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HomeMy WebLinkAboutS-1042 Staff AnalysisNovember 29, 1994 ITEM NO.: 1 FILE NO_: S-1042 NAME: THE VILLAGES OF WELLINGTON, PHASE 2 -- PRELIMINARY PLAT LOCATION: Beyond the west end of Adour Dr. DEVELOPER• ENGINEER: WINROCK DEVELOPMENT COMPANY WHITE-DATERS & ASSOCIATES, INC. P. O. Box 8080 401 S. Victory St. Little Rock, AR 72203 Little Rock, AR 72201 663-5340 374-1666 AREA: 16.6 ACRES NUMBER OF LOTS: 45 FT. NEW STREET: 1,680 ZONING: R-2 PROPOSED USES: Single -Family Residential (There is an alternate plan showing a church site which may occupy a portion of the tract.) PLANNING DISTRICT: 19 CENSUS TRACT: 42.06 VARIANCES REQUESTED: 1) Variance of the allowable length of a cul-de-sac street for Regiment Ct. 2) Waiver of the sidewalk requirement for Regiment Court. STATEMENT OF PROPOSAL: The applicant proposes a preliminary plat for the subdivision of a 16.6 acre tract, creating 45 single-family residential lots along 1680 feet of new streets. As an alternate scheme, the applicant proposes to shorten Regiment Court, and to create a "Tract A" for a church site at the southwest corner of the plat. If the church site is not implemented, and Regiment Court extends to the south boundary of the plat, then Regiment Court is 1,035 feet in length, and thus exceeds the maximum allowable length for a cul-de-sac street; consequently, a 35 foot variance of the 1,000 foot maximum length of a cul-de-sac street standard is requested. The applicant proposes a pedestrian system involving the construction of pathways and trails as an alternative to sidewalks on residential streets within the subdivision, and, a waiver of the requirement to construct sidewalks on standard residential streets (involving only Regiment Court in this plat) November 29, 1994 SUBDIVISION ITEM NO.: 1 Continued FILE NO.: S-10 2 is requested. Construction of a sidewalk along the right-of-way of the future minor arterial roadway is proposed. A. PROPD AL RE UEST: Approval by the Planning Commission of a preliminary plat is requested. Review by the Planning Commission and approval by the Board of Directors is sought for two proposals which are not in conformance with the Subdivision Regulations: 1) a variance of the regulation which sets the maximum length of a cul-de-sac street at 1000 feet, and permit Regiment Court to be 1035± in length; and 2) a waiver of the regulation which requires sidewalks on all standard residential streets (involving only Regiment Court within the Phase 2 development), with the implementation of a pedestrian pathway and trail system within the development. B. EXISTING CONDITIONS: The site is undeveloped, with scattered trees and low vegetation. The topography is rolling, dropping towards the southwest from a high point along the northeast boundary of the site. The difference in topography is approximately 75 feet. Bounding the site on the north is an area in which streets are currently being constructed, and for which a preliminary plat was previously approved as a phase of the St. Charles subdivision. This area is being developed as the Phase I development of The Villages of Wellington area. The existing zoning of the tract, and of the areas to the east, north, and northwest, is R-2. At the southwest corner of the tract, across the future minor arterial roadway, is an MF-18 tract. To the south is MF-18 and an 0-3 zoned land. At the southeast corner of the platted area is the Parkway Village PRD site. C. ENGINEERING UTILITY COMMENTS: Public Works notes that: 1) the grades indicated on certain streets within the subdivision exceed the maximum permitted by Code; 2) the streets shown as Regiment Court, Salem Circle, and Dovecote Drive are all one continuous street, and need to have one name; 3) construction of one-half of the designated arterial street will be required to Master Street Plan requirements; 4) a sketch grading and drainage plan, meeting the requirements of Sec. 29-186, is required and a NPDES permit will be required; 5) sidewalks, per the Master Street Plan, are to be shown on the plat; 6) if the area at the south end of Regiment Court is to be developed as a church site, then Regiment Court must terminate in a cul-de-sac a minimum of 50, from the property line, and November 29, .1994 SUBDIVISION ITEM NO.: 1 Continued FILE N S-1042 access to the church site cannot be taken from Regiment Court; and, 7) street plans, stormwater detention, and boundary survey requirements will be required. Water Works comments that water main extensions will be required. An acreage charge of $300 per acre applies, in addition to the normal charges in this area. Wastewater comments that sewer main extensions, with easements, will be required. Arkansas Power and Light Co. comments that a 20 foot easement will be required along the north -south boundary line at the southeast corner of the plat. Arkansas Louisiana Gas Co. approved the submittal without comment. Southwestern Bell Telephone Co. comments that easements will be required. A 5 foot easement is to be provided around the south, east, and north property lines, and a 10 foot easement is to be provided at the north -south property line lying between the two cul-de-sacs. The Fire Department approved the submittal without comment. D. ISSUES LEGAL TECHNICAL DESIGN: Section 31-201(h) states that "new boundary streets shall be avoided, except where a requirement of the Master Street Plan provides a defined alignment. In that event, the plat shall provide one-half of the Master Street Plan's specified improvements and right-of-way." A designated route of a minor arterial roadway lies along the west boundary of the plat; therefore, the developer will be required to provide one-half of the Master Street Plan required right-of-way and improvements. Section 31-202 states that "culs-de-sac streets shall have a maximum length of one thousand (1,000) feet." If the church site is not developed, and Regiment Court extends to the south as shown, the length of the cul-de-sac street will be 1,035 feet; thus, a variance of the standard will be required. Section 31-209 requires sidewalks to be constructed on both sides of minor arterial roadways and on one side of standard residential streets. On minor residential streets (culs-de- sac streets of less than 750 feet in length, or loop streets of less than 1,500 feet), sidewalks may be omitted. Regiment Court, if it extends to the south as shown, will K, November 29, 1994 SUEDIVISIO ITEM NO.. 1 Continued FILE NO.: S-1042 require a sidewalk along one side of the street. The future minor arterial will require construction of a sidewalk along the plat's boundary. Section 31-232(d) states: "Double frontage lots are prohibited. However, where a subdivision abuts ... (a) proposed arterial street..., reverse frontage lots are permitted." Lots along Regiment Court are double frontage lots, but since they back up to a future arterial street, they are not in conflict with the regulations. E. ANALYSIS: As far as the preliminary plat standards are concerned, there are only minor issues to be resolved. The issue of the variance from the 1,000 foot cul-de-sac standard is minor, since the affected street will require only a 35 foot variance. The issue of the waiver of the sidewalk standard for residential streets will require some consideration; however, the issue may be moot if the alternate plan for providing a church site is implemented. (The only street which would require a sidewalk would be shortened, and would meet the standard for a minor residential street, requiring no sidewalk.) F. STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS: Staff recommends approval of the preliminary plat, and approval of the variance for the maximum length of the cul- de-sac street, in order for Regiment Court to exceed the 1,000 foot maximum allowable length by 35± feet. The Public Works staff recommends denial of the waiver of the sidewalk requirements for standard residential streets. SUBDIVISION COMMITTEE COMMENT: (NOVEMBER 10, 1994) Mr. Joe White, with White-Daters & Associates, Inc., the project engineer, was present. Staff presented the discussion outline, and Mr. White responded to the various comments. There was specific discussion regarding the possibility of a church occupying a portion of the site, with the conclusion that if this occurs, the street, shown as Regiment Court, needs to terminate in a cul-de-sac, and not extend to the church boundary. It was suggested that the alternate plan showing the church site, be shown on the plat as an alternate layout. The Committee members discussed the suggestion that the streets shown as Dovecote Dr., Salem Circle, and Regiment Court be renamed as one continuous street. There was discussion about the plan to seek a waiver of sidewalk requirements, and, instead, to substitute a plan of 4 November 29, 1994 SUBDIVISION ITEM NO.: 1 Continued FILE NO.: 5-1042 pathways and trails within the subdivision. Mr. White indicated that the deficiencies noted in the discussion outline would be remedied, then the Committee forwarded the item to the full Commission for the public hearing. PLANNING COMMISSION ACTION: (NOVEMBER 29, 1994) Staff reported that the applicant has indicated that the tract designated as a possible church site will, almost certainly, be developed as a single large site, in lieu of being developed as residential lots, and that such a development will make the requested variance for the allowable length of a cul-de-sac and the waiver of the sidewalk requirement for Regiment Ct. moot. Staff related, however, that the applicant has stated that, in the event the development does not proceed, the requested wavier of the sidewalk along Regiment Ct. has been withdrawn. The only remaining issue, in case the church is not developed, is the cul-de-sac length variance for Regiment Ct. Staff recommended approval of this minimal variance. The item, approval of the preliminary plat and a recommendation of approval of the cul-de-sac length variance, was included on the Consent Agenda for approval, and was approved with the vote of 10 ayes, 0 nays, 1 absent, and 0 abstentions. 5