed ground -mounted signs will
have no adverse impact on the adjacent properties or the general area.
C. Staff Recommendation:
Staff recommends approval of the variance to allow ground -mounted signs in the
UU zoning district, subject to compliance with the Public Works requirement as noted
in paragraph A. of the staff report.
Board of Adjustment
(July 30, 2018)
The applicant was present. There were no objectors present. Staff presented the item
and a recommendation of approval as outlined in the "staff recommendation" above.
There was no further discussion. The item was placed on the consent agenda and
approved as recommended by staff, including all staff comments and conditions. The
vote was 4 ayes, 0 noes and 1 absent.
2