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HomeMy WebLinkAboutZ-5282-C Staff Report 022924 ITEM NO.: 15 FILE NO.: Z-5282-C NAME: Bennett Office/Retail – Revised PD-O LOCATION: 2201 N. Rodney Parham DEVELOPER: Bennet-Davis Group (Agent) PO Box 26414 Little Rock, AR 72211 OWNER/AUTHORIZED AGENT: Pinnacle Bank (Owner) 2800 Cantrell Road, Ste. 100 Little Rock, AR 72202 SURVEYOR/ENGINEER: Johnson Surveying, Incorporated 37027 Hwy. 300 Roland, AR 72065 AREA: 0.82 acre NUMBER OF LOTS: 1 FT. NEW STREET: 0 LF WARD: 4 PLANNING DISTRICT: 2 CENSUS TRACT: 22.04 CURRENT ZONING: PD-O VARIANCE/WAIVERS: None requested. BACKGROUND: On July 20, 1999, the Little Rock Board of Directors passed Ordinance No. 18,061 which approved this property from R-2 to PD-O to allow a branch bank facility. A. PROPOSAL/REQUEST/APPLICANT’S STATEMENT: The applicant proposes to revise the previously approved PD-O by occupying the former bank facility (Bancorp South) for use as a communication design company that provides digital print production and various other specialties to assist their clients in the marketing industry. The applicant is requesting C-3 permitted uses as alternate uses for the site. B. EXISTING CONDITIONS: The site contains an existing two-story, 3,990 square foot commercial building formerly utilized as a bank. Grassy Flat Creek runs along the entire east property line. There are a mixture of zoning and uses in all directions. C. NEIGHBORHOOD NOTIFICATIONS: All owners of property within 300 feet of the site and all neighborhood associations registered with the City of Little Rock were notified of the public hearing. D. ENGINEERING COMMENTS: No comments. E. UTILITIES/FIRE DEPARTMENT/PARKS/COUNTY PLANNING: Little Rock Water Reclamation Authority: No comments. Entergy: No comments received. Summit Energy: No comments. AT & T: No comments received. Central Arkansas Water: There is an existing water main on the East side of Rodney Parham that needs to be shown on the survey. If it is not located in the row, then an easement should be provided. Fire Department: Maintain Access: Fire Hydrants. Maintain fire apparatus access roads at fire hydrant locations as per Appendix D of the 2021 Arkansas Fire Prevention Code Vol. 1 Section D103.1 Access road width with a hydrant. Where a fire hydrant is located on a fire apparatus access road, the minimum road width shall be 26 feet, exclusive of shoulders. Grade Maintain fire apparatus access roads as per Appendix D of the 2021 Arkansas Fire Prevention Code Vol. 1 Section D103.2 Grade. Fire apparatus access roads shall not exceed 10 percent in grade except as approved by the fire chief. If the grade exceeds 10 percent, approval will be denied, and the applicant must submit request to be reviewed by Fire Chief for Approval. Loading Maintain fire apparatus access road design as per Appendix D of the 2021 Arkansas Fire Prevention Code Vol. 1 Section D102.1 Access and loading. Facilities, buildings, or portions of buildings hereafter constructed shall be accessible to fire department apparatus by way of an approved fire apparatus access road with an asphalt, concrete or other approved driving surface capable of supporting the imposed load of fire apparatus weighing at least 75,000 pounds. Commercial and Industrial Developments – 2 means of access. - Maintain fire apparatus access roads as per Appendix D of the 2021 Arkansas Fire Prevention Code Vol. 1 Section D104.1 Buildings exceeding three stories or 30 feet in height. Building or facilities exceeding 30 feet or three stories in height shall have at least two means of fire apparatus access for each structure. Section D104.2 Building exceeding 62,000 square feet in area. Buildings or facilities having a gross building area of more than 62,000 square feet shall be provided with two separate and approved fire apparatus access roads. Exception: Projects having a gross building area of up to 124,000 square feet that have a single approved fire apparatus access road when all buildings are equipped throughout with approved automatic sprinkler systems. D104.3 Remoteness. Where two fire apparatus access roads are required, they shall be placed a distance apart equal to not less than one half of the length of the maximum overall diagonal dimension of the lot or area to be served, measured in a straight line between accesses. 30’ Tall Buildings - Maintain aerial fire apparatus access roads as per Appendix D of the 2021 Arkansas Fire Prevention Code Vol. 1 Section D105.1 – D105.4 D105.1 Where Required. Where the vertical distance between the grade plane and the highest roof surface exceeds 30’, approved aerial fire apparatus access roads shall be provided. For the purposes of this section the highest roof surfaces shall be determined by measurement to the eave of a pitched roof, the intersection of a roof to the exterior wall, or the top of the parapet walls, whichever is greater. D105.2 Width. Aerial fire apparatus access roads shall have a minimum unobstructed with of 26’, exclusive of shoulders, in the immediate vicinity of the building or portion thereof. D105.3 Proximity to building. At least one of the required access routes meeting this condition shall be located within a minimum of 15 feet and a maximum of 30 feet from the building and shall be positioned parallel to one entire side of the building. The side of the building on which the aerial fire apparatus access road is positioned shall be approved by the fire code official. D105.4 Obstructions. Overhead utility and power lines shall not be located over the aerial fire apparatus access road or between the aerial fire apparatus road and the building. Other obstructions shall be permitted to be placed with the approval of the fire code official. Fire Hydrants Locate Fire Hydrants as per Appendix C of the 2021 Arkansas Fire Prevention Code. Section C101 – C105, in conjunction with Central Arkansas Water (Daniel Tull 501-377-1245) and the Little Rock Fire Marshals Office (Capt. Tony Rhodes 501-918-3757, or Fire Marshal Derek N. Ingram 501-918-3756 Number and Distribution of Fire Hydrants as per Table C105.1. Parks and Recreation: No comments received. County Planning: No comments. F. BUILDING CODES/LANDSCAPE: Building Code: No comments received. Landscape: Any new site development must comply with the City’s minimal landscape and buffer ordinance requirements. Refer to the Code of Ordinances, Chapter 15 Landscaping and Tree Protection, and Chapter 36, Article IX – Buffers and Screening. Site development plans, with landscape and screening, must be submitted for review, and approval, prior to site clearing and tree removal. G. TRANSPORTATION/PLANNING: Rock Region Metro: No comments Received. Planning Division: The request is in the Rodney Parham Planning District. The Land Use Plan shows Office (O) for the requested area. The Office (O) category represents services provided directly to consumers (e.g., legal, financial, medical) as well as general offices which support more basic economic activities. The application is to rezone from PD-O to PD-O. North of the subject site are developed residential subdivisions. To the west across N Rodney Parham Road is a multi-floor office building. The south-west corner of Hinson Road and Green Mountain Drive is a High-Density Residential apartment complex. East along N Rodney Parham Road are Commercial uses. This site is not located in an Overlay District. Master Street Plan: N. Rodney Parham Road is a Minor Arterial on the Master Street Plan. Minor Arterials are high volume roads designed to provide connections to and through an urban area. Curb cuts should be minimized to allow for continuous traffic flow while still allowing some access to adjoining property. Deceleration Lanes are required. Standard Right-of-way (ROW) is 90 feet. Sidewalks are required on both sides. This street may require dedication of right-of-way and may require street improvements. Bicycle Plan: N. Rodney Parham Road is on the Master Bike Plan as a Proposed Class 2 Bike Lane. Class 2 Bike Lanes provides a portion of the pavement for the sole use of bicycles. Historic Preservation Plan: This property is not located in a Historic District. H. ANALYSIS: The applicant proposes to revise the previously approved PD-O by occupying the former bank facility (Bancorp South) for use as a communication design company that provides digital print production and various other specialties to assist their clients in the marketing industry. The applicant is requesting C-3 permitted uses as alternate uses for the site. The site contains an existing two-story, 3,990 square foot commercial building formerly utilized as a bank (Bancorp South). Grassy Flat Creek runs along the entire east property line. There are a mixture of zoning and uses in all directions. The applicant will continue to utilize the two (2) existing driveways along Green Mountain Drive. The site plan shows forty-one (41) existing parking spaces to be utilized for customer and employee parking. Staff feels the existing parking spaces are sufficient to serve the proposed use. The retail component of the business will include digital print production and various other specialties that will assist clientele in getting their marketing messages before their respective clients. The applicant will utilize high-end digital printers that look and operate as very precise copiers to provide in-house print production for items like business cards, brochures, magazines, and stationery. The hours of operation will be from 8:00am to 5:00pm, Monday through Friday. The applicant notes one (1) to two (2) employees will work later into the evening, however, that will typically be a rare occurrence. The applicant did not submit a signage plan with this application. Any future signage must comply with Section 36-555 of the City’s Zoning Ordinance (Signs permitted in commercial zones). The site plan shows a dumpster pad along the east property line. Any dumpster on the site must be screened and comply with Section 36-523 of the City’s Zoning Ordinance. Any new sight lighting must be low-level and directed away from adjacent properties. Staff is supportive of the requested revised PD-O for the proposed use. Staff feels that this is a good use for the existing building. The proposed use appears to be a more less intense use than the previous use. Staff feels that the proposed use will be complimentary to the existing businesses along this section of the N. Rodney Parham corridor and should have no adverse impact on the surrounding properties. STAFF RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends approval of the requested revised PD-O, subject to compliance with the comments and conditions outlined in paragraphs E and F, and the staff analysis, of the agenda staff report.