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HomeMy WebLinkAboutZ-5239-J Staff Report 070224July 11, 2024 ITEM NO.: 24 FILE NO.: Z-5239-J NAME: Our House – POD LOCATION: 302 E. Roosevelt Road DEVELOPER: Our House, Incorporated (Owner) 302 E. Roosevelt Road Little Rock, AR 72206 OWNER/AUTHORIZED AGENT: Herron Horton Architects, Incorporated 1216 S. Spring Street Little Rock, AR 72202 SURVEYOR/ENGINEER: Anderson Surveying, Incorporated PO Box 129 Van Buren, AR 72957 AREA: 6.9 acres NUMBER OF LOTS: 1 FT. NEW STREET: 0 LF WARD: 1 PLANNING DISTRICT: 8 CENSUS TRACT: 46 CURRENT ZONING: POD VARIANCE/WAIVERS: None requested. BACKGROUND: On January 9, 2020, Our House Revised POD was approved by the Little Rock Planning Commission to allow a homeless shelter and supportive and administrative services. On February 18, 2020, Ordinance No. 21,840 was approved by the Little Rock Board of Directors to allow additional uses to the previously approved POD (Z-5239-I). July 11, 2024 ITEM NO.: 24 (Cont.) FILE NO.: Z-5239-J 2 A. PROPOSAL/REQUEST/APPLICANT’S STATEMENT: The applicant is requesting to revise the previously approved POD to expand the campus’ existing facilities. The phase three expansion will include the construction of a new Family Housing facility, an Operations Center and additional aesthetic aspects of the campus. All remaining aspects of the previously approved POD will remain unchanged. B. EXISTING CONDITIONS: The site is located north of E. Roosevelt Road (300 Block) and west of I-30. The property is currently utilized by Our House and contains several buildings utilized for administrative offices, residential and storage uses. Properties surrounding the site contain a mixture of zoning and uses. 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: 1. If necessary, submit the wastewater infrastructure plans to LRWRA for review. Entergy: No comments received. Summit Utilities: No comments. AT & T: No comments received. Central Arkansas Water: 1. Please include all existing water utilities that are currently in service. Fire Department: 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. July 11, 2024 ITEM NO.: 24 (Cont.) FILE NO.: Z-5239-J 3 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. July 11, 2024 ITEM NO.: 24 (Cont.) FILE NO.: Z-5239-J 4 Dead Ends. Maintain fire apparatus access roads at dead end locations as per Appendix D of the 2021 Arkansas Fire Prevention Code Vol. 1 Section D103.4 Dead Ends. Dead-end fire apparatus access roads in excess of 150 feet shall be provided with width and turnaround provisions in accordance with Table D103.4. Requirements for Dead-end fire apparatus access roads. Gates Maintain fire apparatus access road gates as per Appendix D of the 2021 Arkansas Fire Prevention Code Vol. 1 Section D103.5 Fire apparatus access road gates. Gates securing the fire apparatus access roads shall comply with all of the following criteria: 1. Minimum gate width shall be 20 feet. 2. Gates shall be of swinging or sliding type. 3. Construction of gates shall be of material that allows manual operation by one person. 4. Gate components shall be maintained in an operable condition at all times and replaced or repaired when defective. 5. Electric gates shall be equipped with a means of opening the gate by fire department personnel for emergency access. Emergency opening devices shall be approved by the fire code official. 6. Manual opening gates shall not be locked with a padlock or chain and padlock unless they are capable of being opened by means of forcible entry tools or when a key box containing the keys to the lock is installed at the gate location. 7. Locking device specifications shall be submitted for approval by the fire code official. 8. Electric gate operators, where provided, shall be listed in accordance with UL 325. 9. Gates, intended for automatic operation shall be designed, constructed and installed to comply with requirements of ASTM F 2200. 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 (Jason Lowder 501-377-1245) and the Little Rock Fire Marshal’s 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. July 11, 2024 ITEM NO.: 24 (Cont.) FILE NO.: Z-5239-J 5 Parks and Recreation: No comments received. County Planning: No comments. F. BUILDING CODES/LANDSCAPE: Building Code: No comments received. Landscape: 1. 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. 2. 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 Central City Planning District. The Land Use Plan shows Mixed Use (MX) for the requested area. This category provides for a mixture of residential, office and commercial uses to occur. A Planned Zoning District is required if the use is entirely office or commercial or if the use is a mixture of the three. The application is to rezone from POD to POD. Surrounding the application area is a large area of Mixed Use (MX). Master Street Plan: East Roosevelt Road is a Principal Arterial on the Master Street Plan. Principal Arterials are roads designed to serve through traffic, and to connect major traffic generators or activity centers within urbanized areas. The standard Right of way of 110 feet is required. Sidewalks are required on both sides. This street may require dedication of right-of-way and may require street improvements. Bicycle Plan: East Roosevelt Road is not shown on the Master Bike Plan Map with existing or proposed facilities in this area. July 11, 2024 ITEM NO.: 24 (Cont.) FILE NO.: Z-5239-J 6 Historic Preservation Plan: This property is not located in a Historic District. H. ANALYSIS: The applicant is requesting to revise the previously approved POD to expand the campus’ existing facilities. The phase three expansion will include the construction of a new Family Housing facility, an Operations Center and additional aesthetic aspects of the campus. All remaining aspects of the previously approved POD will remain unchanged. The site is located north of E. Roosevelt Road (300 Block) and west of I-30. The property is currently utilized by Our House and contains several buildings utilized for administrative offices, residential and storage uses. Properties surrounding the site contain a mixture of zoning and uses. The applicant proposes to demolish an existing 2,444 square foot, two story, brick veneer administration/housing structure located at the southwest portion of the campus. The new construction will include a one-story, 7,200 square foot, Family Housing building that will contain eleven (11) units. One of these units will be ADA accessible. The Family Housing facility will contain a common kitchen/dining/living area for the residents, two offices, a laundry room and storage area. The expansion will also include the construction a new, two-story, 4,800 square foot Operations Center that will contain security and administrative offices, meeting spaces, restrooms, and a staff break room. The applicant provided elevations for newly proposed new construction. As per Section 36-281 of the City’s zoning Ordinance, structures shall not exceed forty- five (45) feet in height. The applicant proposes to construct an outdoor walkway/plaza between the proposed Family House and the proposed Operation Center which will allow circulation, a place for egress from the Family House and proposed landscape/hardscape areas. An accessible ramp and stairs will be provided to access this area from the south. There will be a covered drop off area at the north of the Operations Center to provide an area to drop off donations which will be temporarily stored in the proposed storage room of the Family House. The existing temporary portable office unit will be relocated to the east of the existing Career Center to create room for the demolition and construction of the new buildings. The three existing portable storage units will also be relocated to the east of the existing Career Center. July 11, 2024 ITEM NO.: 24 (Cont.) FILE NO.: Z-5239-J 7 The applicant is proposing one (1) new ADA accessible parking space for the new Family House located to the west of the new Family House. The existing parking lot along Roosevelt Road contains approximately 112 parking spaces. Staff feels the number of proposed parking spaces will be sufficient to serve the existing and proposed uses. The access from Old Spanish Trail and the guard house to the south of the proposed Operations center will remain unchanged. The applicant provided additional information regarding the campus expansion:  Our House, Inc. proposes a new covered bus stop that is approximately one hundred (100) square feet to be located to the south of the main campus entry.  A new exterior covered porch that is approximately seven hundred (700) square feet will be an addition to the existing shelter building. The applicant is proposing a new ground-mounted sign north of the existing access drive and is still in a conceptual phase. Any new signage must comply with Section 36-553 of the City’s Zoning Ordinance (signs allowed in institutional and office zones). The applicant is proposing one (1) new dumpster area as part of the expansion to be located north of the maintenance building along E. 24th Street. Any new dumpsters installed on the site must be screened as per Section 36-523 of the City's Zoning Ordinance. Any new site lighting must be low-level and directed away from adjacent properties. Staff is supportive of the requested revised POD. The proposed expansion and improvements to the existing campus facilities will provide a pathway out of homelessness are important to the mission of Our House, Inc. Staff feels that the campus improvements will be a benefit to the area and the City as it provides vital resources to address homelessness throughout the city. Staff feels the proposed expansion will continue to have a positive impact on the general area and should not have an adverse impact on the surrounding properties. I. STAFF RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends approval of the revised POD, subject to compliance with the comments and conditions outlined in paragraphs E and F, and the staff analysis, of the agenda staff report.