HomeMy WebLinkAboutZ-9368 Staff AnalysisOCTOBER 29, 2018
ITEM NO.: 5
File No.: Z-9368
Owner: Riverbikes of Arkansas
Applicant: John McMorran, Lewis Architects Engineers
Address: 400 Gateway(Grove Loop
Description: North side of Gateway Grove Loop, north of Bass Pro Parkway
Zoned: C-4
Variance Requested: Variances are requested from the building height provisions
of Section 36-302, the buffer provisions of Section 36-522 and
the sign provisions of Section 36-557 to allow a new
development with increased building height, reduced land use
buffer, and wall signage without direct street frontage.
Justification: The applicant's justification is presented in an attached letter.
Present Use of Property: Undeveloped
Proposed Use of Property: Motorcycle Dealership
STAFF REPORT
A. Public Works Issues:
No Comments.
B. Landscape and Buffer Issues:
1. Site plan must comply with the City's minimal landscape/buffer ordinance
requirements.
2. A land use buffer six (6) percent of the average width/depth of the lot will be
required when an adjacent property has a dissimilar use of a more restrictive
nature. A portion of the neighboring property to the north is zoned R-2. The
approximate depth of the lot is 400 feet requiring a minimum twenty-four (24) foot
buffer. As a component of all land use buffer requirements, opaque screening,
whether a fence or other device, a minimum of six (6) feet in height shall be
required upon the property line side of the buffer. A minimum of seventy (70)
percent of the land use buffer shall be undisturbed. Easements cannot count
toward fulfilling this requirement. The plantings, existing and purposed, shall be
provided within the landscape ordinance of the city, Section 15-102. An
evergreen screen or opaque fence will need to be placed along this west property
line.
OCTOBER 29, 2018
ITEM NO.: 5 (CON'T.
C. Staff Analysis:
Z-9368
The C-4 zoned property at 400 Gateway Gove Lop is currently undeveloped. The
property is located at the north end of Gateway Grove Loop, north of Bass Pro
Parkway. Interstate 430 right-of-way is located along the property's east boundary.
The site consists of 5.50 acres.
The applicant proposes to develop the site for a Harley Davidson dealership. A new
two-story brick building will be constructed near the center of the site, with paved
parking on the building's north, south and east sides. A paved motorcycle training
area will be located on the west side of the building. Two (2) access drives from
Gateway Grove Loop will serve the development. An architectural tower/entry
feature will be located on the front (south) building facade. A decorative water tower
feature will be located on the roof of the building, at its northeast corner. The overall
building will have a height of 30 feet, with the entry tower feature having a height of
40 feet. The water tower feature will have a height of 49 feet to the peak of the
tower. The applicant is proposing wall signage on the south, east and west sides of
the entry tower feature, as well as the front (south) and street side (east) building
facades. The applicant is also requesting wall signage on the east and west sides
of the water tower feature. A ground -mounted sign will be located at the northeast
corner of the site. The applicant is requesting three (3) variances with the proposed
development.
The first variance is from the building height provisions of Section 36-302(d) of the
City's Zoning Ordinance. This section allows a maximum building height of 35 feet.
The overall building will have a height of 30 feet. The entry tower feature will have
a height of 40 feet, and the water tower feature will have a height of 49 feet to the
peaks of the tower.
The second variance is from Section 36-522(b)(3)a., which requires a minimum land
use buffer width of 24 feet along the portion of the north property line which abuts
R-2 zoned property. The applicant proposes to reduce a portion of the land use
buffer to 15 feet. This would apply to a length of 180 feet of the 355 feet of property
line which abuts the R-2 zoning.
The final variance is from the sign provisions of Section36-557(a). This section
requires that all wall signage be located on the sides of buildings which have street
frontage. The applicant is proposing wall signage on the front (south) facade, street
side (east) fagade and the west fagade of the building, and the east and west
facades of the water tower feature. The south and east facades have street
frontage, but the west fagade does not. The signage on the west fagade consists of
a wall sign on the tower/entry feature and a wall sign on the water tower feature.
The applicant is allowed to utilize up to 10 percent of the south and east fagade area
for wall signage. The applicant notes that the proposed wall signage on the south
fagade and the wall signage on the west facade equals approximately 6.5 percent
of the south fagade area. Therefore, the applicant is proposing to transfer a portion
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OCTOBER 29, 2018
ITEM NO.: 5 (CON'T.
of the allowed wall sign area from the front (south) fagade to the west facade. The
wall signage on the east fagade will not exceed 10 percent of the fagade area.
'Staff is supportive of the requested building height, buffer and wall sign variances.
Staff views the request as reasonable. The proposed building height will not be out
of character with this commercial area. Other height variances have been granted
by the Board of Adjustment within this subdivision; hotel and theater to the west.
Additionally, the reduced buffer along the north property line is adjacent to floodway
property that may never be developed. With respect to the wall sign variance, staff
has viewed wall signage "trade-offs" (moving wall signage from a street fronting
fagade to a non -street fronting fagade) as acceptable in many past instances. Staff
believes that the proposed development will be a quality addition to the Gateway
Town Center Subdivision, and that the requested variances are very minor in nature
and should have no adverse impact on the adjacent properties or the general area.
D. Staff Recommendation:
Staff recommends approval of the requested building height, buffer and sign
variances, subject to the following conditions:
(1) Compliance with the Landscape and Buffer requirements as noted in
paragraph B. of the staff report.
(2) No additional wall signage will be allowed on the front (south) building
fagade, beyond what is proposed with this application.
Board of Adjustment
(October 29, 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, 0 absent and 1 open position.
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