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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPC Minutes for Z-5317-AAugust 8, 2024 ITEM NO.: 20 FILE NO.: Z-5317-A NAME: Baseline X Road, LLC – PCD LOCATION: 5924 Baseline Road DEVELOPER: Baseline X Road, LLC (Owner) 5924 Baseline Road Little Rock, AR 72209 OWNER/AUTHORIZED AGENT: Baseline X Road, LLC (Owner) 5924 Baseline Road Little Rock, AR 72209 SURVEYOR/ENGINEER: Smith & Goodson 7509 Cantrell Road Little Rock, AR 72207 AREA: 0.40 acre NUMBER OF LOTS: 1 FT. NEW STREET: 0 LF WARD: 2 PLANNING DISTRICT: 14 CENSUS TRACT: 41.07 CURRENT ZONING: R-2 VARIANCE/WAIVERS: None requested. A. PROPOSAL/REQUEST/APPLICANT’S STATEMENT: The applicant proposes to rezone the property from R-2 to PCD to recognize the historic and continued use of the existing property as a convenience store with gas pumps, and to allow three (3) mobile canteen units (MCU) to be permanently located on the property. August 8, 2024 ITEM NO.: 20 (Cont.) FILE NO.: Z-5317-A 2 B. EXISTING CONDITIONS: The site contains an existing 1,500 square foot convenience store building, with a canopy fuel island located along Baseline Road (south) and a second canopy fuel island located along Geyer Springs Road (west). The property is zoned R-2 and contains the last remaining, non-conforming, commercial use at the intersection of Baseline Road and Geyer Springs Road. Properties in the general area contain a mixture of commercial zoning and uses in all directions. C. NEIGHBORHOOD NOTIFICATIONS: All owners of property located 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 Utilities: No comments. AT & T: No comments received. Central Arkansas Water: 1. All Central Arkansas Water requirements in effect at the time of request for water service must be met. Fire Department: Maintain Access: Fire Hydrants. Maintain fire apparatus access roads at fire hydrant locations as per Appendix D of the 2012 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. August 8, 2024 ITEM NO.: 20 (Cont.) FILE NO.: Z-5317-A 3 Grade Maintain fire apparatus access roads as per Appendix D of the 2012 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 2012 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 2012 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 2012 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 August 8, 2024 ITEM NO.: 20 (Cont.) FILE NO.: Z-5317-A 4 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 2012 Arkansas Fire Prevention Code. Section C101 – C105, in conjunction with Central Arkansas Water (Daniel Tull 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. If you have any additional questions, please contact our office. Contact Capt. Tony Rhodes at (501) 918-3757, or Fire Marshal Derek N. Ingram (501) 918-3756. Parks and Recreation: No comments received. County Planning: No comments received. 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. August 8, 2024 ITEM NO.: 20 (Cont.) FILE NO.: Z-5317-A 5 G. TRANSPORTATION/PLANNING: Rock Region Metro: No comments received. Planning Division: The request is in the Geyer Springs East Planning District. The Land Use Plan shows Commercial (C) for the requested area. The Commercial (C) category includes a broad range of retail and wholesale sales of products, personal and professional services, and general business activities. Commercial activities vary in type and scale, depending on the trade area that they serve. The application is to rezone from R-2 to PCD. Convenience Store with Fuel, Food Trucks Surrounding the application area is shown as Commercial (C) on the Future Land Use Map. The application area is a nonconforming use with a convenience store with fuel pumps on a parcel zoned R-2. All surrounding areas are commercial in nature and are zoned C-3 and C-4. This site is not located in an Overlay District. Master Street Plan: Baseline 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: Baseline 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 rezone the property from R-2 to PCD to recognize the historic and continued use of the existing property as a convenience store with gas pumps, and to allow three (3) mobile canteen units (MCU) to be permanently located on the property. August 8, 2024 ITEM NO.: 20 (Cont.) FILE NO.: Z-5317-A 6 The site contains an existing 1,500 square foot convenience store building, with a canopy fuel island located along Baseline Road (south) and a second canopy fuel island located along Geyer Springs Road (west). The property is zoned R-2 and contains the last remaining, non-conforming, commercial use at the intersection of Baseline Road and Geyer Springs Road. Properties in the general area contain a mixture of commercial zoning and uses in all directions. The property has access from concrete driveway aprons along Baseline Road (south) and Geyer Springs Road (west). The applicant is proposing to permanently locate one (1) MCU on the north side of the building and two (2) additional MCUs on the east side of the building. The applicant is not proposing any changes to the existing building or building footprint of the convenience store at this time. Operating hours for the proposed MCU use will be from 11:00am to 10:00pm. Operating hours for the existing convenience store use will remain unchanged. The site plan shows a dumpster area located in the northeast corner of the property. The dumpster area must be screened and comply with Section 36-523 of the City’s Zoning Ordinance. The applicant is not requesting additional signage as part of this rezoning request. Any new signage must comply with Section 36-555 of the City’s Zoning Ordinance (signs permitted in commercial zones.) Any new site lighting shall be low-level and directed away from adjacent properties. Staff has no issue with the proposed rezoning of the property to recognize the existing, non-conforming use of the property as a convenience store with gas pumps. However, staff does not support the proposed permanent location of MCUs on the site. Staff feels the 0.40-acre site is too tight and does not provide adequate parking or maneuvering room to place and permanently operate three (3) MCUs in such a small area. The only available parking is on the adjacent property to the north and east. In addition, there is no cross-access easement shown on the survey/site plan. Finally, staff feels that the increase in traffic due to several MCUs in such a small area on the site and the existing heavy traffic at this major intersection will have an adverse impact on the surrounding properties. I. STAFF RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends denial of the requested PCD zoning. August 8, 2024 ITEM NO.: 20 (Cont.) FILE NO.: Z-5317-A 7 PLANNING COMMISSION ACTION: (AUGUST 8, 2024) The applicant was present. Staff presented the item and a recommendation of denial as outlined in the “staff analysis” above. There was one person registered in opposition. Troy Laha spoke about concerns of traffic and over-crowding on the site. After much discussion, there was a motion to approve the application. There was a second. The vote was 10 ayes, 0 nays, and 1 absent.