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Home My WebLink AboutS-1028-A Staff AnalysisFILE N-1028-A NAME: HINSON LOOP OFFICE PARK -- PRELIMINARY PLAT LOCATION: At the southwest corner of Hinson Road and Hinson Loop Road DEVELOPER: ENGINEER: Robert Brown CLARY DEVELOPMENT CORP. DEVELOPMENT CONSULTANTS, INC. 8210 Cantrell Rd., Suite 340 10411 W. Markham St., Suite 210 Little Rock, AR 72207 Little Rock, AR 72205 225-0204 221-7880 AREA: 9.05 ACRES NUMBER OF LOTS: 9 FT. NEW STREET: 1,040 ZONING: 0-3 PLANNING DISTRICT: 2 CENSUS TRACT: 22.05 VARIANCES REQUESTED: PROPOSED USES: General Offices 1. Approval is requested of a variance for reduced street rights -of -way widths from the requirements of the Master Street Plan. 2. Approval is requested of a variance from the requirement to provide sidewalks along both side of the streets, to permit construction of a sidewalk along one side only. STATEMENT OF PROPOSAL: The applicant proposes a preliminary plat for the development of an office subdivision on a 9.05 acre tract. Nine lots ranging in size of from just under one half acre to over one and two-thirds acres are proposed. Approximately 1,040 linear feet of new public streets are planned, with one access point being from Hinson Loop Rd.; the second, a "right in -right out only" access point, being from Hinson Rd. A reduced street section is requested (30 feet in lieu of the required] 36 foot section for a commercial street), and a reduced right-of-way (41 foot minimum versus the 60 required) is proposed due to the "limited service area" of the streets; however, a minimum 10 foot utility easement is to be provided beyond the right-of-way line. Dedication of required right-of-way along both Hinson Rd. and Hinson Loop Rd. is planned, as is construction of the required right turn lane off Hinson Rd. FILE NO.: S-1028-A (Cont.) A. PROPOSAL/REQUEST: Planning Commission approval is requested for a preliminary plat, and Planning Commission review and Board of Directors approval is requested for variances from the minimum required street and right-of-way widths pursuant to the Master Street Plan. B. EXISTING CONDITIONS: The site is undeveloped, heavily wooded, with a man-made pond of approximately 1 acre in size located on the site. The site is zoned 0-3. At the northwest corner of the tract is an office development on 0-3 zoned land. West of the tract, is an 0-2 zoned tract and a single-family PRD. The south is an MF-12 zoned development. To the east of the tract, on the west side of Hinson Loop Rd. is additional 0-3 zoned property, a PCD, and some R-2 zoned property. Across Hinson Loop Rd., where the subject property abuts Hinson Loop Rd., there is a large PCD zoned site. C. ENGINEERING/UTILITY COMMENTS: Public Works Comments:ll 1) Construction of a right turn lane on Hinson, per the Master Street Plan standards for connection with a collector is required. On Hinson Loop Road, improvements to bring the street up to the standards of one-half of a collector must be provided. 2) Dedication of additional right-of-way for turn lanes, in addition to the Master Street Plan requirements for right-of-way, for both Hinson and Hinson Loop must be provided. 3) A sketch grading and drainage plan, meeting the requirements of Sec. 29-186, is required. A grading permit will be required. 4) A sidewalk will be required to be constructed along Hinson and Hinson Loop Roads, and along both sides of the new interior streets. 5) Stormwater detention for the development must be completed prior to construction on individual parcels. Storm drain discharge and downstream capacity of existing system will be required. Boundary survey requirements will be required. 6) Storm drain lines are shown, but no information is provided to substantiate their design. The storm drain E FILE NO.: 5-1028-A Cont. system may not terminate at the east property line and discharge onto the abutting property. An easement must be obtained and the storm drain system extended to Hinson Loop Rd., or an alternate route must be provided. Water Works comments that a water main extension and on -site fire protection will be required. A pro-rata front footage charge of $15.00 per front foot applies for service connections directly off the main in Hinson Loop Rd. Wastewater comments that sewer main extensions, with easements, will be required. Arkansas Power and Light Co. approved the preliminary plat without comment. Arkansas Louisiana Gas Co. approved the submittal without comment. Southwestern Bell Telephone Co. approved the submittal without comment. The Fire Department comments that the entrance drive from Hinson Rd. must be a minimum of 18 feet in width. D. ISSUES LEGAL TECHNICAL DESIGN: in commercial and office subdivisions, the minimum street width is to be 36 feet; the minimum right-of-way is to be 60 feet; and sidewalks are to be provided along both sides of the streets (See Sec. 31-282). Sec. 31-201(h) states that new boundary streets shall be avoided, except that the Planning Commission may authorize such a street when the subdivider proposes to dedicate the entire right-of-way and construct all the required improvements. The section states that the subdivider may not retain a parcel of land lying between the boundary street and the property line in order to deny access by abutting owners. The 0-3 zoning district requires a lot area of at least 14,000 square feet, with a minimum lot width of 100 feet. E. ANALYSIS• The street system which is proposed does, as the applicant asserts, serve a limited area. As is provided for in residential areas serving a limited number of lots and where the streets are relatively short, a "minor" street section is permitted which allows a reduced street and right-of-way width, and eliminates the requirement for sidewalks. The applicant proposes a 30 foot street width in lieu of the 36 3 FILE NO.: S-1028-A (Cont.) foot which is required. A reduced right-of-way of a minimum of 41 feet is proposed in lieu of the 60 foot required. (A 5 foot offset, providing 46 feet of right-of-way, exists where the street abuts property outside the subdivision boundary.) Eliminating the sidewalk along one side of the street is proposed. The right-of-way width will provide sufficient width for the sidewalks to be constructed within the right-of-way, and the proposed utility easements will provide the needed utility access width. The street landscaping buffer depth is established from the right-of-way line inward onto the property. With the reduced right-of-way width, and with utilities being constructed outside the right-of-way and within the boundary of the lot, the required landscaping will be placed within the utility easement and over utility installations. Work by utility companies/agencies will affect the landscaping. The proposal to reduce the width of the right-of-way will also lessen the effective "green space" along the streets. F. STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS: Staff recommends approval of requested variances. Staff required landscaping buffer of the utility easements, in line. SUBDIVISION COMMITTEE COMMENT: the preliminary plat and of the recommends, however, that the be measured from the inside edge lieu of from the right-of-way (MARCH 16, 1995) Robert Brown, representing the project engineering firm, and Mr. Jeff Maxwell, representing the developer were present. Staff presented the proposal and reviewed with Mr. Brown and Mr. Maxwell the items contained in the discussion outline. The Committee reviewed these items and discussed these with the applicant and design professional. The proposed internal street system design, the stormwater issues, boundary street improvements issues, and submittal deficiencies were discussed. Mr. Brown responded that he would be conferring with his client and would present a revised plan to staff. The Committee forwarded the item to the Commission for the public hearing. PLANNING COMMISSION ACTION: (APRIL 4, 1995) Staff pointed out that, since the original submission, the applicant had changed the request to provide a public street system within the subdivision in lieu of a private street system, and that, therefore, the requested variances were moot. Staff pointed out, however, that there were two new variances which were proposed: 1) to permit a narrower street right-of-way than is provided for in the Regulations, and to permit a narrower street width than is required in office and commercial 4 FILE NO.: S-1028-A Cont. subdivisions. Staff explained that the Subdivision Regulations and the Master Street Plan require rights -of -way in office and commercial subdivisions to be 60 feet in width, and streets to be a minimum of 36 feet in width. The subdivider, staff explained, proposes to provide 46 foot wide rights -of -way at the two locations where the subdivision abut other properties; 41 foot right-of-way at all other locations; and, 30 foot wide streets throughout the subdivision. The variances proposed would, staff explained, require Board of Directors approval. Staff stated that both the Public Works and Neighborhoods and Planning staffs recommend approval of the variances, as requested, explaining that the interior street system within the subdivision involves a short loop street and a short cul-de-sac section. Staff also pointed out that the developer proposes to provide utility easements outside of and along both sides of the rights -of -way within the subdivision, and that the comment made in the staff recommendation regarding requiring the developer to measure the required landscaping depth from this easement line was not applicable after the change from a private street in an access easement to a public street. Since no one had completed a registration card indicating an objection to the proposed subdivision, the Chairperson called the question, and the preliminary plat and a recommendation for approval of the requested variances was approved with the vote of 8 ayes, 0 nays, 0 abstentions, and 3 absent. 5